Water Utility Rates and Regulation Bylaw No. 1033, 2022 (consolidated with Amendment 1074, 2025) — full text, Pouce Coupe, British Columbia

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THE CORPORATION OF THE VILLAGE OF POUCE COUPE BYLAW NO. 1033, 2022 Page | 1 THE CORPORATION OF THE VILLAGE OF POUCE COUPE BYLAW NO. 1033, 2022 A bylaw to regulate and impose fees and charges for the use of water. THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRODUCED FOR CONVENIENCE ONLY and is a consolidation of " Water Utility Rates and Regulation Bylaw No. 1033, 2022" with the following amending bylaws: Water Utility Rates and Regulation Amendment Bylaw No. 1074, 2025 Individual copies of any of the above bylaws are available from the Pouce Coupe Village Office. For legal purposes, copies of the original bylaws should be obtained. THE CORPORATION OF THE VILLAGE OF POUCE COUPE BYLAW NO. 1033, 2022 Page | 2 A bylaw to regulate and impose fees and charges for the use of water within the Village of Pouce Coupe WHEREAS the Council of the Corporation of the Village of Pouce Coupe is empowered and authorized pursuant to the Community Charter to fix the rates, terms and conditions under which water may be supplied and used within the Village of Pouce Coupe; NOW THEREFORE, the Council of the Corporation of the Village of Pouce Coupe, in open meeting assembled, enacts as follows; 1.0 Title 1.1 This bylaw shall be cited for all purposes as "Water Utility Rates and Regulation Bylaw No. 1033, 2022." 2.0 Definitions 2.1 In this Bylaw: "Authorized Village Employee" means the Director of Public Works and their designate. "Billing Period" means the period of time over which water is consumed and for which a charge is levied upon each property owner supplied with water by the system. "Commercial" means all buildings other than residential. "Consumer" means any person, company, or corporation who is the leasee or owner, authorized agent for the owner, or any person who is the occupier of such premises. "Metered Service" means a service that has had a water meter installed for determining the quantity of water supplied by such service. "Rate" means the price or sum of money to be paid by any consumer for the quantity of water supplied to them, as measured by a meter. "Readily Accessible" means that access is available without the necessity of removing or moving away any panel, door, or other similar obstruction. "Residential" means all single-family dwellings or duplexes. "Service" means a pipe including all valves, connections, taps, meters, and all appurtenances connecting a building or property to municipal water system. "Service Connections" includes the connecting pipe from the Village main to the boundary of private property and all related pipes, shut off valves, and other appurtenances. "System" means the Village of Pouce Coupe Water Utility System, which includes all pipes, valves, transmission and distribution lines, pumping equipment and the like from the source of water up to and including the individual service connection. "Village" means the Corporation of the Village of Pouce Coupe. "Water Main" means a pipe carrying water throughout the Village and shall include any water main upon, or under, any public street, land, right-of-way or easement, which water main is owned or maintained by the Village whether laid by it or any other person whomsoever. THE CORPORATION OF THE VILLAGE OF POUCE COUPE BYLAW NO. 1033, 2022 Page | 3 BL1074 "Water Meter" means an apparatus for measuring and recording the quantity of water passing through it and shall include all accessory materials required for the installation and operation of the meter. "Water or Waterworks" means the waterworks system of the Corporation of the Village of Pouce Coupe. 3.0 General 3.1 This bylaw shall apply to all waterworks systems owned and operated by the Village of Pouce Coupe. 3.2 The Village shall not be liable for the failure of the water supply in consequence of any accident or damage to the works, or any temporary stoppage thereof on account of repairs or alterations, whether such failure arises from the negligence of any person in the employ of the Municipality or otherwise, or for any cause whatsoever. The Village shall not be liable for the quality of water supplied or for the failure of the volume or pressure of the water supply. 3.3 The Village retains the right to adjust the water supply pressure or to interrupt supply due to emergent conditions or for the purpose of upgrading or carrying out general maintenance. Where it is practical and time permits, notice shall be given to all residents affected where alterations of pressure or interruption of service are to take place. 3.3.1 The Village may, when deemed necessary, shut off any water main without notice to the consumers. 3.4 A person shall not tamper with or damage any hydrant, valve, stopcock, pipe, meter, or other appliance being part of the system. 3.5 No person, other than an authorized Village employee or representative, shall turn on or shut off any fire hydrant, valve, stopcock, water meter or other fixture of the water utility system or shall tamper with such objects in any way whatsoever. 