Rules and Regulations

Meter Reading, Billing, Collections

Meters will be read and bills rendered monthly, but HWA reserves the right to vary the dates or length of period covered, temporarily or permanently if necessary or desirable.

Bills for water will be figured in accordance with the HWA's water rate schedule and will be based on the amount consumed for a period covered by the meter reading, except where a customer orders turn-on, the minimum bill to such period shall be equal to the minimum charge for one full month's service.

Charge for service commences when meter is installed, whether used or not.

Reading from different meters will not be combined for billing, irrespective of the fact that said meters may be for the same or different premises, or the same or different customer's or for the same or different services.

Bills are mailed the last business day of each month with the payment due by the 15th of the following month. If the 15th falls on the week-end or holiday, payment must be received in the office the last business day prior to the 15th to avoid a 10% penalty on the net bill amount.

All bills not paid on or before the past due date shall be termed delinquent and service on the account may be discontinued without further notice. Notice of this rule is printed on the water bill.

Failure to receive bills or notices shall not prevent such bills from becoming delinquent nor relieve the customer from payment. The water company is not responsible for postal mail delivery.

All delinquent bills shall be held as a lien against the property served.

Leak Adjustments

The Hecla Water Association provides assistance for the high cost of water lost to a leak. Eligible customers are automatically enrolled into the Leak Protection Program. A $2.00 fee will be placed on your monthly bill to reflect coverage. This fee allows you up to $2,500 in coverage for lost water due to an eligible leak. The service can be used one time in a twelve month period. You will only be responsible for your average bill, and in the rare case, any amount over $2,500. This program is not mandatory. To decline coverage, call Hecla ServLine at 1-740-237-3488. Please remember that there is no other leak adjustment policy offered. You will be responsible for all lost water if not enrolled. The program covers an eligible leak for a two month billing cycle. There will be no adjustments for water used for irrigation, pools, or fraud.

Suspension of Service

Service discontinued for non-payment of bills will be restored only after bills are paid in full, and a service charge paid for each meter reconnected.

HWA reserves the right to discontinue its service without notice for the following additional reasons:

• To prevent fraud or abuse, including two residences on one meter.
• Consumer's willful disregard of HWA's rules.
• Emergency repairs.
• Insufficiency of supply due to circumstances beyond HWA's control Legal process.
• Director of public authorities.
• Strike, riot, fire, flood, accident or any unavoidable cause.

Meter Tampering

Tampering with a meter in any way will result in the meter being pulled from service.

A fee of $100 will be charged to the account. In addition to the fine, any water used will be charged as well as any Hecla Water property. These charges must be paid before service can be restored.

HWA may, in addition to prosecution by law, permanently refuse service to any customer who tampers with a meter or other measuring devices.

Hydrants

All maintenance shall be performed or approved by HWA. Cost of said maintenance shall be billed to the township, or village in which the hydrants are located, unless otherwise approved in writing by the board of directors.

No person shall, except in time of fire, open or connect to any hydrant of HWA, nor draw water therefrom except as approved by HWA.

No person shall obstruct or in any way prevent or interfere with continuous free access to any hydrant except by written permission of HWA.

Any person violating any provision of these Rules and Regulations shall be liable to a fine to be paid upon conviction of such violation, as provided by law.

Complaints, Adjustments

If a customer believes the bill to be in error, he or she shall present his or her claim, in person or in writing to the office of HWA before the bill becomes delinquent. Such claim if made after the bill has become delinquent shall not be effective in preventing discontinuance of service, as hereto provided. The customer may pay such bill under a protest and said payment shall not prejudice his or her claim.

Upon written request of any customer, the meter serving said customer shall be tested by HWA. Such test will be made without charge to the customer if the meter proves to be greater than 2% fast. Otherwise, a charge will be made if the test indicates meter accuracy within the 2% limit or less. The customer may be required to witness the test. The charge is for residential size meters. Larger meters will be tested on a cost plus basis and charged if the meter proves not to be fast by more than 2%.

