There shall be in the City of Albany a department known as the "Department of Water and Water Supply."
There shall be appointed by the Mayor a Commissioner of Water and Water Supply, who shall be the head of the Department of Water and Water Supply.
The appointment of the Commissioner of Water and Water Supply shall be evidenced by a certificate in writing signed by the Mayor and filed forthwith in the office of the City Clerk.
A. 
The Commissioner of Water and Water Supply shall hold office during the pleasure of the Mayor.
B. 
The Commissioner of Water and Water Supply shall appoint, to hold office during his pleasure, a Deputy and such other subordinates as may be prescribed by the Board of Estimate and Apportionment.
C. 
In case of the absence or inability of the Commissioner or of a vacancy in the office, the Deputy Commissioner shall discharge the duties of the office until the Commissioner returns, his disability ceases or the vacancy is filled.
The Commissioner, the Deputy Commissioner and such other persons as the Commissioner shall designate, before entering upon the discharge of the duties of their respective offices, shall each execute and file with the City Clerk an official undertaking in the penal sum of $5,000.
The Commissioner of Water and Water Supply shall have cognizance, direction and control of the construction, maintenance, extension, repair and care of the City water supply and waterworks; and the supervision, care, management and control of the Water Department, water supply and waterworks system of the City. It shall be the duty of the Commissioner of Water and Water Supply to see that the City has an abundant supply of pure and wholesome water for public and private use; to devise plans and sources of water supply; to plan and supervise the construction, maintenance and extension of the water system and the distribution of water throughout the City; to protect it from contamination; and to prescribe rules and regulations for its use, which, when ratified and approved by the Common Council, shall have the same force and effect as City ordinances. He shall have power, with the assent of the Board of Estimate and Apportionment, to establish rates of rents to be charged and paid annually for the supply of water or for the benefits resulting therefrom, to be called "water rents," which shall be apportioned to the different classes of buildings in the City in reference to their dimensions and the ordinary uses of water for the same and to different lots, as may be practicable; and, from time to time, to modify and amend, increase or diminish such rates and to extend them to other descriptions of buildings, lots, establishments and uses. He shall also have power, with like assent, to establish rates for the use of water in buildings, establishments or trades and for other purposes in or for which water is consumed beyond the quantity required for ordinary purposes, and may require the same paid to him in advance, at the rates thus established, before permission to use such extra quantity of water shall be given.
[Amended 6-20-1988 by L.L. No. 4-1988]
A. 
All charges for water consumption shall be collected from the owners of the lots and buildings which shall be situated upon any street or avenue upon which the distributing pipes are now or may hereafter be laid and from which such lots and buildings can be supplied with water. Charges for water consumption, together with the amounts due and unpaid for the introduction and measurement of the supply of water, shall be, like other taxes of the City, a lien upon the lots and buildings against which the same are chargeable.
B. 
Bills.
[Amended 4-6-1998 by Ord. No. 19.31.98]
(1) 
The Water Board and/or the Commissioner of Water and Water Supply shall periodically cause bills for water consumption and sewer charges to be sent to the owners of such lots and buildings in the City. Such bill shall contain a statement that a publication containing procedures for contesting a water bill is available at the City Clerk's office.
(2) 
Complaints with respect to water bills must be filed with the City Clerk within 30 days of the date of the bill on a complaint form available from the City Clerk.
(3) 
The Water Bill Review Committee is hereby constituted to hear and determine complaints with respect to water bills, subject to confirmation by the Water Board. The Committee shall be comprised of the City Clerk, who shall chair the Committee, the Corporation Counsel (or his designee), the City Engineer and a representative of the Water Department. Upon receipt of a complaint with respect to a water bill, the City Clerk shall notify the Committee, which shall fix the place and time for a meeting to hear the complaint. At such meeting the Committee may administer oaths, take testimony and hear proofs in regard to any complaint. After such hearing and consideration of the evidence presented, the Committee may, by said resolution at a hearing or at a subsequent hearing, review and correct such bills or any or either of them. After such review and correction by the Committee, the City Clerk shall cause a copy of such resolution to be sent to the Water Board for its review and confirmation. Upon confirmation by the Water Board, the Commissioner of Water and Water Supply and/or the Water Board shall cause a revised bill, reflecting any corrections recommended by the Committee and the Water Board, to be mailed to the owner(s) of the respective property.
