ARTICLE 2. WATER
15-201 Superintendent of water and sewage.
The general management, care, control and supervision of the city water system shall be in the superintendent of water and sewage, who shall be appointed by the mayor with the consent of the governing body.
(Code 1998)
15-202 Regulations.
The furnishing of water to customers by the city through its waterworks system shall be governed by the regulations set out in this article.
(Code 1998)
15-203 Service not guaranteed.
The city does not guarantee the delivery of water through any of its mains and connecting services at any time except only when its mains, pumping machinery, power service connection are in good working order, and the supply of water is sufficient for the usual demand of its consumers.
(Code 1998)
15-204 Service connections required.
(Code 1998)
15-205 Application for service.
(Ord. 1552; Code 2011)
15-206 City to make connections.
All taps shall be given, street excavations made, corporation cocks inserted, pipes installed from main to curb, and the curb cock installed in a meter box to which the service pipe is to be connected by city employees only.
(Code 1998)
15-207 Connection fees.
The fees for connection to the city’s waterworks system will be billed for actual cost of installation, including but not limited to supplies, equipment and personnel time.
(Ord. 991; Code 1998; Code 2017)
15-208 Curb cocks.
There shall be a curb cock in every service line attached to the city main, the same to be placed within the meter box. Curb cocks shall be supplied with strong and suitable “T” handles.
(Code 1998)
15-209 Check valves.
Check valves are required on all connections to steam boilers or on any other connection deemed necessary by the water superintendent. Safety and relief valves shall be placed on all boilers or other steam apparatus connected with the water system where the steam pressure may be raised in excess of 40 pounds per square inch.
(Code 1998)
15-210 Unauthorized service.
It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation, other than duly authorized city officials or employees to turn water on or off at the water meter or curb cock shut off, with a key or in any other manner, without first obtaining written permission from the mayor or the governing body.
(Code 1998)
15-211 Meters.
(Code 1998)
15-212 Same; testing.
Meters shall be tested before being set and at any other time thereafter when they appear to be measuring incorrectly. If a test is requested by the customer and the meter is found to be accurate within two percent, the meter will be deemed correct and a charge of $20 will be made to the customer.
(Ord. 1552; Code 2011)
15-213 Tampering with meter.
It shall be unlawful for any person to break the seal of any meter, alter the register or mechanism of any meter, or to make any outlet or connection in any manner so that water supplied by the city may be used or wasted without being metered. It shall be unlawful for any person except an authorized employee of the water department to turn any curb cock on or off. Meters are equipped with electronic readers. It shall be unlawful for any person to tamper with, damage or destroy an electronic reader. Property owners are responsible for damage to electronic readers and will be billed for actual cost of replacement.
(Code 1998; Code 2017)
15-214 Leaks prohibited; penalty.
No allowances shall be made for water used or lost through leaks, carelessness, neglect or otherwise after the same has passed through the meter. However, every customer shall have the right to appeal to the city from water bill or meter reading which he or she may consider excessive.
(Code 1998)
15-215 Disconnection, reconnection, processing charge.
The governing body shall establish by ordinance, a water service connection processing charge of $20.00. Whenever the city receives a request from a customer for water service, the connection processing charge shall apply. Any service disconnected for nonpayment of delinquent bill shall be reconnected only upon payment of the delinquent bill, interest penalty thereon, and the disconnection processing charge of $50.00. This payment will only be accepted in the City Clerk’s office during normal business hours, which is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. If payment is received after 4 p.m., same day reconnection cannot be guaranteed; reconnection of service may be delayed until the beginning of the next business day.
(Ord. 1576; Code 2011; Code 2017)
15-216 Landlord right to continue water services.
The owner of rental property may elect to continue water service to any previously rented property upon vacation thereof and shall notify the City of said election prior to discontinuance of water service. The City shall read the meter upon the notice and the request from the owner. The owner shall be charged a meter reading fee of $10.00 and shall be responsible for water service charges thereafter until such property is rented or sold. The City shall not charge the owner a reconnect fee in said circumstances if water service has not been disconnected and the owner shall not be required to post a deposit in said circumstances.
