[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees
of the Village of Groton as indicated in article histories. Amendments
noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Sewers — See Ch. 165.
[Adopted 4-26-1926 as Sec. 20 of Ch. II of the 1926 Code
of Ordinances]
[Amended 8-16-1937; 10-20-1958; 12-10-1990 by L.L. No. 2-1990]
Any person, firm or corporation violating any of the provisions of the rules and regulations established and adopted by the Board of Water Commissioners of the Village of Groton for the protection, use and control of the public water supply system in said Village of Groton shall, after due notification of such violation and demand made for the abatement thereof within 24 hours and refusal or neglect to comply with such notice and demand within such period of 24 hours, be punishable as provided in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article III, Penalties for Offenses.
[Adopted 7-20-1970 as Ch. XIII of the 1926 Code of Ordinances]
As used in this article, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
The water system owned and operated by the Village of Groton
and shall include all reservoirs, pipes and all other appurtenances
which are used or useful in whole or in part for the collection, impounding
or distribution of water.
The rent, rate or charge imposed or levied by the Village
of Groton, New York, for the use of water through the municipal water
system.
All revenues imposed hereunder, together with
all interest and penalties thereon, shall be kept in a separate fund
to be known as the "Water Rent Fund" to be used for the service rendered
by the municipal water system and for the construction, operation,
maintenance and repair of said system.
For the use of water and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth, there is hereby established the scale of water rents as set forth in § 193-15, Water rates.
[Amended 4-20-1987 by L.L. No. 4-1987; 12-10-1990 by L.L. No.
2-1990]
A.
All charges for water rents shall be due and payable at the office of the Village Clerk or at such other place as may be designated from time to time by the Board of Trustees. Charges for water rents or water services shall be net charges and shall be due and payable in accordance with § 193-15, Water rents.
B.
The Village Clerk or other person authorized by the
Board of Trustees shall keep a record of all owners of real property
within the Village of Groton, and bills shall be mailed to the owners
of such property at the same address to which village tax bills are
mailed, unless the owner of the property shall direct the village,
in writing, on forms which can be obtained from the Village Clerk's
office, to mail such bills to him or to his agent at any other address.
The failure of any owner or other user to receive a bill shall not
excuse nonpayment thereof nor shall it operate as a waiver of the
penalty herein prescribed. Notwithstanding any other provision in
this article, all water rents or other charges relating to water service
shall be a charge against the owner of the premises connected with
the municipal water system, and such owner shall be liable for the
payment of all such rents and charges, including penalties and interest.
C.
If rents or charges are not paid within 60 days from
the date on which they are due, the Board of Trustees may cause a
notice to be delivered or mailed to the owner or to any other person
designated by the owner, addressed to the address to which bills are
to be sent, and to the occupant of the premises, addressed at the
premises, stating the amount due and demanding payment thereof within
a period of at least 10 days of the date of the notice and stating
that if such payment is not made, the water service shall be discontinued
without further notice, and, at the expiration of such period, the
Board of Trustees or the duly designated employees or officers of
the village may enter on said premises and cause the water service
to be disconnected and discontinued. A charge of $25 will be made
for discontinuing and $25 for reconnecting each of such services on
account of nonpayment of water rents or other charges, the collection
of which charge or charges shall be made and shall be enforceable
in the same manner as water rents.
D.
A separate charge shall be made and a separate bill
shall be rendered for each water meter when there is more than one
such meter on any one property or structure. Each unit for which there
is a separate water meter shall be deemed to be a separate service
account and will be billed separately even if there is but one water
connection with the structure or property in which said unit is located.
The use of the water system shall be based on
readings of water meters.
A.
All water meters shall be of a kind and size to be
specified by the Village. The Village shall furnish, install and own
a water meter for all size services up to and including a one-inch
service. For meters for services of over one inch, the consumer shall
apply to the Village for a permit to install such meter, and such
meter shall be installed at the expense of the owner, either by the
Village or pursuant to directions and regulations of the Village;
such meters shall be the property of the consumer. The Village of
Groton will maintain and repair meters for all size services, up to
and including one-inch service, at no expense to the consumer. The
cost of repairs to a meter for service of over one inch shall be borne
by the consumer.
B.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this article,
it shall be the responsibility of the owner of the property to protect
meters from damage due to vandalism, freezing or other cause. The
owner of the property shall be liable for the cost incurred by the
village in repairing any meters damaged as aforesaid.
C.
