[Ord. No. 121-87 § 1; Ord. No. 172-91 § 1; Ord. No. 188-92 § 1; Ord. No. 255-98 § 2; Ord. No. 424-09 § 2; amended 12-11-2019 by Ord. No.
576-19; 2-23-2022 by Ord. No. 607-22]
The minimum rate for the furnishing of water by the Water/Sewer
Utility shall be in accordance with the following schedule:
|
All Meters
(inches)
|
Minimum Quarterly Consumption
(gallons)
|
Quarterly Minimum Charge
|
|---|---|---|
|
3/4 to 4
|
7,000
|
$130
|
|
7,000 to 29,999
|
$10.30 per 1,000 gallons
| |
|
30,000 to 49,999
|
$11.65 per 1,000 gallons
| |
|
50,000 to 99,999
|
$12.40 per 1,000 gallons
| |
|
100,000 and over
|
$12.80 per 1,000 gallons
|
[Ord. No. 121-87 § 2; Ord. No. 238-96 § 2; Ord. No. 255-98 § 3; Ord. No. 424-09 § 3]
For each 1,000 gallons of water supplied each quarter in excess of the minimum quarterly allowances set forth in Subsection 19-1.1, a fee of $9.50 will be made for water in addition to the minimum quarterly charge.
[Ord. No. 255-98 § 4; Ord. No. 424-09 § 3; 2-23-2022 by Ord. No. 607-22]
The charges set forth herein shall be effective as of January
1, 2022.
[Ord. No. 424-09 § 4]
Quarterly Charge: $12.50
[Ord. No. 121-87 § 3]
No person shall make any connection to the water/sewer system
operated by the Water/Sewer Utility of the Borough without first obtaining
a permit therefor and paying the fees prescribed herein. Application
for connection to the water system shall be made to the Construction
Code Official and shall contain such information as he or she may
require. The Construction Code Official shall have 30 days in which
to reject the application or issue the permit.
[Ord. No. 121-87 § 4; Ord. No. 183-91 § 1; Ord. No. 301-01 § 2; Ord. No. 482-13]
a.
Connection Fees. The fees which shall be paid for any permit for
connection to the water system operated by the Water/Sewer Utility
shall be as follows:
[Amended 3-8-2023 by Ord. No. 622-23]
|
Size of Meter or Lateral
|
Connection Fee
|
|---|---|
|
Under 4"
|
$2,000
|
|
4" — 6"
|
$2,205
|
|
6" or larger
|
$2,500
|
b.
Payment of Fees. Full payment shall be made for services described in Subsection a at the time they are due and payable, except that:
1.
A property owner may elect to pay for the water service connection
fee within two years in quarterly installments with a simple interest
rate of one and one-half (1 1/2%) percent until the date the
entire amount is paid; and
[Ord. No. 121-87 § 5]
All connections to the water system operated by the Water/Sewer
Utility shall be made by a registered plumber licensed by the State
of New Jersey. All such connections shall be made only after the requisite
permit has been issued and only after the licensed plumber who is
to make the connection has given at least 48 hours notice of the time
and place of the connection to the Plumbing Subcode Official.
[Ord. No. 121-87 § 6]
Bills for all water furnished by the Water/Sewer Utility shall
be sent out quarterly and shall be due and owing in full within 30
days of the mailing date thereof. Any water bill which is not paid
in full within this 30 day period shall thereafter bear interest on
the total amount owed on the account of 8% per annum. In the event
that any account, including interest thereon, is not paid in full
within one year from the date of the bill for the past due amount
shall result in a municipal lien being placed against the property.
The imposition of any such municipal lien shall be in addition to
any other remedies the Borough shall have to collect the full amount,
including interest, of the monies owed it for the furnishing of water.
[Ord. No. 121-87 § 7; Ord. No. 230-95 § 2]
The furnishing of water to any user may be terminated by the
Borough for nonpayment of any monies owed it for the furnishing of
water or for violation of any of the rules and regulations regarding
the furnishing of water by the Water/Sewer Utility of the Borough.
Water service to any user shall not be terminated, however, until
after the user has been notified of the proposed termination and given
a period of 30 days in which to request a hearing on the proposed
termination or satisfy the condition on which the proposed termination
is based. All notices regarding a proposed termination of water service
shall be by regular mail, to the name and address of the user as it
appears on the records of the Water/Sewer Utility of the Borough.
