Section 602.10  Applicability

This Part applies to any public utility, as defined in Section 3-105 of the Public Utilities Act [220 ILCS 5/3-105], that provides water service or disposal of sewage.

Section 602.20  Definitions

"Act" means the Public Utilities Act [220 ILCS 5].

"Office of the public utility" means and includes only those offices maintained by the public utility for the purpose of the public transacting business with the public utility.  It does not mean or include places of business maintained primarily for another purpose, such as stores, banks, offices or organizations other than the public utility, where arrangements may have been made for the receipt of payments of bills due to the public utility or for the receipt of requests for service or for the transaction of other incidental business relating to the public utility, and it does not include a public utility office maintained primarily for operation purposes or rendering utility services to the public.

"Subcontractor" means any contractor, subcontractor, agent, individual or other entity that provide a services under contract or other payment arrangement to a public utility for the performance of services related to the physical infrastructure of the public water or sewer utility.  Employees of the public utility are not subcontractors.  For purposes of this Part, "subcontractor" excludes any contractor, subcontractor, agent, individual or other entity that makes contact with the customer by telephone, in writing, or through any means other than by personal contact.

Section 602.30  Notice to Customers

Notice to customers of the obligations of subcontractors for presenting proper identification when contacting customers.

a)         Notice to the public.  The public utility shall post in two public and conspicuous places in each office of the public utility a notice not less than seven by ten inches in size printed in black on a white background, reading substantially as follows:

PUBLIC NOTICE

No subcontractor of this public utility is authorized to contact any customer for the purpose of soliciting or receiving payment of any kind for any service provided by this utility.  Employees of this utility shall carry proper identification and unilaterally present such identification to each customer when initiating contact with that customer.  While subcontractors are not authorized to contact customers to solicit payment for services, whenever a subcontractor contacts a customer for any other purpose, the subcontractor is required to carry proper identification and unilaterally to present that identification to customers.

An employee of this public utility will assist any person that has questions about this notice.

b)         Written notice

1)         By March 1 of each year, each water or sewer public utility shall provide written notice of required identification of subcontractors and utility employees to each of its customers.  This written notice may be included with the customer's billing for utility services.  The written notice shall detail the information to be contained in the identification of each employee of the water or sewer public utility that is authorized to contact customers for the purpose of soliciting or accepting payment for services provided.  The written notice shall detail the information to be contained in the identification of subcontractors and further notify customers that subcontractors are not authorized to contact customers for the purpose of soliciting or accepting payment for services that are provided by the utility.  The written notice shall also inform the customers that notice is posted in the utility's office and that an employee of the public utility is available for assisting customers in understanding the contents of the notice.

2)         At the time each new customer is accepted for service, the utility shall provide the customer written notice of required identification of employees of the public utility and subcontractors.  This written notice shall contain the information that is required by subsection (b)(1).

Section 602.40  Identification Requirements

Each public utility shall include in any contract or agreement with any subcontractor the requirement that any individual working on behalf of that subcontractor shall present picture identification when visiting a customer's home or place of business.  Upon arrival at a customer's home or place of business, any subcontractor performing work shall immediately show to the customer, if the customer is on the premises, identification that states the name of the individual performing the work and that contains the individual's picture.