A. It is the intent of the city that all utility deliveries, whether water, sewer, garbage or some combination thereof, shall be deliveries of services and/or utilities to the property served. All such delivery of utilities and/or services shall be a claim against the property and a claim against the owner of that property served/or furnished utilities and/or services. It shall be the responsibility of each property owner served by city utilities to determine the extent of utility services and deliveries being made and/or furnished to the owner's property. It shall be the responsibility of the property owner to pay all claims, charges, penalties and/or costs imposed by the city for the furnishing and/or delivery of utilities and/or services to the owner's property. The property owner's responsibility shall exist independent of any claim of lien the city may have or make pursuant to any statute, rule or regulation. The fact the owner has directed or allowed the billings for utilities furnished and/or services delivered to the owner's property to be delivered to a tenant or other third person does not in any way reduce or extinguish the property owner's responsibility for water, sewer and/or garbage billings, charges, costs or penalties imposed by the city. All delinquent charges for water, sewer, garbage or some combination thereof, shall bear interest at the maximum rate allowed by law.

B. All applications for residential sewer service shall be made by the property owner of the property to be delivered water service, and responsibility for billing payment shall be borne by the property owner. All charges for sewer service will be sent directly to the property address unless the property owner directs otherwise. No charge will be made for meter reading for closing accounts, except as provided in this chapter.

C. Application for industrial and commercial sewer service may be by the property owner, lessee or other consumer. However, a deposit, as set by resolution of the City Council, may be required. Industrial and commercial users shall screen all septage through a three-eighths-inch (3/8") screen or smaller prior to acceptance of any sewage by the city waste water treatment facility.

D. Upon a failure to pay the charges for sewer service, the amount thereof shall become a lien against the real property furnished the service as provided by law.

E. The city of George is a combined utility system. All billings to a property for utility services are combined utility billings. To the fullest extent permitted by law, all payments received from a customer for utility services shall be credited first to garbage charges, if any, next to sewer charges, if any, and last to water charges, if any. [Ord. 2022-02 § 9, June 2022; Ord. 1997-10, August 1997.]