Title
Amending Title 13 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Water and Sewer," to revise certain provisions of Section 13-901 to impose restrictions on the termination of service.
Body
WHEREAS, the City Council of Philadelphia recognizes the fundamental right of all Philadelphians to access safe and affordable water and wastewater services; and
WHEREAS, during the winter months, colds, flus and other respiratory illnesses are more common and people remain indoors more often during the winter months, allowing viruses to pass more easily from person to person; and
WHEREAS, access to running water during the winter is fundamentally a matter of public health, due to the heightened risk of infectious illness and the increased need to maintain basic sanitation within the home; and
WHEREAS, the Philadelphia Water Department has acknowledged the risk of frozen water pipes during the cold weather season and advises the public to allow water to run overnight during extremely cold weather in order to prevent frozen pipes and the need for expensive plumbing repairs; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of Philadelphian desires to provide for a moratorium on the termination of water and wastewater service during the winter months; now, therefore,
THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA HEREBY ORDAINS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 13-900 of The Philadelphia Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
CHAPTER 13-900. TERMINATION OF WATER AND SEWER SERVICE.
? 13-901. Termination Restrictions.
(1) The Water Department shall not itself, nor by contract, terminate the water and sewer service of any residential property on any of the following days of the week for failure to pay for such service: Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, legal holidays or any day immediately preceding a legal holiday. This Section is not intended to prohibit the Water Department from otherwise engaging in collection activity on such days nor to apply to the termination of service otherwise permitted by this Title.
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