All persons shall be responsible for notifying the Water/Sewer Utility
of their current name and address.
[Ord. No. 121-87 § 8]
For any water service which is terminated by the Borough, there
shall be a reconnection fee of $25 which must be paid before the water
service can be resumed. Any such reconnection can only be made by
the Water/Sewer Utility.
[Ord. No. 121-87 § 9]
All water supplied by the Water/Sewer Utility of the Borough
to any users shall be metered. Meters shall be furnished by the Water/Sewer
Utility of the Borough and shall be maintained by the Water/Sewer
Utility except in situations where the meter is damaged intentionally
or through the negligence of any person. Any such person shall pay
and be responsible for the repair or replacement of any meter so damaged.
Upon request, the Water/Sewer Utility shall test any meter for accuracy.
No person shall remove, alter, tamper with, install or connect any
water meter without the prior written permission of the Water/Sewer
Utility.
[Ord. No. 121-87 § 10]
No water service furnished by the Water/Sewer Utility shall
be discontinued or shut off unless prior written approval therefor
has been given by the Water/Sewer Utility and any such discontinuance
or shut off of service may only be done by a licensed plumber. Reinstatement
of service may only be done by a licensed plumber and after prior
written approval therefor has been given by the Water/Sewer Utility.
[Ord. No. 121-87 § 11]
Any connections between the water supply systems of the Water/Sewer
Utility of the Borough of West Cape May and any other water supply
are prohibited without the prior written approval of the Water/Sewer
Utility.
[Ord. No. 121-87 § 12]
Each separate structure on a property and each separate property
supplied by the Water/Sewer Utility shall have a separate meter and
connection to the water supply system except where prior written approval
is otherwise given by the Water/Sewer Utility.
[Ord. No. 121-87 § 13]
All water supply mains and laterals up to the curb or street
line shall be maintained by the Water/Sewer Utility.
a.
All connections to the water supply system inside the curb or street
line shall be maintained by the user at his or her cost. All users
shall maintain his or her connections to the water supply system from
inside the curb or street line in good repair.
b.
In situations where there is a leak or repair needed to the water
supply system and it is difficult to tell on which side of the curb
or street line such leak or repair is needed, the Water/Sewer Utility
shall undertake to fix the leak or make necessary repairs and thereafter
bill for the cost thereof the user therefor if it is subsequently
determined that the leak or repair needed is inside the curb or street
line.
c.
The cost to fix any such leak or make any such repair shall become
a municipal lien against the property if not paid in full within 60
days of the date the bill for same is mailed. All leaks that are the
responsibility of the user or property owner shall be properly repaired
within 72 hours of notification thereto by the Water/Sewer Utility.
d.
In the event the user or property owner fails to repair any such
leaks within this period, then the Water/Sewer Utility shall have
the right to do so and thereafter bill the user or property owner
for the cost thereof. If any such bills are not paid within 60 days
of the date the bill for same is mailed, it shall become a municipal
lien.
[Ord. No. 121-87 § 14]
[Ord. No. 138-92 § 2; Ord. No. 228-95 § 2]
Use of the fire hydrants in the Borough for any other purpose except the fighting of fires and flushing of the system by the Water/Sewer Utility is prohibited without prior written permission of the Borough Clerk. The Borough Clerk shall permit such use for construction and other valid purposes provided the person or entity desiring such use first makes request thereof, in writing, specifying the nature of the proposed use, estimated amount of water to be used and also delivers to the Borough Clerk a deposit in the amount of $700. Any such applicant shall thereafter pay for the amount of water used in accordance with the rates established in Subsection 19-1.1.
[Ord. No. 205-92 § 1; Ord. No. 274-00 §§ 2, 3]
a.
Bills for water and sewer service will be rendered four times per
year, unless otherwise specified herein, and are due and payable when
rendered.
b.
When possible, charges shall be based on actual water consumption
as measured by water meters. All water meters will be read four times
per year commencing on or about April 1, July 1, October 1, and January
1.
c.
All bills shall be payable within 30 calendar days of the date of
the bill. Any bill not paid within 30 calendar days, shall be subject
to a payment of interest at the rate of 8% per annum on the first
$1,500 of delinquency and 18% per annum on any amount in excess of
$1,500 to be calculated from the date of the delinquency to the actual
date of receipt.
