For all single-family residences, duplexes, triplexes, apartment buildings, condominiums, trailer courts or other multiple dwellings, and for all commercial accounts, utility service costs for water, sewer and garbage, and the bus tax imposed by Ordinance M-1070, shall be billed and mailed to the property’s owner or to an agent whom the owner has in writing authorized the city to bill. Property owners shall be held fully responsible for any loss to any owner occurring through an owner’s agent failing to pay charges or through any tenant or tenants moving out without having paid the owner the charges due from him to the city.

Pursuant to RCW Chapter 35.21, charges for water and/or sewer service shall become a lien upon the property as soon as such charges have become overdue and shall remain as a lien against the property until paid and shall be enforced by discontinuance of water service until delinquent charges have been paid.

Owners desiring to terminate water service for any reason shall give written or personal notice at the office of the Department of Public Works at least two days before the date on which they desire water to be shut off. The Department of Public Works may also permit telephone notice under rules to be adopted by such department. The property owner shall be held responsible for any and all water and sewer service or other charges accruing until the expiration of two days after such notice is given unless service is actually discontinued prior to that time.

If the city at the request of any property owner removes any meter, the department shall not replace or reinstate the same without making a charge for the work according to the schedule in force therefore, except as otherwise provided in Section 14.04.180 of this title.

For every requested transfer of service from one name to another, whether resulting from sale or transfer of the property, change in tenancy or other cause, there shall be charged a fee of seven dollars and fifty cents ($7.50). For additional meter readings not related to a sale or transfer of the property, there shall be a charge of seven dollars and fifty cents ($7.50) for the first such read, and a charge of twenty five ($25) dollars for each additional read. (Ord. M-1655 § 1, 1976: Ord. M-1588 § 3, 1975; Ord. M-4022 § 55, 09/10/2012; Ord. M-3755 § 20, 08/28/2006)