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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance 1134 ORDINANCE NO.� AN ORDINANCE PRESCRIBING RATES CHARGED CONSUMERS OF WATER SUPPLIED BY THE FORT WORTH CITY WATER WORKS; CON- NECTION CHARGES; AND PROVIDING FOR RULES AND REGULATIONS CONTROLLING THE DISTRIBUTION AND SALE OF WATER TO CONSUMERS BY THE FORT WORTH CITY WATER WORKS; AND PROVIDING THAT FOR A VIOLATION OF ANY OF SUCH RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT THE WATER BE CUT-OFF; REGULATING Tom• MAKING OF CONNECTIONS WITH THE CITY WATER LINES, METERS; RATES TO CONSUMERS OUTSIDE OF CITY; REQUIRING DEPOSIT BY CONSUMER; FIXING A DUE DATE FOR PAYMENT OF WATER BILLS; FIXING RESPONSIBILITY FOR LEAKAGE; PROHIBITING THE TURNING-ON OR OFF OF WATER FROM STREET STOP-COCKS WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMIT FROM CITY; PROHIBITING CONSUMERS TO SUPPLY OTHER PERSONS WITH WATER WITHOUT PERMIT; PROHIBITING EXTENSIONS FROM ONE BUILDING TO ANOTHER; PRO- VIDING FOR INSPECTION OF PREMISES; CONTROLLING SERVICE RE- PAIRS AND RENEWALS; PROVIDING FUR SAFETY VALVES FOR BOILERS; REQUIRING APARTMENT HOUSES TO PROVIDE SEPARATE CONNECTIONS AND METERS FOR EACH APARTMENT; PRESCRIBING THE KIND OF SER- VICE PIPES AND MAKING PROVISION FOR RELAYIN 0_%lQ=0 . PIPES WITH LEAD UNDER SPECIFIED CONDITIONSOVTROVIDING FOR TEMPORARY DISCONTINUANCE WITHOUT NOTICE UNDER SPECIFIED CON- DITIONS; RESERVING THE RIGHT TO MAKE FUTURE RULES AND REGULA- TIONS; PROHIBITING TAPPING OF STREET MAINS, EXCEPT BY CITY EMPLOYEES; PROVIDING FOR THE PLACING OF SERVICE PIPE TO ONE FOOT INSIDE CURB LINE AND FOR STOP-COCK AND STOP-BOX UNDER EXCLUSIVE CONTROL OF CITY; PROVIDING FOR PAYMENT FOR TAP AND SERVICE AND PROHIBITING PLUMBER OR OTHER PERSONS COMMENCING WORK BEFORE TAP AND SERVICE IS PAID FOR ACCORDING TO SCMDULE FURNISHED; REGULATING THE DEPTH OF SERVICE PIPES AND PROVID- ING FOR STOP AND WASTE; PROHIBITING OPENING OF FIRE HYDRANTS, DEFACING EQUIPMENT AND PLANT; REGULATING HOSE ATTACHMENTS AND STOP-COCK BOXES AND CONNECTIONS WITH ELEVATED TANKS; PROVIDING FOR CHECK VALVES; REQUIRING SEPARATE SERVICE PIPES FROM SIDEWALK AND SEPARATE STOP-COCKS AND BORES; BEFINING AND PROHIBITING TAMPERING; PROHIBITING DIVERSION FROM WATER METERS, PIPES OR MAINS; INTERFERENCE WITH METERS AND PREVENT- ING OF THE PASSAGE OF WATER THROUGH METERS; PROVIDING WHAT SHALL CONSTITUTE PRIMA FACIE EVIDENCE OF KNOWLEDGE AND IN- TENTION TO DEFRAUD BY DIVERSION OF WATER; AND PROVIDING FOR A PENALTY FOR THE VIOLATION OF ANY OF THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ORDINANCE; PROVIDING THAT SAID ORDINANCE SHALL REPEAL ALL CONFLICTING ORDINANCES; AND BE CUMULATIVE WITH ALL ORDINANCES NOT IN CONFLICT; AND PROVIDING THAT ALL OF THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ORDINANCE SHALL BE DEEMED TO BE INCORPORATED IN EVERY CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF FORT WORTH WATER WORKS AND EACH AND EVERY CONSUMER, AND THAT SUCH CONSUMER SHALL BE CHARGED WITH KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ORDINANCE; AND PRO- VIDING THAT THIS ORDINANCE BE PUBLISHED IN PAMPHLET FORM AND SHALL TAKE EFFECT FROM AND HFTER ITS PASSAGE AND PREPARATION IN PAMPHLET FORT. WHEREAS, it has become necessary and desirable to provide reasonable rules and regulations for the conduct of the business of the City of Vort Worth Water works owned and operated by the City of Fort Worth in the sale and distribu- tion of water from its plant, mains and system t0 consumers in the City of Fort worth and vicinity; and WHEREAS, the succeeding provisions of this ordi- nance,after investigation bS1 the City Council of the City of Fort Worth have been found to be reasonable rules and regulations for the conduct of such business; NOW, THEREFORE: BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT WORTH: SECTION I All property owned and eontrolA# by the City of k_'�r 4 . _ Fort Worth, including its pleat, mai and ystem and the organization used by said City in furnishing an adequat* sup- ply of water to the inhabitants of said City and vicinity, shall hereafter constitute and be known as the Fort Worth City Water Works and is hereinafter referred to for brevity as the City Water Works. SECTION II All water furnished by the City Water Works to its consumers shall be measured by meters. The size, type and right to own and control all meters installed or used by consumers of its water shall be determined by said City Water Works, which shall keep all meters owned by it in repair with- out expense to consumers. r SECTION III .�.�, � /WY� r.f :.