92.01 SERVICE CHARGES.
Each customer shall pay for water service provided by the City based upon use of water as determined by meters provided for in Chapter 91. Each location, building, premises or connection shall be considered a separate and distinct customer whether owned or controlled by the same person or not.
(Code of Iowa, Sec. 384.84)
92.02 RATES FOR SERVICE.
Rates for water service for all customers of the City of Bloomfield are as follows:
(Code of Iowa, Sec. 384.84)
| Gallons Used Per Month | Rate |
|---|---|
| First 1,000 gallons | $27.48 (minimum bill) |
| All over 1,000 gallons | $9.87 per 1,000 gallons |
On or before the 1st day of February of each year, the City Clerk shall compute an adjustment to the water rates based on the multiplication of the current rate by a factor equal to the increase in the Consumer Price Index (C.P.I.) as established by the Federal government for the preceding twelve (12) month period of January 01 through December 31. This adjustment shall be submitted to the City Council at the first Council meeting in February. At the Council’s discretion, this adjustment may be applied to the minimum bill on the 1st day of the following month.
(Ord. 679 – Oct. 16 Supp.)
92.03 BILLING FOR WATER SERVICE.
Water service shall be billed as part of a combined service account, payable in accordance with the following:
(Code of Iowa, Sec. 384.84)
- Bills Issued. The Clerk shall prepare and issue bills for combined service accounts on the twentieth (20th) day of each month.
- Bills Payable. Bills for combined service accounts shall be due and payable at the office of the Clerk by the tenth (10th) day of each month.
- Late Payment Penalty. Bills not paid when due shall be considered delinquent. A late payment penalty of 1½ percent per month of the amount due shall be added to each delinquent bill.
92.04 SERVICE DISCONTINUED.
Water service to delinquent customers shall be discontinued in accordance with the following:
(Code of Iowa, Sec. 384.84)
- Notice. The Clerk shall notify each delinquent customer that service will be discontinued if payment of the combined service account, including late payment charges, is not received by the date specified in the notice of delinquency. Such notice shall be sent by ordinary mail and shall inform the customer of the nature of the delinquency and afford the customer the opportunity for a hearing prior to the discontinuance.
92.05 LIEN FOR NONPAYMENT.
The owner of the premises served and any lessee or tenant thereof shall be jointly and severally liable for water service charges to the premises. Water service charges remaining unpaid and delinquent shall constitute a lien upon the premises served and shall be certified by the Clerk to the County Treasurer for collection in the same manner as property taxes.
(Code of Iowa, Sec. 384.84)
92.06 LIEN EXEMPTION.
The lien for nonpayment shall not apply to a residential rental property where water service is separately metered and the rates or charges for the water service are paid directly to the City by the tenant, if the landlord gives written notice to the City that the property is residential rental property and that the tenant is liable for the rates or charges. The City may require a deposit not exceeding the usual cost of ninety (90) days of water service be paid to the City. The landlord’s written notice shall contain the name of the tenant responsible for charges, the address of the rental property and the date of occupancy. A change in tenant shall require a new written notice to be given to the City within ten (10) business days of the change in tenant. When the tenant moves from the rental property, the City shall refund the deposit if the water service charges are paid in full. A change in the ownership of the residential rental property shall require written notice of such change to be given to the City within ten (10) business days of the completion of the change of ownership. The lien exemption does not apply to delinquent charges for repairs to a water service.
(Code of Iowa, Sec. 384.84)
92.07 LIEN NOTICE.
A lien for delinquent water service charges shall not be certified to the County Treasurer unless prior written notice of intent to certify a lien is given to the customer. If the customer is a tenant and if the owner or landlord of the property has made a written request for notice, the notice shall also be given to the owner or landlord. The notice shall be sent to the appropriate persons by ordinary mail not less than thirty (30) days prior to certification of the lien to the County Treasurer.
(Code of Iowa, Sec. 384.84)
92.08 CUSTOMER CONNECTION FEE.
In accordance with Chapter 85, there shall be a $100 nonrefundable connection fee. This fee shall be applicable to the connection of one or more of the City’s utilities.
92.09 TEMPORARY VACANCY.
A property owner may request water service be temporarily discontinued and shut off at the curb valve when the property is expected to be vacant for an extended period of time. During a period when service is temporarily discontinued as provided herein there shall be no minimum service charge. The City will not drain pipes or pull meters for temporary vacancies.
92.10 DISCONNECTION AND RECONNECTION FEES.
There shall be a service charge for each call in making either a disconnection or reconnection of water service whether for nonpayment for service, at the request of the customer, or otherwise. The charge is fifteen dollars ($15.00) per call during regular working hours (7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekdays). No disconnection or reconnection service shall be made other than during regular working hours except for medical necessities, in which case the charge is ninety dollars ($90.00) per call. The service charges shall be due and payable at the time said services are rendered and all charges must be paid before service is restored.
92.11 POSTING SURCHARGE.
In addition to any other fees, service fees or surcharges provided for herein, a surcharge of fifty dollars ($50.00) shall be charged to any customer whose account for utility services is delinquent and the City posts the notice of such delinquency at the customer’s last known address. The notice shall conspicuously state the amount of this surcharge.
(Ord. 655 – Mar. 12 Supp.)
92.12 NO DEDUCTION FOR LEAKAGE.
No deduction will be made because of leakage after the water has passed through a meter. If leakage occurs in a service pipe, including frozen pipes, the City may shut off the supply at the curb valve until the service is repaired.
(Ch. 92 – Ord. 619 – July 06 Supp.)