Section 407-62-2 - General ProvisionsA.Applications for Service. An application for service may be made by either owner or occupant of the establishment to be served. If a new service connection or other work on the owner's premise is required, the owner must authorize the water company to enter the premises to do the necessary work.B.Advance Payment for Utility Jobbing. Whenever a water company agrees to do work outside the scope of regulated utility service for a customer at the customer's expense, the utility may require an advance payment equal to the utility's estimated cost of the work. At the completion of the work, any excess over the actual bill for services will be returned, and any amount due in excess of the advance payment will be payable.C.Service Pipei. A water company shall install, own and maintain the service drop portion of the service pipe, as described in and subject to the payment and other requirements of Chapter 65. The water company shall determine the size and location of its portion of the service pipe. The customer shall pay for, install, own and maintain the customer's portion of the service pipe. If a public way must be crossed by the customer's portion of the public way must be crossed by the customer's portion of the service pipe, the crossing must be approved by the company.ii. When a water company is requested by a customer to thaw a frozen service pipe and it cannot be determined whether it was frozen on the water company's portion of the pipe or the customer's portion, one half of the cost of thawing the pipe shall be borne by the water company.D.Temporary Servicei. If it is impractical for a water company to provide service directly to a customer, water may be furnished temporarily from an adjacent service if the water company and the owner of the adjacent service approve. The temporary service shall be at the expense of the customer requesting the service.ii. A water company shall have no obligation to make an investment to serve a temporary establishment. If however, service is installed at the customer's expense and water service is taken for the following five consecutive years after the initial provision of service, or if the factors causing the water company to believe that the establishment was temporary are removed, the establishment shall be considered permanent and the water company shall refund to the customer any expenses borne by him which would otherwise have been borne by the water company with interest compounded annually at a rate of 9.5% for private companies and 6% for quasi-municipal and municipal corporations.E.Summer Service Pipes and Maine. A water company shall be required to serve customers through summer service pipes and mains from May 1 to October 1. The water company may, however, elect to render service before May 1 or after October 1.F.Joint Use of Pipe Trench. A water company shall not place water mains or service pipe in the same trench with facilities of other utilities. If possible, a water utility shall provide a horizontal separation often feet between water mains or service pipe and facilities of other utilities.G.Abatement. If an establishment is to be vacated for a period of thirty days or more, a water company shall abate water charges if the customer notifies the utility in writing in advance of the vacancy and requests the utility to shut off service. If two or more customers are supplied by a single service, seals shall be placed upon the stop and waste valve or fixtures of the vacant establishment. The water company may file a tariff establishing a reasonable charge, based on its costs, for each resumption of customers subject to seasonal rates, or for partial vacancy or multiple units served through a single meter with a normal minimal charge for that size meter.H. If a customer so requests, a water company shall make a pro-rata reduction in the customer's rates if service is interrupted for longer than forty-eight hours if the interruption is not the customer's fault. The reduction shall be applied only to the minimum bill. The water company may make this adjustment on the next bill. Notice of any planned shut off shall be given to customers affected at least twenty-four hours in advance of the interruption of service. Notice of unplanned shut offs shall be given when practicable.I.Low Pressure Areas. A water company shall not extend its mains or render service to new customers in areas where substantially uniform system pressure at the connection of the water service to the main may be expected to fall below 20 p.s.i.g., except for periods of fire flow or system maintenance, unless a limited service contract is executed between the customer and the water company and approved by the Commission. If a customer within a utility's franchise area is willing to enter into a limited service contract, then the utility must provide service to him unless the Commission orders otherwise. The water company shall ensure that the limited service contract shall specify the materials and minimum size for the customer's portion of the service pipe. The limited service contract shall be made expressly subject to the authority of the Commission to require better service when, upon investigation, the Commission concludes that service should be improved. If the number of customers taking service under limited service contract exceeds one per cent of a water utility's total number of customers, the utility shall file a report with the Commission disclosing the number of limited service customers, their locations, and the reasons limited service for these customers appears warranted. The report shall also contain estimates of the cost of increasing pressures to these customers above 20 p.s.i.g. The Commission will review the report and may determine, after hearing, that either improved service or discounts for limited service should be ordered.
K.Conservation. A water company shall take all reasonable steps to prevent unnecessary waste of water. A water company shall not supply water at flat rates for any continuous flow device. If a company concludes that a customer charged at flat rates is unnecessarily wasting water, the water company may convert the customer's service to a metered basis. When necessary to conserve the water supply, a water company may restrict or prohibit the use of hoses or sprinklers for both flat rate and metered customers.65-407 C.M.R. ch. 62, § 2