[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of
Port Vue 5-9-1957 by Ord. No. 146 (Ch. 26, Part 1, of the 1989 Code
of Ordinances). Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Amended 1-17-1984 by Ord. No. 359; 9-12-1989 by Ord. No. 401]
A.
CUSTOMER
MINIMUM RATE SCHEDULE
MULTIPLE-UNIT DWELLING
PERSON
SERVICE LINE
STREET
STREET COMMISSIONER
WATER DEPARTMENT
The following words and terms as used in this chapter shall have
the meaning respectively ascribed to them by this section, unless
the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
Any person as hereinafter defined owning any premises receiving
water from the Borough of Port Vue Water Department.
A multiple-unit dwelling shall be billed in accordance with
the number of families residing in said dwelling and shall pay either
the minimum rate per quarter times the number of families residing
in said structure or the actual bill as calculated by the meter reading
for said structure, whichever amount shall be greater.
Any residential structure, building or dwelling occupied
by more than two families.
Any natural person, association, partnership, firm or corporation.
That pipe leading from the curb to the premises of a customer.
Any street, alley or lane.
The appointed Street Commissioner of the Borough.
The plant, fixtures, mains, reservoirs, rights-of-way and
all other properties and facilities now or hereafter operated and
maintained by the Borough of Port Vue in order to collect, treat and
distribute water for municipal purposes and for the use of the inhabitants
thereof, and shall also include those officers and employees of the
Borough collectively engaged in the management, operation and maintenance
thereof.
B.
The singular shall include the plural, and the masculine shall include
the feminine and the neuter.
A Water Department is hereby established in and for the Borough
of Port Vue. It shall be operated and maintained under the provisions
of this chapter, subject to the authority of the Borough at any time
to amend, alter, change, or repeal the same.
The Borough Council shall manage the Water Department, subject
to such delegation of authority to the Water Committee and the Street
Commissioner as is provided herein.
The Water Committee shall supervise the work and activities
of the Street Commissioner and shall perform all duties and exercise
all authority vested in it by this chapter. It shall report to the
Council any mismanagement or lack of performance of duty on the part
of any officer or employee of the Water Department as soon as the
same shall have been made known to said Committee. Said Committee
shall issue written or printed orders, approved by the Council, for
all supplies, tools and material that be necessary for the maintenance
and operation of the Water Department. All bills received by the Department
shall be submitted to the Water Committee for approval prior to their
presentation by such Committee to the Council for payment.
The Street Commissioner, appointed by the Council, shall be
in charge of the operation of the Water Department.
The powers and duties of the Street Commissioner in the operation
of the Water Department shall be as follows:
A.
The Street Commissioner shall have charge of the Water Department,
exercising general care and supervision thereof, and shall be responsible
for the maintenance and operation thereof. He shall see that all the
provisions of this chapter are strictly enforced at all times. As
often as shall be required by the Council, the Street Commissioner
shall inspect the water lines, the reservoir, and all sources of supply,
and shall ascertain whether all the facilities of the Water Department
are in good working order.
B.
The Street Commissioner shall keep complete records of employment
in the Water Department and shall prepare the payrolls thereof.
C.
The Street Commissioner shall order materials as needed by the Department,
when authorized by the Committee or Council, and shall sign for the
same upon receipt thereof.
D.
He shall make a monthly report to the Water Committee and to the
Council pertaining to the operation of the Department.
E.
The Street Commissioner shall perform such other duties as the Council
and/or the Water Committee may direct.
All pipe laid in any street shall be at a depth of not less
than four feet below the established grade thereof.
Extension of distributing pipe shall be made only after petition
of the owners of real estate, or their authorized agents, along the
proposed line, and the same shall be assessed in accordance with the
ordinance providing for the same, provided that the above rules shall
not apply in cases where it may become necessary to supply short gaps
in distributing pipe in order to perfect the circulations, or to increase
the size of pipe already laid; which shall be done as the Council
shall direct.
[Amended 9-12-1989 by Ord. No. 401]
Introduction of Borough water shall not be made into any premises
until application shall have been made to the Water Department by
the owner of such premises or by his authorized agent. Such application
shall be made upon a form to be prescribed by the Borough, and upon
such application, the applicant shall state fully all purposes for
which he shall desire such water, and shall answer fairly and without
concealment all necessary questions relating to number of rooms, cisterns,
accessibility of neighbors and all possibilities for illegal use of
water.
[Amended 3-5-1971 by Ord. No. 279; 4-16-1974 by Ord. No. 295; 3-20-1979 by Ord. No. 310; 3-18-1980 by Ord. No. 323; 4-28-1980 by Ord. No.
324; 7-1-1982 by Ord. No. 349; 7-16-1985 by Ord. No. 367]
A.
No person except an authorized employee of the Water Department shall
tap any main or distributing pipe. Service connections shall be installed
by the Borough from the street main to the curb on line of the same,
including stop cock and box, and shall be charged to the owner of
the property with which the connection is made at the following rates:
|
1/2 inch or 3/4 inch
|
$300
| |
|
1 inch
|
$350
| |
|
2 inch
|
$450
|
B.
A charge of $20 shall be made at such time as there is a water supply
shutoff.
Every street connection, at the time of making thereof, shall
be provided with a separate stop cock and box, at the curb of the
sidewalk when practicable, for each property to be supplied. The stop
and box at the curb shall be the property of the Borough, placed there
for its sole use.
All service lines from the curb box to the residence or building
of the owner shall be installed at least four feet below the surface
of the ground at the expense of the owner and shall remain the property
of the owner.
Every service line shall have a stop-and-waste inside the premises
of the customer, so placed and kept as always to be ready for use.
Such stop-and-waste shall control the entire supply of water for the
premises and shall drain all the pipes and fixtures thereon.