(4) 
The Water Bill Review Committee is hereby directed and empowered to adopt rules and regulations governing the procedure and conduct of hearings herein authorized and to promulgate a written complaint form.
C. 
Charges for water consumption and sewer rents shall be collected in the same manner as is or may be prescribed by law for the collection of taxes for City purposes of the City of Albany. The aforesaid charges shall be a lien upon the lot and building, or vacant lot upon or against which the same is charged, and the same may be sold separately or in conjunction with the sale for the nonpayment of taxes upon the same, and the deed given upon such sale or upon any sale for or including unpaid water charges or sewer rents shall be prima facie evidence of the regularity and legality of all proceedings prior to the execution of said deed. Owners, occupants or other persons shall have the same right to redeem property sold by the county for the nonpayment of water charges and sewer rents as they respectively have to redeem property sold for the nonpayment of taxes.
D. 
In addition to the method authorized herein for the collection of water charges, the Commissioner of Water and Water Supply is hereby given power and authority to discontinue or disconnect the supply of water for the nonpayment of water charges, in the event that such water charges remain unpaid for a period of three months after the same have been delivered by the City Treasurer of the City of Albany to the County of Albany for collection by the latter agency.
E. 
The Commissioner of Water and Water Supply shall not discontinue or disconnect the supply of water for nonpayment of water charges unless such Commissioner shall have first given 15 days' written notice of his intention so to do by registered mail and/or personal service of said notice to the owner of the premises thereby affected or, in lieu thereof, to the person, firm or corporation to whom or which the last preceding bill has been rendered and from whom or which the Commissioner has received payment therefor, and to the superintendent or other person in charge of the building or premises thereby affected, if it can be readily ascertained that there is such superintendent or other person in charge. If the premises consist of a multiple dwelling or tenement house occupied or intended to be occupied by more than two families, living independently of each other, a like notice shall first be given to the occupants thereof by posting a copy of such notice in the public hallway or corridor on each floor of said premises. For the purpose of posting the notices provided for herein, the duly authorized employee or employees of the Department of Water and Water Supply shall have the right to enter upon the premises affected at a reasonable time during the house between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
A. 
The connecting or supply pipes leading from distribution pipes of the Water Department of the City of Albany to any building, premises or dwelling shall be inserted and kept in repair at the expense of the owners or occupants of said buildings, premises and dwellings and shall not be inserted or connected with the main pipe until a permit therefor shall be obtained from the Commissioner of Water and Water Supply of the City of Albany, and all such connecting or supply pipes and fixtures shall be constructed under and according to the direction of the Commissioner of Water and Water Supply.
B. 
The Commissioner of Water and Water Supply shall, on or before the first day of November in each year, furnish to the Mayor an estimate in writing of the amount of expenditures of the Department of Water and Water Supply for the next ensuing fiscal year of the City.
This article shall be known as "Local Law No. 2-1935" and is intended to supersede Sections 94 and 95 of Chapter 55 of the Laws of 1909, which constitutes Chapter 53 of the Consolidated Laws of the State of New York and is known as the "Second Class Cities Law." This article amends Chapter 555 of the Laws of 1897. This article also amends Section 91 of Chapter 55 of the Laws of 1909, which constitutes Chapter 53 of the Consolidated Laws of the State of New York and is known as the "Second Class Cities Law" in that the cognizance, direction and control of the construction, maintenance, extension, repair and care of the City water works is transferred from the Commissioner of Public Works of the City of Albany to the Commissioner of Water and Water Supply of the City of Albany.