[Ord. No. 192-92, Preamble]
There is a shortage of potable water in the southern Cape May
County area; and it is estimated that this shortage will worsen in
the immediate future due to increased population and increasing salt
water intrusion into certain area aquifers. It has been determined
that certain uses of water should be regulated in order to help conserve
the supply thereof.
[Ord. No. 192-92 § 1]
This section shall apply to all persons obtaining or furnishing
water from the water utility operated by the Borough of West Cape
May. This section shall thus not apply to water obtained or furnished
from private wells on private property.
[Ord. No. 192-92 § 2]
The water conservation activities set forth in this section
shall be applicable on an odd/even day basis. The water use restrictions
set forth in this section shall be applicable to persons obtaining
water from the water utility operated by the Borough of West Cape
May on odd-numbered days.
[Ord. No. 192-92 § 3]
On odd-numbered days it shall be unlawful for any person or
persons to perform any of the following activities:
a.
Washing of motor vehicles of any type, boats or structures of any
type.
b.
The watering of lawns, gardens or ground cover of any type between
the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
c.
The use of water outside of a structure for any unnecessary purpose
except for those uses directly required for human sanitation and cleanliness
such as customary exterior showers for the washing and rinsing off
of humans.
[Ord. No. 192-92 § 4]
This section shall not apply to bona fide uses of water for
strictly agricultural purposes provided the principal use of the property
where the water is so used is that of agriculture and not a business
or residential use nor shall this section apply to the reasonable
use of water for construction purposes only such as for the mixing
of cement.
[Ord. No. 192-92 § 5]
The owner or owners of any property where water is used in violation
of this section shall also be deemed to have violated this section
unless it is affirmatively demonstrated that they have taken reasonable
steps to prevent such unlawful use of water such as the conspicuous
posting of notices on the property and including these water conservation
rules in their leases to so inform their invitees, lessees and users
of their property.
[Ord. No. 192-92 § 6]
Any person or persons convicted of violating any provisions of this section shall upon conviction be liable to the penalty stated in Chapter 1., § 1-5.
[Ord. No. 300-01 § 1]
A consumer faced with an exceptionally large bill due to a catastrophic
event, such as a broken water line or malfunctioning equipment, or
similar event, may be entitled to an adjustment. A catastrophic event
does not include a leaking toilet or faucet.
[Ord. No. 300-01 § 2]
The following procedure shall be followed to obtain such an
adjustment.
a.
The consumer shall file a written request for an adjustment with
the Superintendent of the water utility.
b.
The request shall be accompanied by an affidavit from a licensed
plumber or person making repairs certifying the nature of the malfunction,
the date(s) of occurrence, its duration, the repairs made to correct
it, and an itemized invoice detailing the services performed.
c.
The request shall include all other invoices or receipts for any
other repair services or equipment pertaining to the malfunction.
d.
The request shall be accompanied by a written consent of the property
owners or occupants granting permission to the Borough to enter the
property to inspect it and to investigate the request for adjustment.
e.
A request for adjustment must be filed no later than 30 days from
the date the consumer first knew of the catastrophic occurrence.
[Ord. No. 300-10 § 3]
The Superintendent shall decide the claim within 45 days of
presentation of a completed application. Upon being satisfied that
a catastrophic event occurred, the Superintendent may adjust the claimant's
water bill, provided that adjustment shall not reduce the bill below
the average bill for that property in that quarter for the previous
three years. Any adjustment of $250 or more must be approved by resolution
of Borough Commission. A second or subsequent adjustment in any 12
month period must be approved by resolution regardless of amount.
[Ord. No. 300-01 § 4]
Any person denied an adjustment by the Superintendent may appeal
to Borough Commission. The appeal shall be in writing and must be
filed within 20 days of receipt of the Superintendent's decision.
The Commission will review the evidence submitted to the Superintendent
and may affirm, reverse or modify the Superintendent's decision, or
may remand the matter to the Superintendent for additional information,
after which the matter will be returned to the Commission for determination.
[Ord. No. 300-01 § 5]
The Superintendent shall develop, publish and annually revise
standards and criteria for calculating water adjustments for catastrophic
events.