(Ord. 1536; Code 2011)
15-217 Interrupt service.
The city reserves the right to interrupt water service for the purpose of making repairs or extensions to water lines or equipment.
(Code 1998)
15-218 Prohibited acts.
It shall be a violation of this article for any unauthorized person to:
(Code 1998)
15-219 Wasting water.
Water users shall prevent unnecessary waste of water and shall keep sprinklers, hydrants, faucets and all apparatus, including the service line leading from the property to the meter in good condition at their expense.
(Code 1998)
15-220 Right of access.
Authorized employees of the city may enter upon any premises at reasonable hours for the purpose of reading the meter or servicing or inspecting meters or water lines.
(Code 1998)
15-221 Rates.
Effective December 15, 2025, the rates to be charged for water sold from the municipal water system in any one month shall be as follows:
All rates identified in this section shall increase by at least one percent (1.0%) each year effective December 15, 2026, and shall increase every January billing date thereafter by at least 1.0%.
(Code 2011; Res. 2012-05; Code 2017; Res. 2018-04; Res. 2019-06; Res. 2019-09; Res. 2020-03; Code 2020; Res. 2020-08; Res. 2022-05; Res. 2025-06)
15-222 Payment of bills.
All water bills for the previous month’s water service shall be paid on or before the 15th day of the month following the service, except if the 15th falls on a weekend or holiday, then the bill shall be paid on the next business day. For any billing not paid when due a late charge of 10 percent will be added to the bill.
(Ord. 991; Code 1998)
15-223 Delinquent accounts; notice; hearing; finding; liability.
Water service shall be terminated for nonpayment of service fees or charges as provided in sections 15-102:104.
(Code 1998)
15-224 Use during fire.
No person owning or occupying premises connected to the municipal water system shall use or allow to be used during a fire any water from the water system except for the purpose of extinguishing the fire. Upon the sounding of a fire alarm it shall be the duty of every such person to see that all water services are tightly closed and that no water is used except in extraordinary cases of emergency during the fire.
(Code 1998)
15-225 Cross-connections prohibited.
No person shall establish or permit to be established or maintain or permit to be maintained, any cross connection whereby a private, auxiliary, or emergency water supply other than the regular public water supply of the city may enter the supply and distributing system of the city unless specifically approved by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the governing body.
(Ord. 979; Code 1998)
15-226 Same; protective backflow devices required.
Approved devices to protect against backflow or back siphonage shall be installed at all fixtures and equipment where backflow and/or back siphonage may occur and where there is a hazard to the potable water supply in that polluted water or other contaminating materials may enter into the public water supply. Any situation in which a heavy withdrawal of water, such as a sudden break in the main or water being used from a fire hydrant, may cause a negative pressure to develop which could lead to back siphonage of polluted water into the system shall be improper and must be protected by approved backflow preventive valves and systems as determined by the superintendent.
(Ord. 979; Code 1998)
15-227 Same; inspection.
The city utility superintendent or other designee of the governing body shall have the right of entry into any building or premises in the city as frequently as necessary in his or her judgment in order to ensure that plumbing has been installed in accordance with the laws of the city so as to prevent the possibility of pollution of the water supply of the city.
(Ord. 979; Code 1998)
15-228 Same; protection from contaminants.
Pursuant to the city’s constitutional home rule authority and K.S.A. 65-163a, the city by its utility superintendent may refuse to deliver water through pipes and mains to any premises where a condition exists which might lead to the contamination of the public water supply system and it may continue to refuse the delivery of water to the premises until that condition is remedied. In addition, the city utility superintendent may terminate water service to any property where the cross connections or back siphonage condition creates, in the judgment of the superintendent, an emergency danger of contamination to the public water supply.
(Ord. 979; Code 1998)