Division 2 Administration and Furnishing Services

For the purposes of this division and divisions 3 through 5 of this article, the word “utility” shall be construed to mean and include water, sewer and/or any other utility service furnished by the city to consumers thereof.

All pertinent provisions of this division and divisions 3 through 5 of this article are hereby made a part of the terms and conditions whereby the city shall furnish any utility service to any person, or whereby the city shall make any utility connections, or perform any work of any kind in connection with the furnishing of any utility service pursuant to the rules and regulations of the city council.

Any utility service furnished under the provisions of this division and divisions 3 through 5 of this article shall be in accordance with and in compliance with all applicable technical provisions of this code, state law and city ordinances, rules and regulations.

The city council shall have the authority to establish by rule or regulation such standards and specifications as may be deemed necessary for the installation, construction and maintenance of any utility service system owned and operated by the city within or without the city and under the management of the council. Such rules, regulations, standards and specifications shall be filed in the office of the city secretary. Violation of such rules, regulations, standards and specifications shall be deemed a misdemeanor.

In order to protect the utility service supply, the city will not make any water or sewer taps outside the city limits until the premises involved have been inspected and approved by the plumbing inspector.

Any authorized inspector of the city shall have free access at any reasonable time to all premises supplied with any utility service by the city for the purpose of examination in order to protect the utility services from abusive use.

The city shall have the right to disconnect or refuse to connect or reconnect any utility service for any of the following reasons:

The city shall not be liable for any damage to any customer of any utility service furnished by the city due to backflow of the sewer system, failure of supply, interruption of service or any other cause outside the direct control of the city.

Any person desiring any utility service furnished by the city shall make application for the same to the city council. Such application shall contain the applicant’s name, address and the uses for which such utility service is desired.

The city may decline or fail or cease to furnish utility service to any person who may be in debt to the city for any reason, except ad valorem taxes and special assessments.

Approval of the application for any utility service by the city council shall be deemed permission for such service.

All premises connected to any utility service of the city shall be assumed to be using such utility service, and the owner or occupant shall be charged therefor so long as such premises shall remain connected with the utility service.

Any person having a permit from the city for the use of any utility service offered by the city who shall use such utility service for any purpose other than mentioned in such permit or who shall make any unauthorized changes in such service shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor.

It shall be unlawful for any person, not having authority to do so, to open any water hydrant or tamper with any utility service furnished by the city to consumers, or to in any other way molest, damage or trespass upon any equipment or premises belonging to the city connected with any utility service.

The city reserves the right to cut off any utility service without notice in case of emergencies. When an interruption in service is necessary for the maintenance and improvement of the utility system, affected customers will be notified as circumstances permit.

The city hereby reserves the right to at any time restrict or prevent the use of any utility service furnished by the city during periods of emergency or circumstances demanding such restriction or prevention of use.

It shall be unlawful for any person to resell to others any utility service obtained from the city except only by special arrangement with the city council.

Connections for any utility service furnished by the city shall be made only under the supervision of the city council.

Every building, structure or consumer in the city shall have a separate utility service connection.

Any person who shall make any connection in any manner to any utility system, whether owned by the city or not, without the prior knowledge and consent of the owner of such utility system shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor.

No person, other than employees of the city, shall be authorized to connect, turn on, turn off or disconnect any utility service offered by the city, or remove, replace or repair any equipment connected to any such utility service.

The consumer of any utility service furnished by the city shall maintain and keep in good repair all connections, appliances and other apparatus installed and used in connection with such utility service.