No person other than the City Manager, or duly authorized agents, shall lay waterlines, sewer lines or other fixtures in the streets for the purpose of sewer or water connection for the use of any premises, and no other person or user shall dig up the streets for such purpose or shall make any such connection.
The City Manager shall have authority to make such changes and extensions of the water and sewer systems as may be necessary and proper, unless such authority is specifically reserved to the City Council.
The City Manager shall have authority to promulgate such orders, rules, resolutions or regulations as deemed necessary for the protection, repair, extension or improvement of the watersheds, storage dams, reservoir, and water and sewer systems of the City.
The City Manager shall have authority to do all things needed or necessary for the protection of the water and sewer systems of the City. Any reference to the City Manager in this chapter shall also refer to a duly authorized designee.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
The Maury Service Authority.
All solid waste, including sludge and other discarded material, including solid, liquid, semiliquid or contained gaseous material, resulting from industrial, commercial, mining or agricultural operations and from community activities and residences.
Any water beneath the land surface.
Any industrial establishment, mill, factory, tannery, paper or pulp mill, mine, coal mine, colliery, breaker or coal processing operations, quarry, oil refinery, boat, vessel, and each and every other industry or plant or works, the operation of which produces industrial wastes or other wastes or which may otherwise alter the physical, chemical or biological properties of any state waters.
Any inhibition or disruption of the wastewater treatment plant, its treatment processes or operations, or its sludge processes which clearly causes, in whole or in part, a violation of any requirement of the wastewater treatment plant's VPDES permit, including those discharges that prevent the use or disposal of sludge by the wastewater treatment plant in accordance with federal or state laws, regulations, permits or sludge management plans.
Any individual, firm, company, association, society, partnership, corporation, governmental entity, or other similar organization, agency, or group. The definition includes all federal, state or local government entities.
Any dredged spoil, solid waste, incinerator residue, filter backwash, sewage, garbage, sewage sludge, munitions, medical waste, chemical waste, industrial waste, biological materials, radioactive materials, heat, wrecked or discarded equipment, rock, sand, cellar dirt, municipal agricultural and industrial wastes and certain characteristics of wastewater, (including pH, temperature, TSS, turbidity, color, BOD, COD, toxicity and odor). For purpose of quantifying odor the standards identified in 40 CFR 136 shall be used.
The property or physical location served by water and/or sewer.
The reduction of the amount of pollutants, the elimination of pollutants, or the alteration of the nature of pollutant properties in wastewater prior to introduction into the authority's sewer system.
Any regulation containing pollutant discharge limits promulgated by the EPA in accordance with Section 307(b) and (c) of the Act which applies to industrial users.
Water-carried human or animal excrement and gray water (household washing, dishwashing wastes, etc.).
The sewer lateral running from the structure being served to its connection to the sewage collection system of the serving jurisdiction. It is understood that the serving jurisdiction is responsible for compliance of the service user with its particular rules and regulations and with the additional rules and regulations of the wastewater treatment plant. By agreement of July 29, 1996 (Article VI), the participating jurisdictions shall enforce those rules and regulations established by the authority related to delivery, composition and treatment of all wastewater into the wastewater treatment plant from any building sewer.
A pipe or conduit designed, installed and maintained for carrying normal or industrial wastewater.
A pipe or conduit designed, installed and maintained for carrying normal or industrial wastewater owned and maintained by the City.
As defined in 40 CFR 403.6 shall be as follows. One which:
Has a process wastewater flow of 25,000 gallons or more per average workday (excludes sanitary, noncontact cooling and boiler blowdown wastewater);
Contributes a process waste stream which makes up 5% or more of the average dry weather hydraulic or organic capacity of the wastewater treatment plant;
Is subject to categorical pretreatment standards; or
Has significant impact, either singularly or in combination with other significant discharges, on the treatment works or the quality of its effluent.
A sewer or drain for conveying storm, surface and other waters, which is not intended to contain wastewater or to be transported to a treatment works.
Rain, stormwater, or other surface waters which are collected and transported by the storm sewer.
Any of the pollutants designated by federal regulations pursuant to Section 307(a)(1) of the Act or other federal, state or authority regulations.
A combination of liquid and water-carried wastes from residences, agricultural buildings, commercial buildings, industries, and institutions, together with any groundwater, surface water, or stormwater that may be present.
A pipe or conduit designed, installed and maintained for carrying potable water from the water main to the user or user's premises.
When there is any extension or change in water or sewer mains or lines, the City shall record the same and maintain an accurate, permanent record showing extensions or changes and the location and the time they were made. In like manner it shall keep accurate, permanent records of branch lines, building sewers and/or lateral lines, hydrants, meters and other water and sewer fixtures and facilities so that they can be located with reasonable accuracy.
All persons connected to the City's water and sewer system shall, at all times, keep and maintain their private water and sewer facilities in proper repair and good and sanitary condition.
Every person occupying any premises into which water is conveyed or which is connected to the City sewer system shall permit the City Manager or a duly authorized agent of the City to enter such premises at reasonable hours to inspect the works therein or to see that the provisions of this Code and other ordinances and regulations of the City relative to the water and sewer systems have been kept and performed.
It shall be unlawful for any person, in any way, to break, destroy, interfere or tamper with the mains or pipes or any machinery, equipment or facilities incident to or connected to the City water and sewer system.
Any person who violates any of the terms of this chapter, or fails or refuses to notify the City in which any sewage line or system is to be constructed or installed, or fails to notify the City of any proposed extension beyond the number of connections for which approval was originally given and thereafter constructs and installs any system, or having given notice and the same being disapproved proceeds to construct or install any system shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor and, in addition, may be enjoined from further violation of this chapter. Each day of operation without notifying the governing body as above required, or after disapproval by the governing body, shall constitute a separate offense.
[Amended 10-16-2025 by Ord. No. 2025-06]
A.
Fees and charges for water, sewer, and stormwater utility service are liens on the property served, ranking on parity with liens for unpaid taxes.
B.
Not less than 30 days prior to recordation of a lien against property for unpaid water, sewer, or stormwater utility fees, the Department of Public Works shall give notice of its intent to record a lien against the property. This notice may be given in the same notice as a disconnection notice under § 403-17. The lien shall be in the amount of all unpaid charges, penalties, interest, and reasonable costs of collection, not to exceed 20% of delinquent charges. No lien for less than $25 shall be recorded against any property.
C.
Where water or sanitary sewer services for rental units are separately metered, or for stormwater utility service, a property owner may authorize tenants or lessees to obtain service and accounts in their own names by providing authorization in writing. When a tenant or lessee seeks to open an account, he or she must provide written proof of such authorization to the Department of Public Works on or before the time of opening an account. Unless such proof is provided, the account must be opened in the name of the property owner.
D.
Prior to recordation of a lien against the property for nonpayment of utility fees in the case of a delinquent account of a tenant or lessee, the City Treasurer shall undertake reasonable collection actions against the tenant or lessee, which may, in the discretion of the City Treasurer, include:
(1)
Application of the security deposit against the outstanding sum due;
(2)
Referral to a debt collection agency;
(3)
Filing with the Setoff Debt Collection Program;
(4)
Application of a Treasurer's lien; or
(5)
Such other actions as the City Manager may deem appropriate to collect the sums due, including legal action.
E.
The City Treasurer and the City Attorney, either of whom may act, are hereby authorized to collect utility fees in the manner provided by law.
F.
Any memorandum of lien filed in accordance with Subsection B shall be released within 10 business days after payment in full of all outstanding fees then due.
(Statutory Reference: Code of Virginia, §§ 15.2-2119 and 15.2-2119.4.)
[Amended 10-16-2025 by Ord. No. 2025-06]
A.
The City Manager may adopt a policy requiring a deposit from applicants desiring the use of City water and sewer facilities, or who is subject to the stormwater utility fee, the amount of such deposit to be determined by the City Manager. Such deposit, when so required, shall be paid to the City Treasurer and held until the termination of the service or until further order of the City Manager.
B.
No security deposit is required when a lessee or tenant seeks to obtain water or sanitary sewer services, or applies to pay the stormwater utility fee, in his or her own name if such lessee or tenant presents to the Department of Public Works a landlord authorization to obtain service in his or her own name together with documentation showing that the lessee or tenant receives need-based local, state, or federal rental assistance. However, the City Treasurer shall retain all other remedies to collect unpaid fees.
(Statutory Reference: Code of Virginia, §§ 15.2-2119, 15.2-2119.4.)
A.
Any extensions to the City's water and sewer system shall be the financial responsibility of the applicant for service. Except as provided below, for all water and sewer connections, regardless of their location, involving the construction of less than 60 feet of service pipe, there shall be paid a minimum fee established by Council resolution. For all water and sewer connections involving the construction of more than 60 feet of service pipe, there shall be a charge of the actual cost for such construction, but not less than the minimum fee. The minimum water connection fee shall be for the standard water meter of 5/8 inch by 3/4 inch. Applicants requiring larger meters shall pay the actual cost of installation.
B.
All charges for water or sewer taps or connections shall be payable in advance at the time of application.
Each water and/or sewer service customer shall be required to pay a utility service fee, in an amount established by resolution of City Council, upon application for use of City water and/or sewer facilities. This fee shall be payable both in the event that the application is for a new service line or if the service is being transferred to a new customer name. This fee shall be in addition to all other normal service connection charges which may be payable in order to provide the utility service to the customer.
[Amended 8-20-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-08]
The water meters shall be read monthly and the water and sewer bills issued on or about the 25th of the month, due and payable on the 25th of the following month.
All utility bills remaining unpaid at the close of business on the 25th day of the month in which payment is due shall be subject to a penalty as established by Council resolution. Such unpaid bill shall accrue a further penalty at the same rate for each subsequent month the bill remains unpaid.
[Amended 10-16-2025 by Ord. No. 2025-06]
A.
The Department of Public Works shall prepare a list of all delinquent water, sewer, and stormwater utility service bills for the City Manager at the close of business on the 12th day of each month. The City Manager shall disconnect such service for any account with a delinquent balance in excess of $12 in accordance with this section. When the customer is delinquent as to sewer service or the stormwater fee only, the same shall be discontinued by cutting off the water. Any account on the delinquent list, and where administrative action has been initiated to disconnect the water service, will be assessed an administrative service charge of $70. The utility service shall not again be provided to a user or resumed on the premises until the respective water and sewer service bills shall have been paid to the City Treasurer.
B.
For industrial and commercial customers, the Department of Public Works shall send notice to the owner and tenant or lessee of impending cutoff, not less than 30 days before the intended date of cutoff.
C.
For residential customers, the Department of Public Works shall not disconnect service:
(1)
Until the account is at least 45 days in arrears;
(2)
On any Friday, weekend, state holiday, or the day immediately preceding a state holiday; and
(3)
On any day in which the temperature is forecast by the National Weather Service to be higher than 92° Fahrenheit in the City within 24 hours thereafter.
D.
The City Manager shall cause a plain-language explanation of the City's utility disconnection policy on the City website in English and Spanish.
E.
With respect to any residential account, the Department of Public Works shall, in addition, provide notice of delinquency and impending cutoff in each bill following the delinquency of the account, including (i) the current amount of the delinquency, (ii) available bill repayment assistance plans (e.g., from the Department of Social Services), and (iii) any available payment plans. The Department of Public Works shall undertake reasonable efforts to make contact with the delinquent residential customer through email, text message, telephone call, or door hanger. The foregoing shall not be construed to require that all such methods be used or exhausted.
(Statutory Reference: Code of Virginia, §§ 15.2-2121.1, 15.2-2121.2, and 15.2-2121.3.)
[Amended 8-20-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-08; 11-19-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-12]
A.
In the event a customer experiences a high consumption occurrence attributed to a plumbing leak or fixture, appliance, or related equipment malfunction, they may be eligible for a credit to their utility bill. Account holders requesting an adjustment must do so within 30 days of the high consumption occurrence by submitting a signed Courtesy High Consumption Adjustment Form. An invoice from a licensed plumber in the State of Virginia may be required depending on the circumstance. If no licensed plumber is used, the account holder may be required to submit legible copies of paid invoices for all materials and equipment used to complete the repair along with photographs documenting the location and nature of the repair. The Public Works Department will review the request for the adjustment from the high consumption occurrence and determine whether water from the high consumption occurrence entered the sanitary sewer system. As part of the request, account holders will be required to register with the City's Customer Portal. This requirement will be waived for only those users with water meters that do not have remote read capability. Once these measures are satisfied, the adjustment request and all supporting documentation will be reviewed by the Public Works Department and a decision made. Adjustment requests greater than $250 will be forwarded to the City Manager for approval or denial.
B.
Customers with approved adjustments shall have their accounts adjusted using an average of the normal water usage for the twelve-month period preceding the high consumption occurrence. Should 12 months of data not be available, the City, at its discretion, may examine normal water usage for similar accounts or the most meaningful account statistics to date to determine normal water usage. Adjusted account usage shall be the difference between the high consumption occurrence usage and the normal water usage for the billing period(s) under consideration. Account credits shall be determined by multiplying the adjusted rate usage by the lowest tier rate in the City's current utility rate schedule for water or sanitary sewer as is applicable. Occurrences where the water did not enter the public sanitary sewer shall be credited 50% of the adjusted account usage for water and 100% of the adjusted account usage for sanitary sewer. Occurrences where the water did enter the public sanitary sewer shall be credited 50% of the adjusted account usage for both water and sanitary sewer. Customers will be permitted only one high consumption occurrence account adjustment in a twelve-month period regardless of the circumstance. This section is intended to address high consumption occurrences related to plumbing leaks or plumbing fixture, appliance, or related equipment malfunctions. High consumption occurrences attributed to blatant or inadvertent usage, such a leaving a garden hose running overnight, may not be eligible for an adjustment, depending on the circumstance.