HARRY HUGHES, Governor

3113

it shall have the same power and authority over such water
connections made outside the district as it has within the
district, and providing further that if the commission shall
at any time use the waters of the Patuxent River at or above
the Town of Laurel for the purpose of furnishing additional
water supply to its consumers, it shall as a condition to
the right to use such waters furnish to the mayor and city
council of Laurel for the use of its water supply such water
from the Patuxent River supply as [said] THE mayor and city
council of Laurel may desire at the actual cost of supplying
such water to the water mains of the town which may be
constructed for such purposes by the mayor and city council
of Laurel to the nearest convenient point to the Patuxent
water supply of [said] THE commission, [said] THE point of
connection between the commission main and the town main to
be at or near the dam of [said] THE commission.

(b)  The rate for service, except as herein provided,
shall consist of a minimum or a 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 the meter during the period between the last two
readings, [said] THE meter being required to be placed on
each water connection, by, and at the sole expense of the
commission. The commission may, however, provide for the
billing and collection of the water and sewer usage charges
on an estimated basis for periods of six months or less, but
in such cases it shall require that the meters be read every
six months and that the final bill for such six month period
be based on actual consumption adjusted by the previous
estimates. The commission may further provide that the
minimum or ready to serve charge, hereinabove provided for,
includes a specified minimum number of gallons of water
without additional service charges therefor, the minimum
figure varying with the size of the meter involved. Bills
for the amount of the charges as above specified shall be
sent monthly, 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 shall remain unpaid after 30 days from date of
sending the commission shall after written notice, to be
left upon the premises or mailed to the last known address
of the owner, turn off the water from the property in
question and it shall not be turned on again until [said]
THE bill, together with late payment penalty charges as
authorized by law and the cost incurred in shutting off and
restoring the water supply, shall have been paid. If any
bill shall remain unpaid for 60 days after being sent out by
the commission it shall be collectible against the owner of
the property served, in the same manner as other debts are
collectible in the respective counties.

(c)  From and after June 1, 1957, if any bill for water
and sewer usage charges sent out in regular course by the
Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission shall remain unpaid
after 30 days from the date of sending, if for a service