Chapter 12.02 Water
12.0201 Application, Required
Every person desiring to purchase water from the City of Scotland must make an application therefore to the Finance Officer, in such form may be prescribed for that purpose; and pay a fee; provided that not more than one house shall be supplied from one tap or service pipe, except by special permission of the City Council.
12.0202 Deposit Fee
Every person desiring to purchase water from the City of Scotland, must make a deposit in the amount of one hundred dollars ($150), which said sum shall remain with the City Finance Office until such time as said applicant desires to discontinue purchasing water from the City, and upon a showing of payment in full for all water purchased to date of discontinuance, said person shall be entitled to a full refund of their deposit.
The hook-up fee shall be determined by the Scotland City Council.
12.0203 Rates
The following water rates with a meter system are hereby established for the City of Scotland on a monthly basis:
Residential and Commercial Purchasers:
Minimum Consumption Charge 1 - 1,000 gallons…………………………$15.00
1,001 – 10,000 gallons used………………………….$5.00 per additional 1,000 gallons
10,000 – 30,000 gallons used…………………….……$4.35 per additional 1,000 gallons
30,000 and over…………………………………..………$4.05 per additional 1,000 gallons
Non-resident Purchasers:
Purchasers who receive water outside of the city limits of the City of Scotland shall pay one and one-half (1 ½) times the aforementioned rates listed for Resident Purchasers. However, non-resident purchasers shall pay the resident sewer rate and hookup fee.
A $25 late fee of the balance due will be assessed to both residents and non-residents after the 20th of each month.
Bulk Water Purchasers:
Purchasers who receive bulk water from the City of Scotland Water Plant shall pay $4.50 per 1,000 gallons.
12.0204 Water Turned On, When
Water will not be provided for any house or private service pipe except upon order of the City Council or the water superintendent, nor until the applicant shall have paid the amount due for the current term; and plumbers are strictly prohibited from providing water in or to any service pipe, except upon such order. This rule shall not be construed to prevent any plumber from admitting water to test pipes and for that purpose only.
12.0205 Users Risk
All person purchasing water shall keep their own service pipes and apparatus in good repair and protect them from all contingencies at their own risk and expense, and shall prevent all unnecessary waste of water; and it is expressly stipulated that no claim shall be made against the City or its officers by reason of breaking of any service pipe or service shut–off, or if from any cause the supply of water should fail, or from damage arising from shutting off water to repair the mains, making extensions or connections, or for any other purposes that may be deemed necessary, and the right is hereby reserved to cut off the supply of water at any time, any permit granted or regulation to the contrary not withstanding.
12.0206 Party Liable to Pay Water Bill
Where there is but one service pipe intended to supply two or more distinct premises or tenants, and where only one cut-off is used, the person or persons controlling the same must pay the water rent of all parties who are thus supplied, as separate water bills will not be made.
In addition to the tenant or occupant of the premises, the landlord or property owner shall be liable to the City for all charges or rates as they apply to water and sewer furnished by the City of the premises. In the event the tenant or occupant vacates the property without final payment to the city, and the deposit fee does not cover payment in full, service will not be restored to those premises until all charges and rates are paid in full by the landlord or property owner.
12.0207 Permit to Renew Discontinued Services
When water has been turned off from any consumer, the consumer shall not be permitted to purchase or receive water until payment of twenty-five dollars ($50) during regular working hours and fifty dollars ($100) after regular working hours service fee to the City Finance Officer.
When a consumer request that water be connected or disconnected, the City shall be entitled to collect in advance a twenty-five dollars ($50) during regular working hours and fifty dollars ($100) after regular working hours service fee from the consumer.
When the City has involuntarily disconnected water service, prior to being reconnected, the consumer shall pay all arrearages and twenty-five dollars ($50) during regular working hours and fifty dollars ($100) after regular working hours prior to having water service restored.
12.0208 Authority of Superintendent
Every person taking water supplied by this utility shall permit the Superintendent of Water at all hours of the day between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. to enter their premises to examine the pipes and fixtures and read the water meter and discontinue water and sewer services.
12.0209 Type of material for Service Pipes
All service pipes must be of copper piping or tubing, provided that should the same not be obtainable, such material as allowed by the City Council may be used.
12.0210 Tapping Mains
No person, except those having the permit as hereinbefore provided upon application duly made, will be permitted under any circumstances, to tap the distributing pipe, or insert cut-offs or stop cocks therein. Main line pipes must always be tapped on or near the top, and not in any case at or within one foot of the hub.
12.0211 Pipes, How Laid
All service pipe must be laid at least five and one-half feet under the surface of the ground, unless otherwise permitted by the Water Superintendent, and in all cases to be protected so as to prevent rupture by freezing, and in no case shall a service pipe be permitted to be laid in the same trench with a sewer line, except where sewer line is 6” sewer pipe of the fiber type.
12.0212 Stop Cock Box, Where Placed
Unless otherwise permitted, all services pipes shall have a stop cock or cut-off and they in turn shall be placed in a service pipe on the edge of the sidewalk, near the curb line, and protected by a box or metal pipe reaching from the tap to the surface, such box or pipe of suitable size to admit a stop key for turning the stop on or off. If the stop cock box is damaged, homeowner is responsible for cost to replace or repair.
12.0213 Hydrants
All hydrants in the City of Scotland used for the purpose of extinguishing fires are hereby declared to be public hydrants, and they shall be used only by authorized persons, to include members of the fire department in the exercise of their duty. No person, authorized to open such hydrants shall delegate his/her authority to another, or let out or suffer any person to take the wrenches furnished him/her to suffer the same to be taken.
12.0214 Meters, Installation of
Every owner or lessor of premises containing a water hydrant or tap connected with the City water mains, shall at his/her own expense install a water meter connecting his/her service pipe with such system, said meter to be of the kind and style approved by the City Council and installed under the supervision of the City Water Superintendent or city plumber.
12.0215 Penalties
Repealed
12.0216 Quarterly Water Meter Reading Cards
Repealed
12.0217 Termination of Water Services
Upon persons failure to provide payment for water, sewer, and garbage services purchased from the City of Scotland by the due date of the 20th of the current month, the City Finance Officer shall notify the delinquent purchaser/user by regular mail of the delinquency. Persons who are deliquent on their utility services will be mailed a “Notice of Intent to Disconnect Service”, which will state that the person has ten (10) days to make payment in full. The “Notice of Intent to Disconnect Service” shall provide notice to said person that utility services will be terminated after ten (10) days from the date of the notice. The notice shall also give the time and date when the utility services will be terminated and the dollar amount that is delinquent, which must be paid to retain utility services and the reason upon which the proposed disconnection is based.
Utility services that have been terminated for nonpayment of account will not be resumed until all billings on said account have been paid in full, including a reconnection charge as set by the city council. If the city does not have a deposit for such terminated account, then prior to reconnection, there shall also be collected a deposit as set by ordinance of the city council, to be held under the same conditions as applies to new account holders.
TITLE XII
PUBLIC UTILITIES