CHAPTER 50: REGULATION AND MAINTENANCE; WATER SYSTEM
Section
50.01 Appointment of Water and Wastewater Director
50.02 Control of water works
50.03 Service to one building
50.04 Damage to system
50.05 Hydrants
50.06 Street excavations
50.07 Consent to provisions of chapter
50.08 Connection fee and water rates
50.09 Right to enter on premises
50.10 Right to cut off water
50.11 Meters
§ 50.01 APPOINTMENT OF WATER AND WASTEWATER DIRECTOR.
The City Council shall appoint the Water and Wastewater Director (W.W. Director) pursuant to § 30.01(B). The City Council may remove the W.W. Director at any regular meeting of the Council at the pleasure of the Council.
(Ord. 3.10, passed 8-1-1995)
§ 50.02 CONTROL OF WATER WORKS.
(A) The W.W. Director and the Committee on Water Works from the City Council shall have general supervision of the maintenance and operation of the water works system of the city.
(B) The W.W. Director shall have power to purchase all supplies required for the maintenance and operation of the water works system pursuant to the city's purchasing policy.
(C) It shall be the duty of the office staff and city employees, upon receipt of the readings of the meters, to prepare bills and present the same for collection and collect the same for deposit at City Hall.
(D) The City staff shall report to the City Council the names of all water consumers who have not paid for the water service for the preceding quarter.
(E) The owner of all premises supplied with water, whether occupied by its owner or tenants, shall be liable for the water service furnished the premises, and where property changes hands the new owner shall be held for the continuation water service furnished the same as though the ownership had been continuous. Any unpaid delinquent water bills shall still be the responsibility of the selling owner
(F) Where meters fail to work, the W.W. Director and the City Administrator shall estimate the amount of water used by the consumer and the bill so estimated shall be collected in the same manner as though the meter had worked correctly.
(G) The W.W. Director shall see that the water supply, pumping machinery, pipes, hydrants and valves, and all other structures and appurtenances used in the operation and maintenance of the water system are kept in good condition of repair.
(H) The W.W. Director shall make or supervise all taps on the mains for service connections, shall put in all service pipes from the mains to the curb stops including the curb stops, and shall examine all other service pipes and the fixtures and appurtenances connected therewith, and see that they are properly put in and properly maintained.
(I) The W.W. Director shall have authority to designate the type of pipe to be used by the consumer from the mains to the premises and the type of meter to be used by the consumer.
(J) The W.W. Director shall see that all rules and regulations herein provided for, or which may hereafter be adopted, are enforced and he or she shall perform other duties in connection therewith as the Water Works Committee of the City Council may prescribe or direct.
(Ord. 3.10, passed 8-1-1995)
§ 50.03 SERVICE TO ONE BUILDING.
No more than one housing unit or building shall be supplied from one service connection to the city's water main, unless expressed permission is given by the City Council. Each housing unit or building may have multiple internal connections stemming from the single connection to the City's water main, provided that each internal connection shall be metered and have a separate shut off valve.
(Ord. 3.10, passed 8-1-1995) Penalty, see § 10.99
§ 50.04 DAMAGE TO SYSTEM.
No person shall wilfully or carelessly break, injure, mar or deface, interfere with or disturb any building, machinery, apparatus, fixture or attachment of the water works of the city or any public or private hydrant, stop cock, water supply or service pipe, or any part thereof; nor shall any person deposit anything in any stop cock, box, or commit any act tending to obstruct or impair the intended use of the above mentioned property without first obtaining permission of the W.W. Director or the City Council.
(Ord. 3.10, passed 8-1-1995) Penalty, see § 10.99
§ 50.05 HYDRANTS.
(A) All hydrants erected within and by the city are hereby declared to be public hydrants and no person or persons, other than members of the Madelia Fire Department or other authorized personnel, shall open any such hydrant or draw or attempt to draw any water therefrom, nor shall any person or persons in any manner interfere and meddle with the hydrant.
(B) Temporary water use whether metered or unmetered, from a hydrant may be granted subject to the approval of the W.W. Director.
(Ord. 3.10, passed 8-1-1995)
§ 50.06 STREET EXCAVATIONS.
