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## Big Lakes County Bylaw
## Bylaw No 15-2024
Being a bylaw of Big Lakes County, in the Province of Alberta to provide for the Administration of the Water/ Wastewater system within the Big Lakes County.
WHEREAS Big Lakes County has installed water distribution and wastewater collection systems within the County; and
WHEREAS section 7(g) of the Municipal Government Act, Chapter 26,R.S.A. 2000, and amendments thereto, authorizes the Council of a municipality to pass bylaws pertaining to public utilities; and
WHEREAS the Council of Big Lakes County deems it appropriate to establish a bylaw for the administration of the water works system
NOW THEREFORE hereby enact as follows:
## Terms of Reference
1. This bylaw shall be cited as the "Water/Wastewater Services Bylaw".
2. For the purposes of this bylaw, "water works system" shall refer to both the water distribution and the wastewater collection systems.
3. The Executive Director of Operations, subject to the control of Council, have charge of all the various properties and works required for the supply of water and collection of wastewaters within Big Lakes County.
## Interruptions for Emergency Repair without notice:
4. The Executive Director of Operations is hereby authorized to:
- a. Order that the water works system is shut off without notice for such length of time as may be necessary to permit the construction or repairs to the water works system.
- b. In cases of fire or conflagration, to shut off the water works system without notice in any part of the County as may be required. No consumer or consumers shall have a claim against the County for non-supply of water, whether it be caused by water stoppage pursuant to this section or by frozen mains, breakdown of machinery, power interruptions or other mechanical failures or malfunction, unless such non-supply of water is shown to be directly due to the negligence of County or its employees.
- c. In cases of fire, conflagration, drought, water shortage, disasters, or other circumstances to shut off the water works system without notice in any part
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- of the County as may be required. No consumer or consumers shall have a claim against the County for non-supply of water, whether it be caused by water stoppage pursuant to this section or by frozen mains, breakdown of machinery, power interruptions or other mechanical failures or malfunction, unless such non-supply of water is shown to be directly due to the negligence of County or its employees.
## Interruptions of Service due to Routine Maintenance
5. During planned water system maintenance and/or water hookups, public notification shall be provided via local media.
Unauthorized Use of Water
6. No owner shall, without the written consent of the Big Lakes County lend, sell or dispose of the water supplied by the water works system, or give away or permit the same to be taken or carried away or used or apply it to the use or benefit of others or to any other than his, her or their own use or shall increase the supply of water beyond that agreed for with the County.
7. No owner or other person shall do or allow to be done any act or thing that results in an environmentally inappropriate use or flow of water from the County's water works system, irrespective of whether the owner or other person is responsible to pay for the water that is used or allowed to flow in an environmentally inappropriate manner.
8. Where an un-metered fire line is provided, no water shall be taken from said line for any reason other than fire protection or testing of the fire protection system.
## Hydrants. Valves, and Meters:
9. No person shall open, close, or interfere with any hydrant or valve of the water works system without permission of the Executive Director of Operations.
10. No person shall tamper or permit any other person to tamper with or bypass a water meter connected to the waterworks system.
Service Connections:
11. Normally, only one service connection per lot shall be permitted, unless a County adopted Area Structure Plan indicates otherwise.
12. For lots other than single family residences, the Executive Director of Operations may authorize more than one service connection.
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BigLakesCounty.ca | Page2
13. The size and service shall be approved by the Operations Department
14. Service connections shall not be extended from one separately titled lot to another separately titled lot.
## Application for New Service Connections
15. Any person requiring water service from the water works system shall apply to the Operations Department and request permission to connect to said system. The owner or his authorized agent at the time of making the application for a water service connection shall provide the County, in advance, a deposit in accordance with the County's Schedule of Fees Bylaw.
16. Any owner connecting to the water system shall request, prior to the burial of any underground works, request that the County inspect the work. The work site shall not be backfilled until such time as the operations department has indicated that backfilling may proceed.
17. Deposits made pursuant to section 14 shall only be reimbursed following an inspection of the installation by the operations Department. Once the operations department has inspected the installation, deposits shall be refunded as follows:
- a. If work has been completed to the satisfaction of Executive Director of Operations, 100% of the deposit shall be refunded.
- b. If deficiencies in the work are found, the County shall deduct the estimated value of the remedial work required from the deposit. Any remaining funds shall be refunded.
18. In the event that deficiencies identified by the Operations Department pursuant to an inspection made under section 16 are estimated to exceed the value of the deposit, the owner shall be responsible for the cost of remedial actions exceeding the deposit amount.
19. Any person wishing to connect to the water works system shall provide the County with a statement signed by the property owner, or their authorized agent, stating the acceptance of the following:
- a. That all water must be metered;
- b. That the Owner is fully responsible for all service charges associated with the utility account;
- c. The Owner must inform the County of any service changes (i.e. address or name changes);
- d. The Owner is responsible for obtaining all required easements;
- e. The Owner is responsible for protecting any pertinences, including water meters from tampering, or freezing;
- f. The Owner is responsible for ensuring all County standards regarding
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- materials and installations are met;
- g. That the Owner is responsible for providing the County with "as-built" information with respect to the installation within 30 days of installation.
