All water supplied to consumers the Water Department of the City of Buffalo, Kansas, shall be measured meters furnished and installed by the Water Department and shall be paid for monthly.

(a)   Each house, mobile home or business building shall have a separate water meter and shall be charged separately. No house shall be allowed to provide water to another house or mobile home. One Travel Trailer (not mobile home) may be occupied and allowed on a primary residence property, but cannot be hooked to water and sewer unless a separate connection fee is paid, if said residence is owned and occupied by individual(s) that are connected to water and sewer and used by the primary resident owner.  Said occupant must be a family member of the owner of the property. Failure to comply with this section will result in a disconnection of water and sewer from the primary residence with a reconnect fee imposed and collected prior to reconnecting of the water and sewer.

(b)   No business building shall be allowed to supply water to another business building. No house shall be allowed to provide water to a business building. No business building shall be allowed to provide water to a house without separate meters being installed and measuring the amount of water used.

(c)   No mobile home shall be allowed to supply water to another mobile home, house or business building without separate meters being installed and measuring the amount of water used.

(Ord. 226; Code 2021)

(a)   The following are hereby established as the monthly meter rates and charges to be effective as of November 1, 2023, and each month thereafter, which the consumers of water living within the city limits of Buffalo, Kansas, shall pay for water furnished to said consumers of water by the water department in the City of Buffalo, Kansas:

(1)   All water consumed not in excess of ONE THOUSAND (1,000) gallons per month, minimum base rate charge of FORTY DOLLARS AND 75/100's ($40.75).

(2)   All water consumed in excess of ONE THOUSAND (1,000) gallons per month will be assessed at TWELVE DOLLARS AND NO/100’s ($12.00) per THOUSAND (1,000) gallons.

(b)   The following are hereby established as the monthly meter rates and charges to be effective as of November 1, 2023, and each month thereafter, which the consumers of water living outside the city limits of Buffalo, Kansas, shall pay for water furnished to said consumers of water by the water department in the City of Buffalo, Kansas:

(1)   All water consumed not in excess of ONE THOUSAND (1,000) gallons per month, minimum base rate charge of FIFTY DOLLARS AND 75/100’s ($55.75).

(2)   All water consumed in excess of ONE THOUSAND (1,000) gallons per month, will be assessed at TWELVE DOLLARS AND NO/100’s ($12.00) per THOUSAND (1,000) gallons.

(Ord. 121; Ord. 226K; Ord. 226M; Code 2021; Ord. 226N)

That all bills for water used by regular consumers shall be due on the first day of the month following the use thereof, and if not paid on or before the 24th day of such month, a penalty of TEN PERCENT (10%) shall be added and collected by the City Clerk for such failure.

(Ord. 226L; Code 2021)

Any person, firm, or corporation desiring a supply of water to be furnished by the City of Buffalo, Kansas, shall make application therefor to the Clerk of said City and shall deposit with the Clerk the sum of ONE HUNDERED FIFTY DOLLARS ($150.00) as a meter deposit, which sum shall be returned, with accrued interest when service has been paid consecutively in a 12-month period on or before the due date, or service has been discontinued and all bills are paid in full. In lieu of a cash deposit as required herein the applicant may furnish a letter or written statement of satisfactory payment signed by an authorized representative of another business or public utility company approved by the city clerk, showing satisfactory payment by the applicant on or before the due date for 12 consecutive months immediately preceding the submission of an application for water service as provided herein.

(Ord. 226G; Code 2021)

If any water bills are not paid within TEN (10) days after the same become due and payable, the water will be turned off pursuant to Article 1 and a service charge of FORTY DOLLARS ($40.00) to restore water service during normal office hours, or SIXTY DOLLARS ($60.00) to restore water service after normal office hours, and all arrearages, must be paid before the water will be turned on or restored.

(Ord. 226F; Code 2021)

No person except the Superintendent, his assistant or a city approved insured contractor will be permitted to tap water main, laterals or distributing pipes. The city fee for tapping and bringing water to stop box shall be FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS ($400.00) plus the cost of the insured contractor (if used), materials furnished, labor performed, and all associated expenses and project costs, including city inspection fee of $20. Said costs to be paid by the property owner shall include all contractor fees, cost of materials, labor, boring, and project bonding, if needed. A cash amount sufficient to pay all of said costs shall be paid and deposited with the city clerk in advance of all work.

(Ord. 226K; Code 2021)

As to all consumers of water living outside the City limits of Buffalo, Kansas, the City of Buffalo, Kansas, shall be responsible for providing water lines to the City limits and a water meter at the City limits where the same will be metered and all consumption will be based upon this meter reading. Consumers living outside the City limits of Buffalo, Kansas, shall be responsible for the repair and maintenance of all water lines from the meter installed by the City of Buffalo, Kansas, at the City limits to the place of service to such consumers.

(Ord. 121; Ord. 226; Code 2021)

(a)   No persons, company, corporation, or institution shall establish or permit to be established or maintain or permit to be maintained, any connection whereby a private, auxiliary, or emergency water supply other than the regular public water supply and distributing system of the city unless specifically approved by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the governing body.

(b)   Approved devices to protect against backflow or backsiphonage shall be installed at all fixtures and equipment where backflow and/or backsiphonage may occur and where there is a hazard to the public water supply in that polluted water or other contaminating materials may enter into the public water supply. Approved backflow preventer valves and systems shall be installed as determined by the assigned individual.

(c)   The assigned individual 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 contamination of the water supply of the city.

(d)   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 its may continue to refuse the delivery of water to the premises until that condition is remedied. In addition, the assigned city official may terminate water service to any property where the cross connection, backsiphonage, or back pressure conditions creates, in the judgement of the assigned individual, an emergency danger of contamination of the public water supply.

(Ord. 235; Code 2021)