(A) In making excavations on the streets or highways for laying service pipes or making repairs the earth and stones removed must be deposited in a manner that will occasion the least inconvenience to the public, and in a manner that will provide for the passage of water along gutters.
(B) No person shall leave any excavation made in any street or highway open at any time without first constructing or erecting appropriate barricades. All work must be done as directed by the W.W. Director.
§ 50.07 CONSENT TO PROVISIONS OF CHAPTER.
The rules, regulations and water rates herein named or adopted by separate ordinance or resolution shall be considered a part of the contract with every person or corporation who is supplied with water through the water works system of the city, and every person or corporation by taking water shall be considered to consent to be bound thereby, and whenever any of the rules and regulations herein provided, or adopted by separate ordinance or resolution or such as the City Council may adopt are violated, the water shall be cut off from the premises of the violation even though two or more parties are receiving water through the same pipe and shall not be turned on again except by order of the W.W. Director.
(Ord. 3.10, passed 8-1-1995)
§ 50.08 CONNECTION FEE AND WATER RATES.
(A) The City Council shall adopt separate ordinances for the City of Madelia covering regulations and fees for all connection with the water system of the city and governing rates to be charged to all water consumers.
(B) Any violation of those ordinances shall be construed as a violation of this chapter and subject to all penalties provided for herein.
(Ord. 3.10, passed 8-1-1995)
§ 50.09 RIGHT TO ENTER ON PREMISES.
Every person or corporation taking water from the city shall permit the W.W. Director, City Administrator, or any member of the City Council or any duly authorized agent at all hours to enter upon their premises to examine the pipes and fixtures and the manner in which the water is used, and they must at all times frankly and without concealment answer all questions put to them relative to the service and consumption of the water.
(Ord. 3.10, passed 8-1-1995)
§ 50.10 RIGHT TO CUT OFF WATER.
(A) The right is hereby reserved by the city to cut off the water supply at any time for the purpose of repair or any other necessary purpose.
(B) Whenever it shall become necessary to cut off the water supply within any district of the city, the W.W. Director shall, if possible, give notice to each consumer whose water is to be cut off of the time when the water supply is to be cut off.
(C) It is expressly stipulated and agreed by every person or corporation taking water from the water mains that no claim shall be made against the City of Madelia by reason of the breaking or freezing of any service pipes or service cock or for any failure of the water supply from any cause or from damage arising from the cutting off of the water to repair mains or make connections or extensions, or for any other purposes that may be deemed necessary by the W.W. Director.
(Ord. 3.10, passed 8-1-1995)
§ 50.11 METERS.
(A) Water will be supplied by service pipes only through meters and no restriction is placed upon the use of water taken through a meter as to purpose, manner and quantity, except that wanton waste is prohibited.
(B) All meters must be so set that they can be easily examined and read and must be provided with suitable protection making them safe from frost or other damage.
(C) There shall be a stop and water cock in the pipe immediately before all meters.
(D) In case of refusal or neglect to set and protect a meter as herein required, the W.W. Director shall refuse to turn water on or if water has been turned on it shall be cut off and remain so until the consumer shall have complied with these requirements.
(E) All meters shall have a dial which reads in gallons.
(F) All expenses of attaching meters and protecting them from frost or other damage shall be paid by the consumer.
(G) Any meter found frozen or damaged must be repaired or replaced at the expense of the consumer and no meter shall be repaired, removed or replaced except upon permission and orders by the W.W. Director.
(H) All water meters are the exclusive property of the City of Madelia. The city shall, at its expense, maintain and repair all meters when rendered unserviceable through ordinary usage, and shall replace meters when necessary. When replacement, repair or adjustment of any meter is made necessary by the act or neglect of the consumer, all costs incurred thereby shall be charged against the consumer, and water service may be discontinued until such cost has been paid
(I) It shall be the responsibility of the consumer to notify the city to request a final reading at the time of the customer's billing change.
(J) It is also the responsibility of the consumer to request, in writing, that their water service be disconnected, with any and all outstanding debts being paid in full.
(Ord. 3.10, passed 8-1-1995)
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