Chapter 13A.35
WATER RATES AND CHARGES
Sections:
13A.35.010 Establishment and review of rates, fees and charges.
13A.35.020 Billing and due dates--Users--Interest charges.
13A.35.030 Delinquent user charges--Appeal procedures--Termination of service--Turn-on charge.
13A.35.040 Additional and special charges.
13A.35.050 Lien for delinquent charges.
13A.35.010 Establishment and review of rates, fees and charges.
A. Establishment. Ail rates, fees and charges for service by water users shall be determined from time to time by resolution of the town council, and shall include:
1. A fee for water service inside the town which includes both a base rate which is a “ready-to-serve charge” and a “volume charge”;
2. A fee for water service outside the town which includes both a base rate which is a “ready-to-serve charge” and a “volume charge”;
3. A charge for meter size changes, relocations and grade changes (Section 13A.20.040);
4. A charge for meter testing deposit (Section 13A.20.060);
5. A late fee to be charged for delinquent payment of charges (Section 13A.35.020(B));
6. A turn-on charge (Section 13A.35.040(A));
7. A special turn-off and turn-on charge (Section 13A.35.040(C));
8. Meter and service installation charges (Section 13A.35.040(D)).
The effective date for the rates, fees and charges established pursuant to the provisions of this subsection shall be as set forth in the appropriate resolution of the town council.
B. Review. The water rates schedule and fees and charges set by resolution of the town council shall be reviewed every five years and revised as necessary to reflect any changes in operational or capital costs. (Ord. 242 (part), 1991)
13A.35.020 Billing and due dates--Users--Interest charges.
A. Billing Dates. All water users shall be billed on a monthly basis.
B. Due Dates--Delinquent Charges. All user charges for water service including the town shall be due and payable as of the date of billing and any charges not paid by the twentieth day following the date of billing shall become delinquent thereafter. Delinquent charges shall be assessed at a rate set from time to time by resolution of the town council. (Ord. 242 (part), 1991)
13A.35.030 Delinquent user charges--Appeal procedures--Termination of service--Turn-on charge.
If payment has not been made before delinquency as set forth in Section 13A.35.020(B), the town shall take the following steps to notify the user of the delinquency and that, if necessary, water service will be terminated by shutting off water service to the user whose account is delinquent.
A. On or about the tenth day following the dates of delinquency, the town clerk's office shall give notice reasonably calculated under all the circumstances to apprise the user that:
1. The user's account is delinquent;
2. Water service will be shut off if the user's account is still delinquent ten days after the delinquency notice;
3. The user has the right to protest the billing and appeal the amount due to the town clerk;
4. If the user does not request a hearing within ten days following the date of delinquency notice and does not pay the delinquent amount and any other amounts then due in full within this same period or any extensions thereof resulting pursuant to the provisions of subsection (A)(3) of this section the user's water service will be terminated by shutting off that water service.
B. The term “notice reasonably calculated under all the circumstances to apprise the user” as used in subsection (A) of this section includes at the minimum, written notice to the user and the customer if the customer is not the user and the customer has informed the town clerk's office that the customer desires to receive such notice sent by registered mail, return receipt request or personal service. (Ord. 242 (part), 1991)
13A.35.040 Additional and special charges.
A. Delinquent Payments--Turn-on Charge. Whenever water service to a user has been terminated because of nonpayment of delinquent charges, the customer or user must, in addition to paying the delinquent charges in full, pay a turn-on charge before water service will be restored. The amount of the turn-on charge shall be as set from time to time by resolution of the town council.
B. Special Reading Charge. If special readings are requested by the user or customer, there shall be a charge for each reading in such amount as shall be set from time to time by resolution of the town council.
C. Special Turn-Off and Turn-On Charges. A fee as shall from time to time be set by resolution of the town council shall be charged to turn-off or to turn-on the water service to any building when water has been or will be turned off for the purpose of:
1. Making within the building of any inspection, repair, maintenance, enlargement, replacement, addition or change in or to the waterline or waterlines or plumbing, or plumbing fixtures; or
2. Connecting any kind of machine, appliance, toilet, bath facilities or any other kind of plumbing in or to the water line located within the building.
3. When turn-off and turn-on is requested by user because of temporary vacancies.
D. Meter and Service Installation Charges. Whenever water service is requested, the customer shall be charged for installation of the service line, meter, meter box and appurtenances such charges and deposits therefor as shall from time to time be established by resolution of the town council. (Ord. 242 (part), 1991)
13A.35.050 Lien for delinquent charges.
Pursuant to the provisions of Sections 35.21.290 and 35.21.300 of the Revised Code of Washington as now existing and in accordance with any amendments that may hereafter be made thereto, the town shall have a lien for unpaid and delinquent water consumption charges and other charges provided for in this chapter. (Ord. 242 (part), 1991)