To maintain, operate, and preserve the reservoirs, ditches, drains, dams, levies, canals, sewers, pumping stations, treatment and disposal works, or other properties or improvements acquired or made pursuant to this chapter, to strengthen, repair, and restore the same, when needed, and to defray the current expenses of the conservancy district, the board of directors of the district may, upon the substantial completion of the improvements and on or before the thirtieth day of September in each year thereafter, levy an assessment upon each tract or parcel of land and upon each public corporation within the district, subject to assessments under this chapter, to be known as a conservancy maintenance assessment. No assessment shall be made with respect to works and improvements acquired or constructed for the purpose of providing a water supply for domestic, industrial, and public use within the district, when the water supply can be metered or measured when furnished to persons or public corporations. If the district, for the benefit of one or more persons or political subdivisions, provides a water supply that recharges underground aquifers and thereby replenishes wells or provides a source of water for new wells, or increases the natural low flow of a stream used for water supply, or creates an impoundment, in such a way that the augmented use of water cannot be metered or measured for individual or public consumption, the board may make a maintenance assessment against benefited property and public corporations in the same manner provided in this section for maintenance of other properties or improvements.

The maintenance assessment shall be apportioned upon the basis of the total appraisal of benefits accruing for original and subsequent construction, shall not exceed one per cent of the total appraisal of benefits in any one year unless the court by its order authorizes an assessment of a larger percentage, shall not be less than two dollars, and shall be certified to the county auditor of each county in which lands of the district are located in the conservancy assessment record but in a separate column in like manner and at the same time as the annual installment of the assessment levied under section 6101.48 of the Revised Code is certified, under the heading maintenance assessment. The auditor shall certify the same to the county treasurer of the county at the same time that the auditor certifies the annual installment of the assessments levied under that section, and the sum of the levies for any tract or public corporation may be certified as a single item. The treasurer shall demand and collect the maintenance assessment and make return of it, and shall be liable for the same penalties for failure to do so as are provided for the annual installment of the assessment levied under section 6101.48 of the Revised Code.

The amount of the maintenance assessment paid by any parcel of land or public corporation shall not be credited against the benefits assessed against the parcel of land or public corporation, but the maintenance assessment shall be in addition to any assessment that has been or can be levied under section 6101.48 of the Revised Code.

To maintain, operate, and preserve the works and improvements of the district acquired or constructed for the purpose of providing a water supply, to strengthen, repair, and restore the same, and to defray the current expenses of the district for this purpose, the board may impose rates for the sale of water to public corporations and persons within the district. The rates to be charged for the water shall be fixed and adjusted by the board at intervals of not less than one year, so that the income thus produced will be adequate to provide a maintenance fund for the purpose of water supply. Contracts for supplying water to public corporations and persons shall be entered into before the service is rendered by the district. Contracts shall specify the maximum quantity of water to be furnished to the public corporation or person, and the quantity shall be fixed so as equitably to distribute the supply. Preference shall be given to water supply furnished to public corporations for domestic and public uses. Bills for water supplied to public corporations shall be rendered at regular intervals and shall be payable from the waterworks fund of the public corporation or, if it is not sufficient, from the general fund.

Effective Date: 09-21-2000; 2008 HB562 09-22-2008 .