I. GENERAL STATEMENT: This policy shall be governing guidelines in determining, apprehending and penalizing illegal connections, water meter tampering and other water stealing.
II. DEFENITION OF TERMS:
1. Illegal Connections – Water connections which are not legally registered with the Water District connection with faucet or by –pass line installed between the WD mainline and water meter.
2. Water Meter Tampering – unauthorized manipulation of the water meter for the purpose of stealing water. The offense also includes placing magnets, placing foreign objects inside the meter inverting the position of the meter, breaking water meters: all for the purpose of slowing down the meter registry eventually lessen water consumption.
3. Penalties – the amount slapped on offenders, illegal connections, water tampering & other water stealing.
4. CWD – CANDELARIA WATER DISTRICT
5. Incentives – the amount given to the apprehending person/team
III. DETERMINATION OF OFFENSES:
a. Any consumer who has a connection with CWD water system but is not registered as a concessionaire shall be considered as illegal connector. This also includes those with faucet or by-pass line installed between the tapping point and water meter.
b. Any consumer with registered connection who is found to have manipulated his water meter, inverted its position thereby reversing the reading, placing magnets or foreign object inside or outside the meter to slow down or to stop the registering of the flow shall be charges with tampering water meter.
IV. PENALTIES/FINES:
1. For offenders, Section 31 PD 198 has set of imprisonment of six (6) month to six (6) years or fine ranging from TWO THOUSANDPESOS (P2000.00) to SIX THOUSAND PESOS (P6000.00) or both, if convicted.
2. After thorough investigation, offender’s connection will be immediately disconnected. Offender is given fifteen (15) calendar days to make settlement of the offense in the office. After this period natter will be referred to the WD legal counsel for legal action.
For the first offense, settlement and penalties shall be computed based on the following:
i. For water tampering
A fine of P2,000.00 for domestic and P4,000.00 for commercial plus consumption. Computation of consumption for all types/categories of connection shall be based on the average consumption for three (3) months period prior to the dare of committal of the offense times the number of months offense was committed.
ii. The cost of the water meter which was damaged as a result of the tampering shall be paid for by the offender. The replacement cost will be based on the current market price of such meter.
iii. For the second and succeeding offenses, the case will be referred to the legal counsel for proper legal action.
iv. For flying/sub connection:
Penalties shall be computed as the illegal connection.
V. INCENTIVES
In order to Implements this policy effectively, the apprehending team including the informer must be rewarded. Total incentives will be thirty percent (30%) of penalties. Thus, distribution of penalties will be as follows.
% OF PENALTIES
For CWD 70%
For apprehending team 20%
For informer 10%
TOTAL 100%
The payment of incentives to the apprehending team and informer will be made after payment of full amount of penalties.
* “These policies are subject to change at the discretion of CWD and the PRU, including penalties stated in this service contract for any violations are immediately in effect, unless any of this or all of these contradict any existing laws.”