� r `., Q4�r�-dt �-Y t...i lam. '1N`•^� 4 �� *e, the or thereof shal %ve his meter; repaired when notified by tbo City Water Works to do so and, in the event of his failure or refusal to repair same, the City Water works shall repair the same and charge the cost of same to said consumer and shall add it to his water bill and the same rules applying to amounts dine on water furnished shall apply to these repair bills. SECTION IV Should any meter fail to register correctly the amount of water used by s(oonsumer since the previous read- ing, the right shall exist on the part of the City Water Works to average the month and charge for water on the bas- is of any three months, average. SECTION V Meters shall be read monthly, and the consumer notified in writing, or otherwise, and proof of this notice may be made by showing of a card sent to the last known ad- dress of said consumer, of the amount due from him to said City Water Works, stating in said notice that unless the amount due from him shall be paid within ten days from date of bill the water will be turned off and shall not be turn- ed on again until such time as the amount due is paid and $1,00 additional fee for turning off. And in the event that this notice is not complied with and the full amount due re- mains unpaid for more than ten days from date of bill the water supply of such consumer shall be turned off and shall not be turned on again until the fee of $1.00 additional for turning same off shall have been paid. SECTION VI The following rates per month or fraction thereof shall be the rates charged for water furnished to consumers within the corporate limits of the City of Fort Worth until revised by the City Council of said City by subsequent ordi- nance, to-wit: First 350 cubic feet or less. . . . . . . . . .4 1.00 Neat 24 450 dubic feet. . . . . . . . . . . 229 per hundred cu.ft. Neat 25,000 cubic feet. . . . . . . . . 1'7- " All over 50,000 cubic feet. . . . . . . 12- ¢ " " " a SECTION VII A minimum charge, per month or fraction thereof, shall be made for each connection with the mains of the City Water works, This charge shall be $1.00 for each one Inch or fraction thereof, diameter of such connection. An amount of water, at rates in effect, will be allowed for this charge. The above minimums do not apply for connec- tions for sprinkler system installed and used for fire pro- tection only. In all cases where more than one house is suppli- ed through one meter, a minimum charge will be made for each house. SECTION VIII The following shall be the rates charged by the City for grater furnished to consumers outside the corporate limits of the City of Fort Worth: All water furnished to consumers without the corporate limits of the City of r'ort Worth shall be double the rate applying within the city limits. Nothing in this section of this ordinance or any other ordinance shall be construed to compel the City Water Works to furnish consumers beyond the corporate limits or to continue such supply once begun; and the City Water Works re- serves the right to furnish such customers it deems advis- able and to, at any time, wholly or partially discontinue the supply upon violation of any of the terms of this ordinance had such consumer resided in the City. SECTION IX A deposit shall be required in advance from all consumers of an amount of money which will, in the judgment of the City Water Works, be sufficient to insure it against loss due to non-payment of bills. A consumer changing his residence and having a de- posit shall have the right, by presenting his receipt at the office and paying final bill, to have said deposit transfer- red to his new residence or place of business. Sk;CTION X Water bills shall become due and payable at the office of the City Water Works, City Hall, Fort Worth, Tex- as, within ten days from date of bill, SECTION XI All property owners, their agents and tenants shall be held responsible as consumers for loss of water, due to leakage in pipe or plumbing inside the discharge side of the meter or on said property, and if this water is not paid for according to the rates provided herein, when it becomes due, the water skull be cut-off by the City water Works and not turned on again until all claims are paid. In the event of any change in tenant as consumers in rented property and there exists, at the time, arrearages for past leakage, the landlord aalpro*rty owner shall be held to ao- count for payment for this leakage before service will be extended and water furnished to the second tenant. If any consumer shall be in debt to the City Water Works for water furnished or for leakage or repairs on ant account at his then or previous place of consumption, his water shall be cut-off by the City crater Works until payment in full is made. SECTION XII No plumber or any other person shall turn on or off water from the 'street stop-cock without a written per- mit first obtained from the City Water works, except only in case of repairs. SECTION XIII No consumer shall supply water to other persons or to other families or suffer them to take it, except for use on the premises, without the permission of the City Water Works. SECTION XIV After water is introduced into a building or upon any premises, the same shall not be extended by any plumber or any other parson to any other premises for additional fixtures. SECTION XV Two houses shall not be permitted to be supplied with one service pipe where there is a water main in front of the premises, but shall have separate service pipes. Two or more houses fronting on a street or streets, where there is no water