Meters shall generally be installed at such points
as approved by the village. Where meters are installed at a point
other than in a building, the owner will be required to construct
at his expense a suitable meter pit in accordance with the rules and
regulations which may be adopted by the Board of Trustees or by the
Board of Water Commissioners. Meters in trailers shall be installed
only in enclosures as shall be directed by either the Board of Trustees
of the Board of Water Commissioners.
All rents, water rents and other charges for
water service hereunder, together with the amount of any penalties
described, which shall remain unpaid for a period of more than 60
days from the due date shall be a lien on the real property upon which
or in connection with which the water is used. The priority of such
lien and the enforcement of such lien and the collection of such water
rents or other charges for water services shall be in accordance with
the statutes pertaining to such collection and enforcement.
The Board of Trustees may bring an action as
upon a contract to collect water rents in arrears, including any penalties
and interest which may from time to time be adopted, from any owner
or occupant served by the water system or from any other user of said
system.
Any costs and expenses or other charges incurred
by the village because of any repair or other work to the water system
or otherwise for which the owner of any property served by or connected
with the water system is obligated under this article or any other
ordinance, statute or provision of law shall be collected in the manner
provided for the collection of water rents in this article and shall
be a lien upon the property and enforceable in accordance with the
provisions of this article or any other applicable provision of law.
Any duly authorized officer, employee, contractor
or agent of the village or other person duly authorized by the village
shall be permitted to enter on any property at reasonable hours for
the purpose of reading meters, inspecting, disconnecting, repairing
or for any other purposes reasonably necessary to carry out the provisions
or purposes of this article.
[Amended 10-15-2007 by L.L. No. 4-2007; 4-16-2012 by L.L. No. 3-2012; 4-15-2013 by L.L. No. 3-2013; 4-16-2018 by L.L. No. 3-2018]
The rates established by this chapter shall
be effective for water consumed for the period beginning May 1, 2018.
A.
No person, association, corporation or any other groups
of persons shall connect with or use the village water system without
applying for and obtaining a permit from the Village Clerk or other
person designated by the Board of Water Commissioners. Any tampering
with or removal of any water meter or other appurtenance owned by
the village without a permit obtained from the Village Clerk or other
person designated by the Board of Water Commissioners is prohibited.
B.
The Board of Water Commissioners shall, from time
to time, set a fee to be collected upon application for a permit to
connect to the water system; provided, however, that if, in the case
of a particular connection, the Board of Water Commissioners shall
determine that such standardized fee shall not be sufficient to cover
the actual costs to the village of making or permitting such connection
to the water system, the permit fee for such particular connection
may be determined based upon actual costs to the village relating
to such connection.
[Added 12-10-1990 by L.L. No. 2-1990]
Repair of frozen services shall be made at the
expense of the owner of the property.
[Amended 12-10-1990 by L.L. No. 2-1990]
A.
General consumer rates.
(2)
If no meters can be installed for any consumer, then the premises
may be connected to the municipal water supply system, but the rate
charge shall be the average amount paid by owners or users of a representative
number of structures of comparable size, water use or occupancy, with
a minimum charge of $35 or any minimum charge hereafter established,
whichever is the larger amount, or such rate charge shall be determined
no such other reasonable basis as may be determined by the Village
Board of Water Commissioners. No connections shall be permitted until
the method of determining the rate and the amount thereof shall have
been determine or provided for.
(3)
If the Village, for whatever reason, is unable to obtain a meter
reading for billing for any quarter, the Village reserves the right
to render an estimated bill, based on account history or such other
basis reasonably determined by the Village Board of Water Commissioners
to fairly estimate the amount of the quarterly water usage by customers.
C.
Meters are read bimonthly. The present reading dates are in the months
of January, March, May, July, September and November. For all consumers,
both general and industrial, water bills shall be due and payable
on the due date designated on the bill. If a water bill is not paid
on or prior to its due date, a late payment penalty in the amount
of 10% of the amount of the bill will be added to and become a part
of the amount due.
D.
Hydrant rent.
(1)
Only upon permission of the Village Board of Water Commissioners
(Water Department) or its agent, water may be used on a temporary
basis from a hydrant for such period and on such terms and conditions
as shall be established by the Board of Water Commissioners.
(2)
In any event, a flat fee of $100 shall be charged for each permitted
use, payable in advance.
E.
Consumers outside the Village. The rate for general and/or industrial
users shall be equal to two times the rates established for general
and industrial Village consumers respectively.
[1]
Editor’s Note: This local law also provided that the
revised water rates be effective on and after May 1, 2013.
