Marvin Mandel, Governor                         597

of said system or systems, or facility or facilities, in part or as a
whole, as in its judgment may appear advisable. The contract shall
be let to the lowest responsible bidder, or the commission may
reject any and all bids, and, if in its discretion the prices quoted
are deemed unreasonable or unbalanced, it may readvertise the
work or any part of it or may do any part or all of the work by
day labor; provided that at any time the commission may, in its
discretion, expend for construction work, including day labor, ma-
terials and equipment, an amount not exceeding five thousand dol-
lars ($5,000.00) without advertising or receiving bids. All such
contracts shall be protected by such bonds, penalties and conditions
as the commission may require, all of which shall be enforced in any
court having jurisdiction.

663.

For the purpose of providing funds for maintenance, repairing
and operating its water [or] , sewerage or solid waste disposal
systems, and for its operation and other expenses, including proper
depreciation allowances, and for the repayment of advances au-
thorized by Section 649 (e) of this subtitle and for interest on, and
the retirement of bonds as specified in this subtitle, the commis-
sion is hereby empowered to make a ready-to-serve charge on water,
a charge for the operation of a solid waste disposal system, a charge
for the upkeep of sewers and a sewer service charge, all of such
charges being chargeable against all properties served by the solid
waste disposal system, or having a connection with any water pipe
or sewer pipe under its supervision or owned by the district. The
ready-to-serve charge for water, the charge for the operation of a
solid waste disposal system, charge for the upkeep on sewers and
charge for sewer service shall be uniform throughout a sanitary
district, subject to such changes from time to time as may be
necessary. The charge for the upkeep on sewers shall be reasonable
and collected annually in the same manner as benefit assessments
are collected and shall be a first lien against all property having
a connection with any sewer pipe under its supervision or owned
by the district. The rates for water service shall consist of a mini-
mum or ready-to-serve charge, which shall be based upon the size
of the meter on the water connection leading to the property, and
of a charge for water used, which shall be based upon the amount
of water passing through the meter during the period between the
last two readings, said meter being required to be placed on each
water connection by and at the sole expense of the commission. If
the commission at any time shall not have meters available to install
in all the properties in a given locality that are connected to the
system, then a flat rate shall be charged all properties in which
meters have not yet been installed, which rate shall be uniform
in each sanitary district and based upon the amount of water used.
Bills for the amount of the charges as above specified shall be sent
quarterly or semiannually, as the commission may determine, to
each property served, and shall be thereupon payable at the office
of the commission; and if any bill remains unpaid after thirty days
from date of sending, the commission shall, after written notice left
upon the premises or mailed to the last known address of the owner,
turn off water from the property in question, and the water shall
not be turned on again until said bill shall have been paid, including
a penalty of five dollars ($5.00). If any bill shall remain unpaid for