3.6 A person shall not obstruct access to any fire hydrant, valve, stopcock, water meter or other fixture of the water utility system. 3.7 Consumers depending on a continuous or uninterrupted supply of water or having processes or equipment that require particularly clear or pure water shall provide such emergency storage, oversize piping, pumps and tanks, filters, pressure regulators, check valves and additional service pipes, or other means for continuous and adequate supply of water suitable to their requirements at their own expense. 3.8 All water services shall be metered. 4.0 Water Rates 4.1 The rates to be paid by consumers for the use of water supplied to their premises from the Village waterworks system shall be those stated in Schedule "L" of the Village of Pouce Coupe Consolidated Municipal Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 1062, 2025. 4.2 Both residential and commercial water meters shall be read and billed bi-monthly. 4.3 A person shall not knowingly withhold information about the use of their premises that could affect the utility rates or charges. It is the responsibility of the owner to notify the Village in writing when any changes or modifications are made to their premises that may affect the utility charges. It THE CORPORATION OF THE VILLAGE OF POUCE COUPE BYLAW NO. 1033, 2022 Page | 4 BL1074 shall be reasonable and lawful for the Village to bill and collect from the owner the appropriate rates and charges from the time the changes or modifications to their premises were found to have first existed. 4.4 A charge imposed under this bylaw which remains unpaid on the thirty-first day of December in any year shall be deemed to be taxes in arrears on the land or real property on which the charge was imposed, and may be recovered as provided in Section 258 of the Community Charter. 5.0 Water Service Connection 5.1 A person shall not take, consume, or use water from the Village's system without first obtaining permission to do so and making arrangements for payment of same. 5.2 All applications for the installation of a water connection shall be made in the form contained in Schedule "B" to this bylaw. The owner shall, on making application, pay the connection fee as per Schedule "L" of the Village of Pouce Coupe Consolidated Municipal Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 1062, 2025. 5.3 If the Authorized Village Employee approves the application, a water connection shall be provided from the appropriate water main to the boundary of the owner's property. If the Authorized Village Employee does not approve the application, the applicant shall be notified accordingly and refunded the fee paid. 5.4 No work of any kind connected with the water system, including the installation of new services, or repairing old services shall be done upon or under any streets or lanes in the Village without first obtaining the consent from the Authorized Village Employee. 5.5 The owner, or their authorized agent, shall notify the Authorized Village Employee when any water connection or other work carried out under the provisions of this bylaw is ready for inspection, and no water connection or such other work shall be covered until the Authorized Village Employee have inspected it. 5.6 The Authorized Village Employee may enter, at all reasonable times, upon any property for the purpose of inspecting the premises and the water pipes, connections and any other apparatus used in connection with such water pipes or water system. The Authorized Village Employee may make personal inspection of all pipes, taps and fixtures used for distributing water, and if found defective, or if any wastage of water is found to exist, notice will be given to have the defect remedied. If any defect(s) are not remedied within the time limit specified, the Authorized Village Employee shall have authority to cut off the supply of water from the main until the said defect(s) are repaired. A person shall not have a claim against the Village for cutting off the water. 5.7 The property owner shall be responsible for the installation, repairs, damages, or maintenance to the water utility service on the owner's side of the property line. The owner shall keep the service pipes, stopcocks, and other fixtures on their premises in good working condition, protected from frost, and injury at their own expense. 5.8 Every premise shall have a properly placed shut-off valve in working order. It is the responsibility of the homeowner to ensure a working shut off valve is located before the water meter. 