Premises intended to be occupied by more than one establishment,
firm or family shall be provided with an independent stop-and-waste
conveniently located, for each separate establishment or apartment
into which water is to be introduced, so that any portion of such
premises which may be separately occupied can be drained without interfering
with the supply of water for the other occupants. Where there is more
than one residence on a lot, each residence must have a separate service
line from the curb box and separate meter unless, in the opinion of
the Street Commissioner, it is impractical to do so.
[Amended 9-12-1989 by Ord. No. 401]
No person shall extend or cause to be extended any service pipe
from one property to another, unless an application is made therefor
to the Water Department.
[Amended 12-14-1960 by Ord. No. 192; 6-14-1963 by Ord. No. 220; 3-5-1971 by Ord. No. 279]
All meters shall be furnished by the Borough and shall be of
standard manufacture and shall be paid for by the customer at the
following rates, which shall include installation by the Borough and
testing:
[Amended 12-14-1960 by Ord. No. 192]
It shall be the duty of the customer to protect all meters from
damage or freezing.
[Amended 9-12-1989 by Ord. No. 401]
In those cases where the meter reader is unable to gain admittance
for more than one reading of the customer's meter, the Water
Department shall bill the customer on an estimated bill based on the
same quarter in the previous year.
In those cases where the meter is broken or appears to be registering
improperly, the Street Commissioner shall have the right to remove
the meter and repair or replace the same and charge the costs involved
to the customer on his next quarterly water bill.
[Amended 9-12-1989 by Ord. No. 401]
No customer shall break any meter seal or bypass any meter or
use any water unless the same be registered through a meter.
[Amended 9-12-1989 by Ord. No. 401]
The owner of a metered property shall notify the Water Department
immediately of any change of ownership of such property so that the
Street Commissioners may cause the meter to be read so that the final
consumption shall be billed to the seller and all future billing shall
be made to the buyer.
[Amended 4-16-1959 by Ord. No. 160; 3-20-1979 by Ord. No. 310; 3-18-1980 by Ord. No. 323; 4-28-1980 by Ord. No. 324; 12-29-1980 by Ord. No.
325; 7-1-1982 by Ord. No. 349; 1-17-1984 by Ord. No. 359; 7-16-1985 by Ord. No. 367]
The rates for water furnished to customers by the Water Department
shall be as follows:
A.
Class 1, Residence consumer: 4,000 gallons or less, minimum rate
per quarter, $20;
B.
Class 2, Residence consumer: 4,001 gallons to 49,999 gallons, $5.41
per month per 1,000 gallons.
C.
Class 3, Business and commercial consumer: 50,000 gallons or more,
$5.16 per month per 1,000 gallons.
D.
Class 4, Construction consumer: flat rate of $20 per quarter per
dwelling unit.
[Amended 9-12-1989 by Ord. No. 401; 6-7-2011 by Ord. No. 573]
All bills for rates shall be rendered to the owner of the premises
to which water is furnished by the Water Department, regardless of
whether the owner resides at the premises or not. In all cases, the
owner shall be solely liable for the payment of such bills. In the
event the property owner does not reside at the premises, the property
owner is required to provide his or her current address to the Borough.
All bills for water rate charges will be sent directly to the owner.
In the event the property owner moves away from the address where
water is being provided, the property owner is required to provide
to Borough an updated address within 10 days.
[Amended 7-16-1985 by Ord. No. 367; 9-12-1989 by Ord. No. 401]
All meters shall be read quarterly and statements shall be mailed
monthly or quarterly to each customer of his account due the Borough.
All accounts shall be due and payable at face for a period of 20 days
after billing. A five-percent penalty shall be added to unpaid accounts
thereafter. In the event any account is unpaid at the expiration of
said period, service to the consumer shall be discontinued unless
the account is paid within 10 days after the due date. Interest at
the rate of 1/2% per month shall be added to all unpaid accounts beginning
60 days after original billing. In the event the bill is unpaid within
the said ten-day period, the Street Commissioner shall order the water
supply shut off and a charge of $20 shall be made for the same.
[Amended 9-12-1989 by Ord. No. 401]
The following regulations shall govern abatement of charges
for water:
A.
No abatement of charges shall be allowed for vacancy of premises,
except from the date that notice shall have been given by the owner
of such premises to the Water Department, that such premises shall
have been vacated.
B.
No abatement of charges shall be allowed for absence of the customer
unless the water shall have been shut off from the premises by the
order of the Water Department, for which a charge of $20 shall be
made.
C.
Whenever water shall be used on any metered premises for fire protection
or firefighting, in an actual case of fire or conflagration, no charge
shall be made for the water so used, and the amount of water so used
shall be ascertained by comparison with the average use of water during
a corresponding billing period, as shown by the meter.
The Water Committee is hereby authorized to limit or discontinue
the supply of water, in cases of emergency, and to shut off the supply
of water for repairs or extensions when necessary.
[Amended 9-12-1989 by Ord. No. 401]
The Street Commissioner, any employee of the Water Department
and any member of the Water Committee shall have the right at any
time and all hours to enter upon or into any premises to which water
is supplied by the Water Department, for the purpose of inspecting
any pipe or fixture, setting, reading or repairing any meter, turning
water off or on and enforcing the provisions of this chapter generally.
No person shall deny entrance to any such premises to any officer
or employee hereby granted such right of entry.
[Amended 9-12-1989 by Ord. No. 401; 5-30-1990 by Ord. No. 412]
Any person, partnership, or corporation who shall violate any
provision of this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced
to pay a fine of not more than $600 and costs of prosecution, or,
in default of payment of such fine and costs, to undergo imprisonment
for not more than 90 days. Provided: each violation of any provision
of this chapter, and each day the same is continued, shall be deemed
a separate offense.