main, may be supplied with one service connect- ed with the main, said service being of sufficient size to insure ample supply, but in such cases each of said houses shall have a separate service pipe from the sidewalk and separate stop-cocks and stop boa one foot inside the curb. "OTIOB XVI Every person taking water from the pity Water Works shall at all reasonable times permit the superintend- ent or his agents to enter the premises and building for examination of pipes and fixtures and the manner IA which the water is usedtand refusal by any consumer shall result In refusal of water supply from the city water Works until such permission be granted. SECTION AVII The City water Works reserves the right to make all repairs and renewals of service pipes from main to curb and it shall be unlawful for any other person or persons to repair or renew service pipes from main to curb without first obtaining the written consent of the City Water works. SECTION XVIII All boilers for heating water shall be provided with safety valves and a check valve shall be placed on service pipes to protect the meter from hot water. Any consumer failing to comply with this provision shall have his water supply cut-off and not turned on again until such valve has been installed. All steam boilers connecting di- rect with city supply are required to provide a tank or tanks for at least twelve hours storage. Churches, opera houses, theatres, schools and fac- tories may be supplied through one connection with the street main. SECTION XIX All buildings used as flats or apartment houses shall be required to provide a separate connection and meter with the main for each apartment and, upon non-compliance with this provision, the City Water Works shall cut-off the supply for the entire building or any portion thereof deem- ed proper. SECTION XX All service pipes hereafter laid shall be` ex- AA e O V�, �44 tra �t�ea ,llead pi AL44 AA 4-AO�(f d`lAll iron service pipes,upon becoming defective d` +� and impracticable to repair or in the event that the street Lt in which the same is located shall be paved, shall be re- laid with extra strong lead pipe prior to the paving of the street; and any owner or agent or consumer of said service failing or refusing to re-lay said services,when notified to do by said City Water Forks, prior to such paving are given notice that no water supply will be furnished in the future to such premises until the service is re-laid with extra strong lead pipe at the expense of such owner or consumer desiring the same and that the cost of such renewal after the street is paved practically doubles cost before paving, according to schedule of rates for said work on file at the Office of the City Water Works. SECTION XXI The right is reserved in the City Water works to temporarily discontinue and to re-connect without notice water supply to all consumers for the purpose of making re- pairs, connections, extensions and cleaning of mains, machin- ery, resirvoir or any part of said City Water Works. SECTION XXII It shall be unlawful for any plumber or person, other than the tapper employed by the City Water Works, to tap any street main, make connections with the street mains or to extend service pipes from mains to one foot inside the curb line, and to place a stop-cock and stop box at that point, and all of this equipment shall be under the exclu- sive control of the City Water Works, and said tap and ser- vice shall be paid for by the plumber ordering the work done before work is commenced, according to schedule of prices on file in the City Water Work's office, copies of which shall be furnished to all licensed plumbers upon application upon revision. SEC`PION XXIII All service pipes shall be laid eighteen inches under the ground and provided with stop and waste inside the property line, such as to properly drain all pipes above ground. SECTION XXIV It shall be unlawful for any person, except a mem- ber of the Fire Department or employee of the City water Works, to open or use water from a fire hydrant, or to take off the cap without permission from the City Water Works. It shall be unlawful for any person to in any man- ner deface the houses, walls, machinery or fixtures connect- ed with or pertaining to the City Water 'Yorks and its system. SECTION XXY+ All hose attachments when located on the sidewalk as well as stop-cock boxes, must have suitable iron cover with top flush With surface of sidewalk. SECTION XXVI All elevated tanks located on roofs of buildings for water distribution below may be constructed with one con• nection direct between the mains and said tank, but no other connection shall be made on said line to the tank, and a check valve shall be placed on said service to the tank as near the entrance of the building at possible. In case an additional supply is desired, a separate oonneetion shall be made with the main as provided for stores and office buildings, but in no case shall a connection larger than two inches be made with the city mains. SECTION XXVII It shall be unlawful for any person to individually or in association