HWA will make special meter readings at the request of the customer for a fee, provided, however, that if such special reading discloses that the meter was over-read, no charge will be made.

Abridgement or Modification of Rules

No promise, agreement or representation of any employee of HWA shall be binding upon HWA except as it shall have been agreed upon in writing, signed and accepted by the officers of HWA.

No modification of rates or any of the Rules and Regulations shall be made by any agent of HWA.

These Rules and Regulations may be modified or amended at any time by HWA and thereupon be binding upon all customers.

Other Information

Water Conservation Notices

In the event a critical resource shortage exists, the HWA board of directors have adopted a water management plan.

Stage 1 - When moderate but limited supplies of water are available, HWA shall call upon the general population to employ prudent restraint in water usage, and to conserve water voluntarily by whatever methods available. At that time, there will be temporary hold on the purchasing of water taps.

Stage 2 - When very limited supplies of water are available, HWA shall order curtailment of less essential usage of water, including, but not limited to, one or more of the following: 1.) The watering of any vegetation; trees, grass, plants 2.) The washing of vehicles or any mobile equipment. 3.) The washing of driveways, parking lots, office buildings, or other outdoor surfaces. 4.) The operation of any ornamental structure making a use of water. 5.) The filing of swimming pools/and or wading pools, or the refilling of said pools after the effective date of order. 6.) The use of water from fire hydrants for any purpose other than filling fire trucks. 7.) The serving of drinking water in eating establishments, unless requested by the individual; as
well as a freeze on water hook-ups or new water taps sold.

Stage 3 - When critically limited supplies of water are available, HWA shall institute mandatory restrictions on each customer as follows: 1.) Industrial, institutional, commercial, governmental, wholesale and all other non-residential customers shall be allotted a percentage reduction of water based on that customer's average monthly consumption. 2.) Individual residential customers shall be limited to a specific amount or percentage of water per billing period. In the event any customer exceeds the maximum allotted monthly water usage, said customer shall be charged and shall pay $10.00 (ten dollars) for every one thousand (1,000) gallon consumed above the allotted amount.

Stage 4 - When only crucial supplies of water are available, HWA, by regulation and order, restrict the use of water to purposes which are absolutely essential to life, health and safety. In the event any customer exceeds the maximum allotted water usage imposed, said customer shall be charged
and shall pay $10.00 (ten dollars) for every one thousand (1,000) gallon of water consumed above the allotted amount; and upon conviction of any person in violation, shall upon conviction thereof, be subject to a fine of not less than $100.00 (one hundred dollars), nor more than $1,000 (one thousand dollars). Each act or each day's consumption in violation shall be considered a separate offense. In addition, HWA may suspend water service to any person violating the provisions of this resolution on more than one occasion, regardless of whether such person had been previously convicted of such offense. If such water service is so terminated, no service shall be restored until such time that all fines, fees and penalties
imposed under this regulation have been paid in full. Additionally, no service shall be restored until such times that a reconnection fee has been paid in full.

Whenever HWA shall promulgate regulations and issue orders directing restriction or curtailment of the use of water as provided herein or shall seek suspension of water service as a result of a violation, the subject of the order or suspension shall have the right to appeal the decision of HWA. The board may appoint a temporary board of appeals to grant a reasonable opportunity to present, in writing or in person, an argument against such decision.

Call Before You Dig - It's an Ohio State Law!
Ohio Revised Code - Section 3781.28
1-800-362-2764

Call the Ohio Utilities Protection Service (OUPS) two (2) working days before you dig. An order for a line locate will be faxed to the Hecla Water Office and an HWA service person will locate the line to prevent any accidental breaks in the water line.

Don't take a chance by guessing where you think the water line is located. Not calling the OUPS phone number before digging up a water line will result in an unnecessary break leaving residents of that area without water service while it is repaired.

The cost of any repairs of water line breaks will be charges to the party responsible for digging up the line, without a prior request for a water line locate.

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