5.9 Prior to the turning on of any water from the system, the applicant must show the Authorized Village Employee that onsite plumbing conforms to the BC Plumbing Code. 5.10 The size of the pipe to be used in supplying water to any premises and the position in the street it is to be laid shall be determined by the Authorized Village Employee. In the event that such THE CORPORATION OF THE VILLAGE OF POUCE COUPE BYLAW NO. 1033, 2022 Page | 5 BL1074 BL1074 service may be provided from either of two mains, the Authorized Village Employee shall determine which main the service shall be connected to. 6.0 Water Turn-On or Shut-Off 6.1 The owner, designated renter, or authorized agent requesting to have the water shut off or turned on, shall notify the Village. The work will be performed during the regular work week as soon as scheduling permits. The consumer must be present at the time of the shut off or turn on to sign off on work order. In case of emergency shut offs see Schedule "L" of the Village of Pouce Coupe Consolidated Municipal Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 1062, 2025 for applicable fees. 6.2 The owner, designated renter, or authorized agent must be at the property when the water is being turned on to ensure there are no leaks and sign off on the work order. 7.0 Water Meters 7.1 All initial residential 5/8" (1.5875 cm) meters and ancillary equipment will be provided by the Village. All water meters are to be installed by a qualified plumber under the supervision of an Authorized Village Employee or by a Public Works employee who holds a valid plumbing certification. All other meters and ancillary equipment, including installation, will be at the expense of the owner. All equipment and infrastructure shall remain the property of the Village of Pouce Coupe. 7.1.1 All new water meters must be installed inside of the home to protect it from freezing temperatures. 7.1.2 Water meter upgrades will only be done by the Village's Public Works department or authorized agent. Property owners will be provided a notice of the Village's intent to upgrade the meter on their property and advise the Village of a suitable time and date that the upgrade may be done. The upgrade must be complete within 72 hours of the date the notice was set by the Village. In lieu of the penalty, the Village has the right under Section 5.6 to turn off the supply of water to the property. 7.2 Each individual meter shall be read once in every billing period. 7.3 The reading of any given meter may be postponed until the next billing period and, in such a case, the rate to be charged for the billing period for which no reading is taken, may be calculated according to the steps contained in Schedule "L" of the Village of Pouce Coupe Consolidated Municipal Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 1062, 2025. 7.4 Meter installations shall be located in a convenient and safe place within the home, readily accessible for meter readings, inspection, repair, or removal. 7.5 Where a water meter fails to register or to properly indicate the quantity of water used or consumed, or where breakages occur on private property, the consumption of water shall be estimated and an account shall be rendered to the customer. 7.6 No complaint of an error in any charge for water rates or charges shall be considered and no adjustment of any such error shall be made after a period of one year has elapsed since the end of the period for which such water rates or charges were made. After the termination of this period, all such water rates or charges shall be deemed to have been properly and correctly made. 7.7 All Commercial meters and meters larger than 5/8" (1.5875 cm) in size will be supplied by the Village and the full cost of meter and shipping charges shall be charged to the property owner. THE CORPORATION OF THE VILLAGE OF POUCE COUPE BYLAW NO. 1033, 2022 Page | 6 BL1074 BL1074 7.8 Meters will be tested upon request, provided that a fee as outlined in Schedule "L" of the Village of Pouce Coupe Consolidated Municipal Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 1062, 2025, is paid in advance. The meter replacement fee shall be refunded for residential 5/8" (1.5875 cm) meters only, if the meter is found to be registering incorrectly, otherwise such fee shall be non- refundable. The fee for testing the meter is non-refundable. 7.9 Water meters will be replaced at a maximum of every 20 years. If a homeowner requests their water meter to be changed, and the age of their meter is less than 20 years, a fee as per Schedule "L" of the Village of Pouce Coupe Consolidated Municipal Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 1062, 2025, shall be collected prior to the Village installing a new meter. 7.11 The Village shall maintain and repair all 5/8" (1.5875 cm) (residential) meters which are the property of the Village. The consumer is responsible for the replacement or repairs caused by neglect or carelessness (outside of ordinary wear) and will be charged accordingly. 8.0 Water Use 8.1 The water supplied to any real property from the system shall be confined solely for the use of the occupants of the real property to which the water is supplied. 8.2 A person shall not improperly use any water supplied from the system or negligently waste such water. 8.3 Council may prohibit or regulate the use of water supplied from the system for the purpose of washing windows or vehicles, sprinkling lawns, gardens, yards or grounds by hose or sprinkler in times of water supply shortages or for any other reason deemed necessary as per the Water Conservation Measures Bylaw No. 927, 2009, as amended from time to time. A person shall not use water supplied from the system for irrigation purposes. 