N.Y. SCC Law § 94

§ 94. Water works. In case the city owns and operates a system of\nmunicipal water works, the commissioner of public works shall appoint,\nto hold office during his pleasure, a superintendent of water works, who\nshall have, under the direction of the commissioner, the supervision,\ncare, management and control of the water department and water-works\nsystem of the city. It shall be the duty of the commissioner of public\nworks to see that the city has an abundant supply of pure and wholesome\nwater for public and private use; to devise plans and sources of water\nsupply; to plan and supervise the construction, maintenance and\nextension of the water system and the distribution of water throughout\nthe city; to protect it from contamination; to prescribe rules and\nregulations for its use, which, when ratified and approved by the common\ncouncil, shall have the same force and effect as city ordinances. He\nshall have power, with the assent of the board of estimate and\napportionment, to establish rates of rents to be charged and paid\nannually for the supply of water or for the benefits resulting\ntherefrom, to be called water rents, which shall be apportioned to the\ndifferent classes of buildings in the city in reference to their\ndimensions and the ordinary uses of water for the same, and to different\nlots, as may be practicable, and from time to time to modify and amend,\nincrease or diminish such rates and to extend them to other descriptions\nof buildings, lots, establishments and uses. He shall also have power,\nwith like assent, to establish rates for the use of water in buildings,\nestablishments, trades and other purposes in or for which water is\nconsumed beyond the quantity required for ordinary purposes, and may\nrequire the same paid to him in advance, at the rates thus established,\nbefore permission to use such extra quantity of water shall be given.\n