The Township Council finds that the adoption
of this article is necessary for the public health, safety and welfare
and is in the public interest because:
A. The long-continued droughts occurring from time to
time in this area of the state result in a dangerous lowering of the
Township's potable water reserves and threaten the preservation of
the public health, safety and welfare.
B. Past experience has demonstrated that appeals for
voluntary aid for water conservation are not and have not been as
effective as necessary.
Whenever an owner shall fail or refuse to make
repairs so as to prevent the waste of water, then the Township shall
have the power to make such repairs and to charge the cost thereof
to the owner in the same manner as other water charges are made, as
by the statutes and ordinances provided, or to shut off the water
from such premises until such repairs are made by the owner.
The proclamation of the emergency shall be conclusive
of the fact of the existence of such emergency and shall be binding
upon all persons and users upon the filing of the same in the office
of the Township Clerk and the publication thereof at least once in
the official newspaper or newspapers circulating in the Township.
The regulations set forth in the proclamation and any subsequent regulations
made and published as aforesaid, upon filing thereof in the office
of the Township Clerk, shall be deemed to have the force and effect
of regulations adopted under the authority of this article the same
as if specifically incorporated and set forth herein. Every owner,
lessee, tenant and occupant of any building or premises connected
with the municipal water supply, and every user thereof, under any
contract, ordinance or statute, shall, upon the proclamation and promulgation
of the regulations as aforesaid, become bound thereby and by the provisions
of this article, and shall conform thereto and comply therewith in
the use of water and the maintenance of the water service connections
and equipment for the purposes thereof.
Upon the making of said proclamation of emergency,
the Township Clerk shall forthwith give written notice to the appropriate
departments of the Township to refrain from all street and gutter
flushing, hydrant flushing, fire hose testing and other similar practices,
except as said practices are deemed necessary in the interest of public
health or safety and until said emergency is declared no longer to
exist.