[HISTORY: Adopted by the Commissioners of the Town of Ridgely as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Building construction — See Ch. 75.
Sewers — See Ch. 145.
Streets and sidewalks — See Ch. 155.
Water and sewer rates and charges — See Ch. 185.
[Adopted 7-17-1967 by Ord. No. 26]
No person shall commence the drilling or installation of any private water well installation in the Town of Ridgely without first applying for and securing a license or permit from the Commissioners of Ridgely for the same and paying the license or permit fee as set forth from time to time by the Commissioners by resolution.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
No person shall be issued a license or permit under § 183-1 hereof until he or she shall have secured the prior written approval of the Maryland State Department of Health and of any other state or public governmental authority having jurisdiction thereof, which approval shall first be exhibited to the Commissioners of Ridgely.
No person shall be issued a license or permit under § 183-1 hereof until he or she shall first exhibit the details, plans and specifications for said drilling and installation to the Commissioners of Ridgely so that they can have the same checked and examined by water, health and/or engineering experts to be employed by the Commissioners of Ridgely.
Any person violating the provisions of this article shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof before the Circuit Court for Caroline County, shall be subject to a fine of not more than $100 for each offense.
[Adopted 2-1-1988 by Ord. No. 97]
A. 
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
BUILDING
A structure built, erected and framed of component structural parts designed for the housing, shelter, enclosure or support of persons, animals or property of any kind.
BUILDING WATER SERVICE PIPE OR BUILDING WATER SERVICE
That pipe which extends from the termination of the public water service pipe to the water-distributing system of the building served.
DWELLING UNIT OR FAMILY UNIT
A building or part thereof arranged or designed to provide living and sanitary facilities for only one family.
EASEMENT OR RIGHT-OF-WAY
An acquired legal right for specific use of land owned by others.
INSIDE
Lying within a building.
MULTIPLE DWELLING UNIT OR MULTIFAMILY UNIT
A building containing two or more dwelling or family units.
OUTSIDE
Lying exterior to the confines of a building.
OWNER
A proprietor, one who owns or has exclusive right of possession.
PERSON
Any individual and his or her heirs, executors, administrators or assigns and includes a firm, partnership, corporation, company, association, society, church, school or group and its successors or assigns.
PUBLIC WATER MAIN
A water supply pipe for public use controlled by the town.
PUBLIC WATER SERVICE PIPE OR PUBLIC WATER SERVICE
That part of the water service pipe to the building which is connected by the town from the public water main in the public way to the property line.
PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM OR WATERWORKS
The works, structures, equipment and processes required to supply, treat and distribute water to people at large or to any considerable number of members of the public indiscriminately for domestic, commercial, industrial and fire uses.
SINGLE-FAMILY DWELLING OR SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENCE
A building arranged or designed to provide living and sanitary facilities for only one family.
TOWN
The Commissioners of Ridgely or Town of Ridgely, a municipal corporation of the State of Maryland, and/or its duly authorized officers or agents.
WATER MAIN OR MAIN
The principal pipes of a water supply system to which water services may be connected.
WATER PLUMBING SYSTEM
The water supply and distribution pipes, plumbing fixtures and traps and water-treating or water-using equipment, including their respective connections, devices and appurtenances, within the property lines of the premises.
WATER SERVICE PIPE OR WATER SERVICE
The pipe from the water main to the building served.
WATER SUPPLY PIPING
The water-distributing pipes and necessary connecting pipes, fittings, control valves and all appurtenances in a building which convey water from the water service pipe to plumbing fixtures and other water outlets.
B. 
"May" is a permissive term; "shall" is a mandatory term.
A. 
The owner of all houses, buildings or properties used for human occupancy, employment, recreation or other purposes situated within the town and abutting on any street, alley or right-of-way in which there is now located or may in the future be located a public water main of the town is hereby required, at his or her expense, to connect all inside water plumbing systems with the proper public water main in accordance with the provisions of this article within 120 days after date of official notice to do so, provided that said public water main is within 100 feet of the property line.
B. 
Except as hereinafter provided, no well or spring for inside potable water use shall be constructed or maintained on a property accessible to a public water main.
C. 
Except as hereinafter provided, immediately subsequent to the commencement of the public water supply service to a property previously served by a well, the well shall be abandoned and capped or closed in a manner satisfactory to the town.
D. 
Whenever a water service is provided for a property and the property owner desires to continue use of or construct a well for outside water supply purposes, the well shall be examined and the well water tested by the Caroline County Health Department to determine whether the well is polluted or will be a menace to health. If the well is found to be a safe, potable supply, the town will consider allowing the well to remain in use for outside water supply purposes, provided that it is not physically connected to the inside water supply piping or water plumbing system or sewerage system. Should such well be found to be polluted or a menace to health, it shall be abandoned and capped or closed in a manner satisfactory to the town.
A. 
No unauthorized person shall uncover, make any connections with, use, alter or disturb any public water main, water service or appurtenances thereof without first obtaining a written permit from the Commissioners of Ridgely.
B. 
There shall be three classes of building water service permits: residential service, commercial service and industrial service. In each case, the owner or his or her agents shall make application to the town for a permit. When requested, the permit application shall be supplemented by any plans, specifications or other information considered pertinent in the judgment of the town.
C. 
All costs and expenses incidental to the installation and connection of the building water service shall be borne by the owner. The owner shall indemnify the town from any loss or damage that may directly or indirectly be occasioned by the installation of the building water service.
