(A) Applications:
1. Contents: Each applicant for water service shall be required to sign, on a form provided by the water department, an application which shall set forth:
(a) Date.
(b) Location of premises to be served, giving street address and description of property to be served.
(c) The name and mailing address of the legal owner of the premises.
(d) Purpose for which the property will be used (residential, commercial, apartments, etc.).
(e) Person and address to which the monthly bills are to be mailed.
(f) The date the applicant will be ready for water service.
(g) The name of the contracting or plumbing agency that will be hooking the premises to the city water system (new connections).
(h) The applicant must be the legal owner of the property.
2. Purpose: The application is merely a written request for service and does not bind the applicant to take service for any period of time, nor does it bind the city to serve except under reasonable conditions.
3. Responsibility: The city shall bill the monthly service charge according to the instructions in the application. The legal owner of the premises may request termination of the water service. The legal owner is responsible for the payment of all water charges at the premises for which an application is made.
(B) Change In Customer's Equipment Or Operations: The property owner making any change in the size, character or extent of the equipment or operations for which the service is utilized shall immediately file with the water department a new application for additional service.
(C) Individual Service And Shutoff: Each residence shall have an individual service and shutoff, whether the homes are constructed on the same lot or not.
Existing residences wherein more than one are served by a single service shall be allowed to continue as long as all bills for water service are kept current and so long as all rules are abided by. The water department may, at its own discretion and at any time the above conditions are violated, decline to furnish water until separate services are provided. In all cases where water has been supplied to several parties or tenants from connection with supply controlled by one valve, the water department has contracted with one of the several parties and upon his or their failure to abide by the said rules and regulations the water may be shut off.
Billings for commercial accounts shall be based on individual services and shut off whether or not there are several separate commercial users of said service. One billing shall be made to the property owner.
(D) Alterations, Extensions: No person shall make any alterations or extensions in any water pipe or fixture except in compliance with the provisions of this code.
(E) Service Lines: Service lines shall be placed in a covered trench with at least forty two inches' (42") cover over the pipe.
(F) Master House Or Building Valve: Every building or premises served by a water service line shall have a master house or building valve installed at the expense of the owner, in addition to the city valve, so that the occupant or owner can shut off the water supply to the building or premises without using the city valve or requiring the city water department to close any city or other valves to permit repairs or to shut off the water to the property for any purpose. The property owner's shutoff valve shall be located inside the structure located upon his property.
(G) Authorized Personnel: No person, other than authorized city personnel, shall open, close, operate, tamper with, tap or connect into any city valve or any city mains, pipes, laterals, hydrants or other valves or pipes owned or controlled by the city or used by the city in connection with the municipal waterworks, unless authorized by the director.
(H) Application: Application hereunder may be made by any owner of property to be served, or such owner's duly authorized agent.
(I) Connection Fees: Except as herein provided, subdividers and developers who install complete water facilities including service connections to individual services in their developments as provided in this code, are exempt from the connection fees when these facilities are acceptably installed solely at the expense of the subdivider or developer. The normal connection charge will be paid prior to the issuance of grading and/or building permits.
(J) Water Charge: The water charge begins when a service connection is installed unless the water is ordered to be left shut off when the service connection is ordered to be installed. Before water is turned on by the water department for any purpose whatever, the property owner must sign a form in which he guarantees payment of future water bills for the service required. The person signing the guarantee form will be held liable for water used until the board is notified in writing to discontinue service or to transfer the account to another property owner.
(K) Water Used Without Water Service Application Being Made: A person taking possession of premises and using water from an active service connection without having made application to the water department for water service, shall be held liable for the water delivered from the date of the last recorded billing. If proper application for water service is not made, upon written notification to do so by the water department, and if accumulated bills for service are not paid within two (2) days from the written notification, the service may be discontinued by the water department without further notice.
(L) Damages Through Leaking Pipes And Fixtures: When turning on the water supply as requested and the house or property is vacant, the water department will endeavor to ascertain if water is running on the inside of the building. If such is found to be the case, the water will be left shut off at the curb stop. The board's jurisdiction and responsibility ends at the property line and the board will in no case be liable for damages occasioned by water running from open or faulty fixtures, or from broken or damaged pipes inside the property lines. (Ord. 219, 10-11-2006)