with others wilfully break, injure or tamper with any part of the Water Works system of the City of Fort Worth for any purpose whatsoever, or to in any other manner maliciously interfere with or prevent the running and opera- tion of such system and the water supply therein. SECTION XXVIII Whoever intentionally by any means or device pre- vents water from passing through any meter belonging to the City Water Works or used in connection with the supply of water to any consumer by said City Water Works to register the amount of water passing through meters, or intentionally prevents a meter from duly registering the quantity of water supplied, or in any way, interferes with its proper action or just registration, or without the consent in writing of the superintendent of said City Water Works intentionally diverts any water from any pipe or pipes of the City Water Works, or otherwise intentionally uses, or causes to be used, without the consent //// the City water Works any water pro- duced or distributed by said City water works, or any person who retains possession of or refuses to deliver any meter or other appliance loaned to him by the City water ovorks for the purpose of furnishing water through same, with intent to defraud[said City water Works shall for every such offense be fined as hereinafter provided. The presence at any time on or about any such meter or pipe of any device or pipes resulting in the diversion r • taster or prevention of its free passage and registration by the meter or diverting from the meter as above defined or resulting in the prevention in water reaching the meter, or preventing the just registration of the meter or meters or the taking of any water except through a meter as above set forth shall constitute prima facie evi- dence of knowledge on the part of the person owning or hav- ing custody and control of the room, building, place or premi- ses where such device or pipe is of the existence thereof and knowledge of such existence to the person who would be benefitted by the failure of the water to be properly meter- ed, and shall further constitute prima facie evidence of in- tention on the part of such person or persons to defraud and shall bring such person prima facie within the scope, meaning and penalties of this article and ordinance. SECTION XXIX A violation of any of the above rules and regula- tions of the City Water norks as set out in the preceding sections or a doing or causing to be done by any person or persons, firm or association of any of the things or acts forbidden or made unlawful in any of the preceding sections shall be deemed to constitute a violation under the terms of this ordinance and an offense and punishable as such and for each and every violation of the terms of this ordinance the person, firm, association or corporation shall, upon con- viction thereof in the Corporation Court,be fined not less than Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00) nor more than One hundred Dollars (#100.00). SECTION XXX Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate the terms of Section XX'VIII of this ordinance shall be punish- able by fine, upon conviction, as provided in the preceding section, and each day such violation continues shall be deem- ed to constitute a separate offense and punishable as such. SECTION )=I If any section or part of a section of this ordi- nance shall be declared invalid it shall not affect the va- lidity of any other section or portion of this ordinance, but the same shall remain in full force and effect. SECTION XXXII This ordinance shall Irapeal every prior ordinance in conflict herewith, but only insofar as the portions of such prior ordinances shall be in conflict and as to all other sections of ordinances and ordinances not in direct conflict herewith, this ordinance shall be and is hereby made cumulative. SECTION XXXIII All of the provisions of this ordinance shall be deemed to be incorporated in every contract between the City Water Works and its consumers and each consumer shall be charged with knowledge of the provisions of this ordi- nance and, by applying and accepting water from the City Water Mvorks, to have assented to the provisions hereof. SECTION XXXIV This ordinance shall take effect from and after the date of its passage and preparation in pamphlet form and it is expressIT provided that this ordinance shall be y- vMbAMA in pamphlet form and copies of same kept in the Office of the City Water sorkq at the City Ball and fur- nished to consumers, plumbers and others upon application therefor. /k7APPROVED AS TO FORM Cit y orne ......_ At a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Fort Worth held in the Opmeil Chamber at the City Hall on this the 6th day of April, A. D. 1926, the above ordinance was read and its adoption moved � Qounailman and seconded by Gounallm m and a quo- rum being present and a majoriV of the Council, and all vot- ing "Aye" and none voting "No" ipcu the passe ge of said or- dinance, the same was decl red t4 be unanimously adopted and ordered spread upon the minutes. Secretary-Treasurer