8.4 A person shall not sell or dispose of Village water, give it away to any person or persons whatsoever, or permit it to be taken or carried away by any person or persons, or to supply it to the use or benefit of others or to wrongfully or improperly waste such water. 9.0 New Construction 9.1 All new construction or renovations requiring the installation of new plumbing fixtures shall comply with the BC Plumbing Code which is annexed to the BC Building Code. 9.2 All new construction requiring a water service connection shall have installed a back-flow prevention device. The back-flow prevention device must be located behind the water shut off valve which has been installed in accordance with Section 5.8 of this bylaw. 10.0 Penalties 10.1 Any person who violates any provisions of this bylaw or who suffers or permits any act or thing to be done in contravention of this bylaw, or who refuses, omits, or neglects to fulfil, observe, carry out, or perform any duty or obligation imposed by this bylaw is liable upon summary conviction, to a fine and penalty of a minimum of $100 and not exceeding $10,000 and the costs of prosecution. 10.2 If a service connection, as per Section 5.5, is backfilled prior to inspection, the owner or authorized agent will be required to dig up the connection to be inspected at the cost of the owner. THE CORPORATION OF THE VILLAGE OF POUCE COUPE BYLAW NO. 1033, 2022 Page | 7 BL1074 10.3 If any person fails to carry out the work required by any provision of this Bylaw, the Village may enter the parcel to undertake the required work and charge the owner for the actual cost incurred by the Village in carrying out the work. The costs shall be paid by the owner, and if remaining unpaid after the 31st day of December of the year in which the work is done, shall be deemed to be taxes in arrears on the parcel and will be dealt with in the same manner as Village taxes. 11.0 Repeal Bylaw 11.1 The following Bylaws are hereby repealed in their entirety: a. Water Utility Rates and Regulation Bylaw No. 870, 2005; b. Village of Pouce Coupe Water Utility Rates and Regulations Bylaw No. 870, 2005, Amendment Bylaw No. 951, 2012; c. Water Utility Rates Amendment Bylaw No. 979, 2014; and d. Water Utility Rates and Regulations Amendment Bylaw No. 982, 2015. 12.0 Schedules 12.1 The following schedules form part of this Bylaw: Schedule "B" - Service Connection Permit Application Schedule "C" - Service Connection Permit READ A FIRST TIME this 25th day of April, 2022 READ A SECOND TIME this 25th day of April, 2022 READ A THIRD TIME this 25th day of April, 2022 ADOPTED this 28th day of April, 2022 ______________________ ________________________ Lorraine S. Michetti Sandy Stokes Mayor Corporate Officer Certified a correct copy of "Water Utility Rates and Regulation Bylaw No. 1033, 2022" As Adopted by Council ________________________ Sandy Stokes, Corporate Officer THE CORPORATION OF THE VILLAGE OF POUCE COUPE BYLAW NO. 1033, 2022 Page | 8 Schedule "B" SERVICE CONNECTION PERMIT APPLICATION Property Owner's Name: Phone Number(s): Contractors Name: Contractors Address: Hereby makes application to install a water and sewer service to and/or on: Lot: Block: Plan: Civic Address: Name of registered owner: Part 1 - Off Property Water Service Sanitary Service Storm Service Material Size Part 2 - On Property Water Service Sanitary Service Storm Service Material Size New Service Stack Req'd Yes No (Replacement of stacks to be provided by the Village) Back flow prevention device installed as per Section 9.2: Yes No Inspectors Comments: Permission is hereby granted to the applicant to proceed with the work herein described, on the understanding that: i) The contractor is properly skilled to undertake such work, ii) The contractor is familiar with and shall adhere to pertinent Village Bylaws, installation procedures, and material requirements. iii) All installations must be inspected and approved by Public Works before backfilling. iv) Must give Public Works at least 24-hour notice prior to inspection. Applicant's Signature: Date: Office Use Only Application Accepted By: _________________________ Date: THE CORPORATION OF THE VILLAGE OF POUCE COUPE BYLAW NO. 1033, 2022 Page | 9 Schedule "C" SERVICE CONNECTION PERMIT In regard to the application made in respect of the property noted below and the application bylaws and regulations of the Village of Pouce Coupe, a Service Connection Permit is hereby issued as follows: Owner(s) Name: Phone Number(s): Legal Description of Property: Lot Block Plan Civic Address: Contractor's Name: Contractors Address: Part 1 - Off Property Water Service Sanitary Service Storm Service Material Size Part 2 - On Property Water Service Sanitary Service Storm Service Material Size New Service Stack Req'd Yes No (Replacement of stacks to be provided by the Village) Back flow prevention device installed as per Section 9.2: Yes No Inspectors Comments: Application Accepted By: ____________________________ Date: Inspected By: _____________________________________ Date: Permit Fee: $ Folio No.: _________________Utility Acct.: (Permit is not valid unless the connection has been inspected and signed off by Public Works) Service Connection Permit No.: