Utility Administration Bylaw — full text

This is an automated transcription (OCR) of the captured official document — minor recognition errors are possible; the source document governs. Snapshot eac367e73e8b · verified 2026-06-13 · original document · archived snapshot · unofficial consolidation, the official version is held by the municipal clerk.

## RESORT VILLAGE OF MANITOU BEACH Utility Administration Bylaw ## BYLAW 37-2024 1. Purpose: To provide guidance in the administration of Utility Accounts within the Resort Village of Manitou Beach. 2. Authority: Pursuant to the Municipalities Act, s.23, the Resort Village of Manitou Beach may, by Bylaw, regulate utility management. Administrator - the Administrator of the Resort Village of Manitou Beach, also referred to as the CAOChief Administrative Officer. Property Owner/Owners - the assessed property owner, as contained in the records of the Resort Village. Consumer - any person or persons who occupies a premises, not necessarily the property owner. Premise - a building or structure or any part thereof, which is connected to utility services, and which has a separate metered water supply. Reasonable Access - is defined as facilitating a safe, convenient route to a properly connected, working meter reader cap. Safe, convenient access to the water meter and meter reader cap to have a minimum of six (6) meter readings in a period of twelve (12) consecutive months recorded. Service Connection - the water and sewer pipes which connect the water and sewer mains to the inner surface of the wall of the building supplied with the water and sewer utility service. Utility Account - the record of water consumption, water and sewer billing maintained by the village administration staff; showing water and sewer utility service rates billed to the Property Owner and payments received on the account. Utility Service - the provision by the Resort Village of Manitou Beach of a public potable water supply to a premises and the provision of a public sewage collection and disposal system from a premises, which is occupied by a consumer. Water Rates and Fee Schedule Bylaw - the bylaw established by the Resort Village of Manitou Beach and approved by the Saskatchewan Municipal Board that sets the utility rates and fees for the Village. Year-Round User - premises that have the water and sewer infrastructure installed below the frost line and is protected from freezing. Seasonal User - premises that, because of the nature of the water and sewer infrastructure and the premises being such that, the water lines and water meter would be at risk of freezing during freezing weather. Water Service On - the curb stop is turned on and the water meter is installed. Water Service Off - the curb stop is turned off and the water meter may be removed for storage. Multi-Unit User - the curb stop cannot be physically turned off without affecting the other users on the property. Connect Fee and Disconnect Fee will be applied. Includes properties with physical traits that do not allow for curb stop shut off/water meter removal, Connect Fee and Disconnect Fee will be applied. ## 4. Administration of Utility Accounts: - All accessible Residential and Commercial properties must be connected to water and sewer services. - ii. New services are required to purchase a new water meter at current cost to the Village. - iii. All municipal utility billing that has been made available to a property will be billed out as outlined in the Water Rates and Fee Schedule Bylaw. - iv. Water & sewer supply base is the base utility fee and shall be payable whether any water is consumed or not, regardless of whether Water Service On or Water Service Off. - V. Every property owner shall be responsible for the installation and maintenance of a meter reader cap, in an easily accessible, visible location on the front of the building. - vi. Every property owner shall be responsible for ensuring safe, convenient, and reasonable access for village staff to all water meters and meter reader caps, installed on private property and the premises in which such meters are located. Reasonable access is a village employee being easily able to perform six (6) meter readings in a period of twelve (12) - vii. In situations where an actual reading of a meter is not obtainable, the village may estimate the consumption used based on historical consumption on the account or other information or source available and shall be considered fair and equitable. Estimates shall be the basis for billing the customer for the water used until such time that the cause of the inability to an obtain actual reading, is remedied. - vili. The Resort Village may discontinue the supply of water to a property where: - a) A water meter installed on that property has been damaged, altered or disconnected. - b) The property owner/consumer has refused or failed to provide and maintain safe and convenient access to village staff to any water meter and working meter reader installed on that property/premises within which such meters are located. - c) The property owner has refused or failed to pay the cost of repairing, testing, or reinstalling a water meter which had been damaged, altered or disconnected while installed on that property. - ix. Accounts for water service and sewer service shall cover a period of two (2) successive months: January-February, March-April, May-June, July-August, September-October, November-December, and shall be invoiced within nine (9) days after the last day of the month ending such period. - x. Accounts shall be paid within a period of thirty (30) days from the date on which accounts are invoiced. - xi. All water and sewer accounts which are outstanding thirty (30) days after the account is invoiced shall have a penalty as outlined in the Water Rates and Fee Schedule Bylaw added to the utility account. - xii. If any rates, charges or rent in arrears, including late payment charges remain unpaid on December 31, of the given year, that amount will be added to and thereby form part of the taxes to the property that service was provided. - xili. A sudden rise in a metered water bill may be due to any combination of reasons including: - Plumbing leaks in toilets and/or fixtures - Consecutive estimated readings followed by an actual reading. (If your actual consumption for previous billing periods was higher than what was estimated, there may be an increase in the current water bill which will reflect the unbilled consumption.) - An increase in the number of people living in the house, resulting in higher water usage. - A dry, hot summer, resulting in higher water consumption. - Leaks can cause extremely high bills. If you are aware of any type of water leak in your house, it should repair it immediately. Leaking toilets and other fixtures will waste water and will increase the amount of the water billing. All water consumption, including water consumed by leaks, is the property owner's responsibility and is charged to your water account. - xiv. Utility accounts in arrears over 90 days, shall be given a final notice. If arrears are not paid in full after 30 days from the date on the final notice, water service will be disconnected. When the water service is cut off, it shall not be turned on until all arrears have been paid, together with a fee to cover the expenses of turning off the water and a further fee for turning it on again. These specific disconnect and reconnect fees are outlined in the Water Rates and Fee Schedule Bylaw - xV. Utility accounts in arrears: with the acknowledgement of exceptional life circumstances, Council for the Resort Village Manitou Beach is willing to work with Ratepayers that have came into such circumstances. Ratepayers that have utility accounts in arrears can apply for an agreement with the Village to catch up with overdue utility accounts by applying for a monthly payment that is at least 10% of their total utility arrears and stay current with regular bi-monthly utility billing. Applications can be obtained through the village office. Water services will stay connected if the agreement is satisfied. - xVi. In the event a water meter is damaged, whether that be frozen, or accidental, the property owner is responsible for the purchase a new meter at current cost to the Village. If the meter is found to be faulty, the Village will replace the meter at no additional cost. 5. Bylaws Repealed: That Bylaw 23-2023 passed on January 23, 2023, is hereby repealed. ## 6. Severability: - If a Court of Law should declare any section of this Bylaw to be invalid, such section or part shall not be construed as having persuaded or influenced Council to pass the remainder of the Bylaw and is hereby declared that the remainder of the Bylaw shall remain in force and   Administrator Habitsen Mayor Eire Dall Resolution 2024-0069 Read a third time and adopted This 18th day of March 2024.