D. 
A separate and independent building water service shall be provided for every building, except as hereinafter provided or except where one building stands at the rear of another on an interior lot and no private water service is available or can be constructed to the rear building through an adjoining alley, court, yard or driveway. In the latter case, the building service from the front building may be extended to the rear building and the whole considered as one building service, provided that this shall only apply when both buildings have the same ownership.
E. 
Multifamily dwellings and mixed residential and commercial-use properties.
[Amended 3-7-2000 by Ord. No. 206]
(1) 
The owner of any property on which there are located any of the following improvements or uses: multifamily dwellings or buildings used for both commercial or residential purposes and having domestic water and/or sanitary facilities therein, shall have the option of:
(a) 
Connecting all units or dwelling units to the public water main via a single building water service;
(b) 
Connecting all units or dwelling units to the public water main via two or more building water services; or
(c) 
Considering each unit or dwelling unit as a separate entity and connecting each unit or dwelling unit to the public water main via a separate and independent building water service.
(2) 
The water rate structure established for use of the town's public water mains will be such that revenue required from a property owner choosing either Subsection E(1)(a) or (b) above will be equal to that revenue secured had each unit or dwelling unit been required to have its own separate and independent building water service.
F. 
All connections of building water services into the public water mains or public water services shall be performed by a registered master plumber licensed by the Maryland State Board of Commissioners of Practical Plumbing.
G. 
Existing building water services may be used in connection with new building water services only when they are found, on examination and test by the town, to meet all requirements of this article.
H. 
All excavations for building water service installation shall be adequately guarded with barricades and lights so as to protect the public from hazard or injury. Streets, sidewalks, parkways and other public property disturbed in the course of the work shall be restored in a manner satisfactory to the town.
I. 
The applicant for the building water service permit shall notify the town when the building water service is ready for inspection and connection to the public water service and before the water service installation is backfilled or covered. The connection shall be made under the supervision of an authorized town representative. The applicant shall obtain the town representative's approval before backfilling or covering the water service pipe.
J. 
Water meters.
(1) 
The town may furnish and install a meter for each water service. The water meter will remain under the ownership of, and will be maintained by, the town.
(2) 
The town will determine the size and type of any water meter and the type and location of the setting.
(3) 
It shall be unlawful for any person not specifically authorized by the town to interfere with, remove, replace or tamper with a meter or a meter seal.
(4) 
No connection shall be made to any water service pipe between the water main and the meter, except such bypass as the town may install. If such unlawful connection is found, the water house connection will be cut off at the main until such unlawful connection is disconnected and abandoned. Any expense to which the town shall be subjected due to the above work shall be paid for by the owner before the service is restored.
(5) 
Any water meter furnished and installed by the Town may be inspected by the Town or the Town's designee upon the customer's request and payment of the nonrefundable fee set forth in § 185-37 of this Code.
[Added 8-27-2017 by Ord. No. 2017-378]
K. 
Maintenance.
(1) 
The town will maintain all water services from the street main to the property line.
(2) 
All pipes and appurtenances on private property shall be maintained by, and at the expense of, the property owner. The town, where it shall deem such action necessary, may do maintenance or repair work on private property, in which case the cost, including overhead expense, shall be paid by the property owner. Likewise, the cost of any work outside of the property line made necessary by the neglect or through the action of a property owner or tenant shall be charged to the property owner.
(3) 
In the event of a complaint regarding a leak on a water service, the town will determine if the leak is in the public way, in which case the leak will then be repaired by the town. If it is found that the leak is not the town's responsibility, the owner will be so notified, and it shall be his or her responsibility to have the leak repaired at once by a master plumber at the owner's expense. If the property owner fails to make such repairs within five days after written notification by the town, in order to conserve water and protect the public health, the town will make such repairs as are necessary and will bill the owner for the costs of such work.
A. 
Water from the town's system may be used for residential, business, industrial and public purposes. The town reserves the right to impose at any time such restrictions on the use of water as in its judgment may appear necessary.
B. 
No direct connection shall be made from a swimming pool to the water supply piping of any building.
C. 
All residential service permit applications shall be accepted by the town. The town may not accept permit applications for commercial or industrial service if it determines, after investigation, that the water system does not have the capacity to service the proposed industrial or commercial use without having an adverse effect on other service on the balance of the system. If the proposed permit application for commercial or industrial use would adversely affect the existing residential users, the proposed permit application shall be denied.
No unauthorized person shall maliciously, willfully or negligently break, damage, destroy, uncover, deface or tamper with any structure, appurtenance or equipment which is a part of the waterworks. Any person violating this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
A. 
Any person found to be violating any provision of this article shall be served by the town with a written notice stating the nature of the violation and providing a time limit for the satisfactory correction thereof. The offender shall, within a period of time stated in such notice, permanently cease all violations.
B. 
Any person who shall continue any violation beyond the time limit provided for in Subsection A shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, on conviction thereof, shall be fined in the amount not exceeding $500 for each violation. Each day in which any such violation shall continue shall be deemed a separate offense.
C. 
Any person violating any of the provisions of this article shall become liable to the town for any expense, loss or damage occasioned the town by reason of such violation.
Whenever the public necessity, convenience and general welfare of the town and its citizens require, the town may amend or repeal any provision herein upon motion duly made and carried by a majority of the Commissioners of Ridgely.