20. Any person connecting to County waterworks shall provide a one (1) year warranty period on all components of the connection. Any defects found during the warranty period shall be the responsibility of the persons connecting to the waterworks.
21. In being connected to the waterworks system, the applicant does hereby agree that authorized employees of Big Lakes County shall have un fettered access to the curb stop.
22. In being connected to the waterworks system, any person does hereby agree that authorized employees of Big Lakes County shall have access to the water meter providing that reasonable notice of not less than 24 hours is provided.
## Construction and Maintenance of Private Wastewater
23. On any new private wastewater service where the service length is in excess of 20m the owner of the premises shall install a suitable and easily accessible flow monitoring point.
24. The Owner shall be responsible for, at his/her own expense, the removal of any blockage within a private gravity wastewater service to the wastewater main caused by matter released from the premises or by roots from trees on the premise.
25. Big Lakes County shall be responsible for repairs caused by collapse or other structural failure of the wastewater service pipe outside of private property.
## Protection of Meters
26. A consumer is responsible for the safekeeping of the water meter and any remote reading device that may be installed with the water meter on the consumer's property. A consumer shall protect the water meter and connecting valves and pipes from freezing, excessive heat, overheating water, external or internal damage of any kind or any other thing which may affect the operation or reading of the meter and shall pay the cost of repairing or replacing any water metering device that may be damaged from the foregoing causes or any other causes within the consumer's control.
## Establishment of Accounts:
27. Any individual, firm, or corporation utilizing the County waterworks system shall establish an account with Big Lakes County.
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28. When establishing an account any person, firm, or corporation shall:
- a. Enter into an agreement which shall clearly indicate the responsibilities of the account holder; and be the landowner, existing rental accounts will be allowed, but no new rental accounts can be created.
- b. Provide any deposit as required pursuant to the County's Schedule of Fees Bylaw; and
- c. Provide payment, in full of any previously unpaid balances relating to any previous utility accounts bearing the name of the person, firm, or corporation.
## Billing of Accounts
29. Consumer accounts shall be forwarded on a regular basis which shall not be less frequent than once every two (2) months.
30. If connected to the wastewater system, each billing shall carry a wastewater charge which shall be equal to 50% of the water billing.
31. The accounts shall be due and payable on the date indicated on the utility bill. Failure to receive a utility bill does not release the consumer from liability for the account charges.
## Delinquent Accounts
32. In the event that an account remains unpaid for a period of fifteen (15) calendar days after the date payment was due, a 2% penalty shall be assessed on the sixteenth calendar day.
33. For rental accounts that remain delinquent, the County administration shall cause a letter of disconnection to be mailed by the thirtieth (30*h) calendar day. Such letter shall indicate that water services shall be discontinued on the fortieth (40th) calendar day from the date payment was initially due. For landowner delinquent accounts, the letter shall indicate the outstanding balance will be transferred to the tax roll.
34. Big Lakes County administration shall cause the water service to be disconnected to any renter's delinquent account on the fortieth (40"h) calendar day from the date payment was initially due.
## Reconnection of Service
35. Big Lakes County administration shall maintain a record of all individuals who have had water services disconnected pursuant to section 34.
36. Should an individual whose service has been disconnected pursuant to section 34 wish to have service restored, the consumer shall remit to Big Lakes County
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payment matching the amount owing on the disconnected account plus a reconnection service fee as per the schedule of fees bylaw.
37. Payment indicated in section 36 shall be made in full prior to service being reconnected.
## Repeal
38. That Bylaw 09-2008, the "Water/Sewer Services Bylaw" is hereby repealed.
39. That Bylaw 09-2024, the "Water Wastewater Services Bylaw" is hereby repealed.
## Effective Date
This bylaw comes into effect after third reading and upon signing. Read a first time this 10th day of July 2024. Read a second time this 10th day of July 2024.
Read a third time this 10th day of July 2024.
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Reeve
Chief Administrative Officer
## SCHEDULE "A"
## Schedule of Penalty Amounts
| SECTION | PENALTY |
|-----------------------------------|---------------------------------|
| 6 | $500.00 for 1s Offence |
| 6 | $1000.00 for 2nd and Subsequent |
| 7 | $500.00 for 1st Offence |
| | $1000.00 for 2nd and Subsequent |
| | $500.00 for 1st Offence |
| | $1000.00 for 2nd and Subsequent |
| | $500.00 for 1st Offence |
| | $1000.00 for 2nd and Subsequent |
| 10 | $500.00 for 1st Offence |
| 10 | $1000.00 for 2nd and Subsequent |
| 15 (Proceeding without approval) | $2500.00 |
| 16 (Failure to obtain inspection) | $500.00 |