§ 86-29. Customer's responsibility and liability.

(a)

Water furnished by the city shall be used for consumption by the customer, members of his household and employees only. The customer shall not sell water to any other person or permit any other person to use said water. Water shall not be used for irrigation, fire protection, nor other purposes, except when water is available in sufficient quantity without interfering with the regular domestic consumption in the area served. Failure to comply with any announced water use restrictions shall be sufficient cause for refusal and/or discontinuance of service.

(b)

Reserved.

(c)

Where meter or meter box is placed on the premises of a customer, a suitable place shall be provided by the customer therefore, unobstructed and accessible at all times to any department employee needing access.

(d)

The customer shall furnish and maintain a private cutoff valve on the customer's side of the meter.

(e)

The customer's piping and apparatus shall be installed and maintained by the customer at the customer's expense, in a safe and efficient manner, and in accordance with the sanitary regulations of the state health department and the ordinances and standards of the city.

(f)

In order to be accepted as a customer and entitled to receive water from the city's water system, all applicants must offer proof that any private wells located on their property are not physically connected to the lines of the city's water system and all applicants, by becoming customers of the city, covenant and agree that so long as they continue to be customers of the city they will not permit the connection of any private wells on their property to the city's water system.

(g)

No person shall intentionally uncover, make any connection with or opening into, use, alter or in any other manner disturb a water or sewer line or any appurtenance thereof belonging to the city without first obtaining a written permit from the city. Any person, corporation, partnership or other entity committing such an intentional act shall be tried before the municipal court of the city and shall, upon conviction, be subject to up to the maximum fine and/or the maximum term of imprisonment as authorized by the city's Charter.

(h)

When public safety or public health issues affecting the city's water supply or the availability of water requires implementation of water restrictions, all customers shall comply and shall cause other occupants or users of their property, to which the city provides water service, to comply.

During the declared water use restriction, if the owner or occupier of property within the city, which is provided water service by the city, violates the water restriction, the city manager or designee shall forward a written warning by personal delivery or U.S. mail to the customer and to the billing address as shown on the city's records for the supply of water to the property at issue. Thereafter, if subsequent violation(s) occur at said property, the customer to whom city water service at issue is provided; and/or the customers agent, if the customer is not a natural person; and/or any other person in control of the property at issue; and/or any other person responsible for the violation of the use restriction, may be issued a citation for violation of this article where intentional or gross neglect violation of the use restriction occurs, or continued violation occurs because of customer defective equipment without a reasonable attempt to repair after the above referenced warning any violation of this article shall constitute an ordinance violation, returnable to the city court, and punishable as provided in the city's Charter.

(i)

Restriction on outdoor water of landscape. Outdoor watering for purposes of planting, growing, managing, or maintaining ground cover, trees, shrubs, or other plants may occur only between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m.; provided, however, that this limitation shall not create any limitation upon the following outdoor water uses:

(1)

Commercial agricultural operations as defined in O.C.G.A. § 1-3-3;

(2)

Capture and reuse of cooling system condensate or stormwater in compliance with applicable local ordinances and state guidelines;

(3)

Reuse of gray water in compliance with O.C.G.A. § 31-3-5.2 and applicable local board of health regulations;

(4)

Use of reclaimed wastewater by a designated user from a system permitted by the Environmental Protection Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to provide reclaimed wastewater;

(5)

Watering personal food gardens;

(6)

Watering new and replanted plant, seed, or turf in landscapes, golf courses, or sports turf fields during installation and for a period of 30 days immediately following the date of installation;

(7)

Drip irrigation or irrigation using soaker hoses;

(8)

Hand watering with a hose with automatic cutoff or handheld container;

(9)

Use of water withdrawn from private water wells or surface water by an owner or operator of property if such well or surface water is on said property;

(10)

Watering horticultural crops held for sale, resale, or installation;

(11)

Watering athletic fields, golf courses, or public turf grass recreational areas;

(12)

Installation, maintenance, or calibration of irrigation systems; or

(13)

Hydroseeding.

(Ord. No. 0-11-01, art. V, 4-19-01; Ord. No. 0-14-10, Art. I, 11-18-10)