Ch. 93                                    LAWS OF MARYLAND

ready-to-serve charge and the amount of water used. Bills for
water and sewer charges shall be sent quarterly or semiannually
as the board may determine to each property served and shall be
payable at the office of the board or such other place as the
board may designate. Such charges shall be a lien upon the
property served and collectible as elsewhere herein provided. If
any bill remains unpaid after thirty (30) days from date of
sending, the board, after written notice left upon the premises
or mailed to the last known address of the owner, shall turn off
the water from the property in question; and the water shall not
be turned on again until the bill has been paid, including a
penalty of ten dollars $10.00.

(2)  A charge for the upkeep of water and sewer
systems against all properties benefited by ANY such [drainage]
system or having a connection with any water main or sewer under
its operation or ownership. The charge for the upkeep of the
water and sewer system, if any, shall be made upon such
reasonable basis as the board may determine and shall be
collected annually in the same manner as are front foot benefit
assessments against all property BENEFITED BY OR having a
connection [within] WITH a water main or sewer under the
operation or ownership of the county and shall be a lien against
the property. Such charges shall be based upon such
classifications as the board from time to time may establish and
shall be uniform throughout each system within each
classification; provided, however, that no charge for the upkeep
of water and sewer systems shall be made against any property in
any year for which such property is currently subject to a front
foot benefit assessment as elsewhere in this chapter provided.

(3)  BEFORE ANY SEWER OR WATER SYSTEM IS ADDED TO A
CONSOLIDATED SYSTEM FOR EITHER SEWER OR WATER RATES, THE BOARD OF
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF FREDERICK COUNTY SHALL CONDUCT A DULY
ADVERTISED PUBLIC HEARING ON THE SUBJECT. A CONSOLIDATED SYSTEM
IS AN ARRANGEMENT IN WHICH A SEWER AND WATER SYSTEM OR ANY
COMBINATIONS THEREOF ARE COMBINED AS ONE UNIT FOR THE
ESTABLISHMENT OF UNIFORM RATES.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall
take effect July 1, 1987.

Approved April 14, 1987.

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