O-80-736 - 1/24/1980ORDINANCE NO. 7:2540
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 10, SECTION 4, SUB-
SECTION A, BY ADDING SECTIONS PROHIBITING THE
TAMPERING WITH METERS, WATER LINES, OR HYDRANTS;
ESTABLISHING RESPONSIBILITY FOR WATER LEAKAGE AND
USE; PROVIDING FOR A PENALTY.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROUND ROCK,
TEXAS, THAT
Chapter 10, Section 4, Subsection A. of the Code of Ordi-
nances, City of Round Rock, Texas, is hereby amended by
adding paragraphs (7), (8) and (9), which said paragraphs
shall read as follows:
(7) Tampering With Meters and Lines; Prima Facie Evidence
Whoever by any means or device prevents water from
passing through any meter belonging to the waterworks,
or prevents any meter used in connection with the supply
of water to any consumer by the waterworks from register-
ing the amount of water passing through such meter, or
prevents a meter from duly registering the quantity of
water supplied or in any way interferes with its proper
action of just registration, or without the consent in
writing of the Director of Public Works or his author-
ized agent, diverts any water from any pipe of the
waterworks, or otherwise uses, or causes to be used,
without the consent of the Director, any water produced
or distributed by the waterworks, or retains possession
of, or refuses to deliver any meter, materials or equip-
ment belonging to the waterworks, regardless of how it
came into his possession, shall be in violation of this
article. The presence at any time on or about any such
meter or pipe of any device or pipes resulting in the
diversion of water or prevention of its free passage and
registration by the meter, or resulting in the diversion
from the meter as above defined, or resulting in the
prevention of water reaching the meter, or resulting in
the prevention of 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, on the part of the person owning or having
custody and control of the room, building, place or
premises where such device or pipe is, of knowledge of
the existence thereof and knowledge of such existence to
the person who would be benefited by the failure of the
water to be properly metered, and shall further consti-
tute prima facie evidence of intention on the part of
such person to defraud, and shall bring such person
prima facie within the scope, meaning and penalties of
this section.
(8) Tampering With Hydrants and Other System Apparatus
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person, except a
member of the fire department, or employee of the
waterworks, to open or use water from a fire hydrant, or
to take off the cap without permission from the water-
works.
ater-
works.
(b) It shall be unlawful for any person, individually
or in association with others, to willfully break, in-
jure or tamper with any part of the waterworks system
for any purpose whatsoever, or in any other manner to
maliciously interfere with or prevent the running and
operation of the system and the water supply therein.
(9) Responsibility for Water Leakage and Use; Discontinu-
ance of Service
(a) All property owners, their agents and tenants,
shall be held responsible as consumers for loss of water
and property damage due to leakage in pipe or plumbing
inside the discharge side of the meter or on the proper-
ty, and if this water is not paid for according to the
rates provided when it becomes due, the water shall be
cut off by the waterworks and not turned on again until
all claims are paid. In the event of any change in
tenant as consumer in rented property and there exists,
at the time, arrearages for past leakage, the landlord
and property owner shall be held to account for payment
for this leakage before service will be extended and
water furnished to the second tenant.
(b) If any consumer shall be in debt to the water-
works for water furnished or for leakage or repairs on
any account at his current or previous place of consump-
tion, his water shall be cut off by the waterworks as
provided in Section 4.D.(3) of this Chapter.
(10) Consumer Assent to Chapter Provisions
All of the provisions of this Chapter shall be deemed
to be incorporated in every contract between the water-
works and its consumers, and each consumer shall be
charged with knowledge of the provisions of this article
and, by applying and accepting water from the water-
works, to have assented to the provisions hereof.
II.
Any person, firm, or corporation who shall violate any
of the provisions of this ordinance shall be guilty of a
misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall be fined in any sum
not exceeding Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00), and each and
every day the violation continues shall constitute a separate
and distinct offense.
READ and APPROVED on first reading this the /0 day of
January, 1980.
READ, APPROVED and ADOPTED on second
Zeladay of , 1980.
ATTEST:
NE LAND, City Secretary
reading this
the
RRY L. TiNN, ayor
ity of Round Rock, Texas