(1) It is the intent of the city that all utility deliveries, whether water, sewer, garbage or some combination thereof, shall be deliveries of services and/or utilities to the property served. All such delivery of utilities and/or services shall be a claim against the property and a claim against the owner of that property served and/or furnished utilities and/or services. It shall be the responsibility of each property owner served by city utilities to determine the extent of utility services and deliveries being made and/or furnished to the owner’s property. It shall be the responsibility of the property owner to pay all claims, charges, penalties and/or costs imposed by the city for the furnishing and/or delivery of utilities and/or services to the owner’s property. The property owner’s responsibility shall exist independent of any claim of lien the city may have or make pursuant to any statute, rule or regulation. The fact the owner has directed or allowed the billings for utilities furnished and/or services delivered to the owner’s property to be delivered to a tenant or other third person does not in any way reduce or extinguish the property owner’s responsibility for water, sewer and/or garbage billings, charges, costs or penalties imposed by the city. All delinquent charges for water, sewer, garbage or some combination thereof shall bear interest at the maximum rate allowed by law.

(2) All applications for service installations and for water service shall be made at the office of the city clerk on printed forms furnished by the city and shall contain the name of the owner of the property, the name of the occupant, post office address, and, when possible, a description of the property, lot, block, addition, name of the street upon which the property fronts and the official street number, if there should be assigned a street number, to the premises as shown by the records of the city clerk. The application must state fully all the purposes for which water may be required, the size of the service connection required, and include the signature of the applicant agreeing to conform to the rules and regulations of this chapter, and any future water ordinance as established by the city through the city council.

(3) The applicant shall at the time of making application pay to the city clerk the service connection fee required for making the installation of the service connection and the amount of deposit required to secure payment of charges for water service as provided in this chapter.

(4) All applications for residential water service shall be made by the property owner of the property to be delivered water service, and responsibility for billing payment shall be borne by the property owner except as to tenant accounts as provided in this chapter. All charges for water service will be sent directly to the property mailing address unless the property owner directs otherwise in writing. No charge will be made for meter reading for closing accounts, except as provided in this chapter.

(5) Applications for industrial and commercial water service may be made by the property owner, lessee, or other consumer.

(6) The use of water from the Electric City municipal water system without first making application therefor and obtaining a meter for the delivery of such water is the theft of public property and the city will prosecute any and all persons so doing to the fullest extent of the law. (Ord. 551 § 1, 2019; Ord. 456 § 1, 2012; Ord. 75 § 1, 1962)