The town shall have the power:
(1)
To construct, operate, and maintain a water system and water plant.
(2)
To construct, operate, and maintain a sanitary sewerage system and
a sewage treatment plant.
(3)
To construct, operate, and maintain a storm water drainage system
and storm water sewers.
(4)
To construct, maintain, reconstruct, enlarge, alter, repair, improve,
or dispose of all parts, installations, and structures of the above
plants and systems.
(5)
To have surveys, plans, specifications, and estimates made for any
of the above plants and systems or parts thereof or the extension
thereof.
(6)
To do all things it deems necessary for the efficient operation and
maintenance of the above plants and systems. (Res., March, 1963, sec.
75; P.L.L. 1963, sec. 80.)
Any public service corporation, company, or individual, before
beginning any construction of or placing of or changing the location
of any main, conduit, pipe, or other structure in the public ways
of the town, shall submit plans to the town and obtain written approval
upon such conditions and subject to such limitations as may be imposed
by the town. Any public service corporation, company, or individual
violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
If any unauthorized main, conduit, pipe, or other structure interferes
with the operation of the water, sewerage, or storm water systems,
the town may order it removed. (Res., March, 1963, sec. 76; P.L.L.
1963, sec. 81.)
All individuals, firms, or corporations having mains, pipes,
conduits, or other structures, in, on, or over any public way in the
town or in the county which impede the establishment, construction,
or operation of any town sewer or water main shall, upon reasonable
notice, remove or adjust the obstructions at their own expense to
the satisfaction of the town. If necessary to carry out the provisions
of this section, the town may use its condemnation powers provided
in Section 97 (C-1202). Any violation of an ordinance passed under
the provisions of this section may be made a misdemeanor. (Res., March,
1963, sec. 77; P.L.L. 1963, sec. 82.)
The town may enter upon or do construction in, on, or over any
county public way for the purpose of installing or repairing any equipment
or doing any other things necessary to establish, operate, and maintain
the water system, water plant, sanitary sewerage system, sewage treatment
plant, or storm water sewers provided for in this charter. Unless
required by the county, the town need not obtain any permit or pay
any charge for these operations, but it must notify the county of
its intent to enter on the public way and must leave the public way
in a condition not inferior to that existing before. (Res., March,
1963, sec. 78; P.L.L. 1963, sec. 83.)
The town shall provide a connection with water and sanitary
sewer mains for all property abutting on any public way in which a
sanitary sewer or water main is laid. When any water main or sanitary
sewer is declared ready for operation by the town, all abutting property
owners after reasonable notice shall connect all fixtures with the
water or sewer main. The town may require that, if it considers existing
fixtures unsatisfactory, satisfactory ones be installed and may require
that all cesspools, sinkdrains, and privies be abandoned, filled,
removed or left in such a way as not to injure public health. All
wells found to be polluted or a menace to health may be ordered to
be abandoned and closed. Any violation of an ordinance passed under
the provisions of this section may be made a misdemeanor. (Res., March,
1963, sec. 79; P.L.L. 1963, sec. 84.)
The town may make a charge, the amount to be determined by the
council, for each connection made to the town's water or sewer mains.
This charge shall be uniform throughout the town, but may be changed
from year to year. Arrangements for the payment of this charge shall
be made before the connection is made. (Res., March, 1963, sec. 80;
P.L.L. 1963, sec. 85.)
In order to prevent any leakage or waste of water or other improper
use of the town's water system or sewage disposal system, the town
may require such changes in plumbing, fixtures, or connections as
it deems necessary to prevent such waste or improper use. (Res., March,
1963, sec. 81; P.L.L. 1963, sec. 86.)
The town may by ordinance provide that no water supply, sewerage,
or storm water drainage system, and no water mains, sewers, drains,
or connections therewith, shall be constructed or operated by any
person or persons, firm, corporation, institution, or community, whether
upon private premises or otherwise, and may provide that cesspools
or other private methods of sewage disposal shall be operated and
maintained in such a manner that they do not and will not be likely
to affect adversely the public comfort and health and any cesspool
or other private method of sewage disposal affecting or likely to
affect adversely the public comfort and health may be deemed a nuisance
and may be abated by the town. Any violation of an ordinance passed
under the provisions of this section may be made a misdemeanor. (Res.,
March, 1963, sec. 82; P.L.L. 1963, sec. 87.)
The town shall have the power to extend its water or sewerage
system beyond the town limits. (Res., March, 1963, sec. 83; P.L.L.
1963, sec. 88.)
Any employee or agent of the town, while in the necessary pursuit
of his official duties with regard to the water or sewage disposal
systems operated by the town, shall have the right of entry, for access
to water or sewer installations, at all reasonable hours, and after
reasonable advance notice to the owner, tenant, or person in possession,
upon any premises and into any building in the town or in the county
served by the town's water or sewage disposal system. Any restraint
or hindrance offered to such entry by any owner, tenant, or person
in possession, or the agent of any of them, may, by ordinance, be
made a misdemeanor. (Res., March, 1963, sec. 84; P.L.L. 1963, sec.
89.)
No person shall do anything which will discolor, pollute, or
tend to pollute any water used or to be used in the town water supply
system. Any violation of the provisions of this section shall be a
misdemeanor. (Res., March, 1963, sec. 85; P.L.L. 1963, sec. 90.)
The town, if it deems it advisable, may contract with any party
or parties, inside or outside the town, to obtain water or to provide
for the removal of sewage. (Res., March, 1963, sec. 86; P.L.L. 1963,
sec. 91.)
The town shall have the power to charge and collect such service
rates, rents, charges, or fees as it deems necessary for water and
sewer service, including but not limited to connection fees, front-foot
benefit charges, testing and inspection fees, initiation and discontinuance
of service fees, late fees, usage rates, fire hydrants, and penalties
for improper use or connections. In addition, the town shall have
the power to collect the Bay Restoration fee or other taxes or fees
required by Maryland law to be collected with water or sewer service
bills. These charges are to be billed and collected by the treasurer,
and if bills are unpaid within thirty days, service may be discontinued.
All such rates, rents, charges and fees, including the Bay Restoration
fee and other taxes or fees required by Maryland law to be collected
with water or sewer service bills, shall be a lien on the real property
served by the water or sewer service, collectible in the same manner
as town taxes or by suit at law. (Res., March, 1963, sec. 87; P.L.L.
1963, sec. 92; Res. R-07-20, 12-7-07.)
The provisions of this subtitle shall not extend to any town
located in a sanitary district or special tax area or district authorized
to discharge the powers provided in this subtitle, as to the particular
powers included in the authorization. (Res., March, 1963, sec. 88;
P.L.L. 1963, sec. 93.)
