Town Board of Mount Summit introduces ordinance requiring customer shutoff valves and $25 reconnection fee

The Town Board of Mount Summit, Indiana, introduced an ordinance requiring every dwelling served by the Mount Summit Water Utility to have a functioning customer-side shutoff valve and establishing a $25 reconnection fee for service disconnected for nonpayment, rule violations or other lawful reasons, the board heard.

The presiding officer read the ordinance text, which states: "Every dwelling or residential structure receiving water service from the town of Mount Summit Water Utility shall have a functioning customer side shutoff valve installed on [the] service line within the residential structure located as near as reasonably practical to the point where the water service line enters the building." The ordinance says the requirement is intended to promote safe maintenance, protect the public water system, reduce service interruptions and fairly allocate the cost of disconnection and reconnection.

Under the proposal, property owners would bear sole responsibility and expense for installing, repairing, replacing and maintaining the customer-side shutoff valve and all customer-side plumbing; the town would have no obligation to install or replace valves located beyond the utility side of the meter or service connection. The ordinance also makes the existence of a functioning customer-side shutoff valve a condition of new service, transfer service or major plumbing repairs affecting the service line. If a required valve is missing or nonfunctional the utility may require correction within 30 days before initiating, restoring or continuing service.

The ordinance sets a $25 reconnection fee and specifies that service will not be restored until delinquent charges, penalties and other amounts due have been paid or otherwise resolved. Reconnection work is to be performed during regular business hours unless otherwise required by law; requests made outside business hours may be completed the next business day subject to staffing and operational needs. The water utility and its authorized personnel may adopt reasonable administrative procedures and forms to implement the requirements.

The presiding officer indicated the ordinance will take effect after adoption and any publication steps required by Indiana law. The board did not take a final vote during the session; the presiding officer later said final passage would be done next month, though an earlier exchange in the meeting referenced "next week," creating inconsistent timing in the record.

Next steps: the board scheduled final consideration at a future meeting; no formal vote or amendment was recorded in the transcript.