All water and sewer systems installed for any development shall be constructed in conformance to the city standard utility specifications set forth in this subchapter.
(A) General utility requirements.
(1) The developer shall be responsible for the design, construction and installation of water and sanitary sewer infrastructure required to serve the development including, but not limited to, the following:
(a) Phasing of development or improvements in order to maintain adequate water and wastewater services.
(b) Extensions of utility lines (including any necessary on-site and off-site lines) to connect to existing utility mains of adequate capacity.
(c) Providing and/or procuring all necessary easements for the utilities (whether on-site or off-site).
(d) Providing proof to the city of adequate water and wastewater service before final plans are accepted. A water and/or wastewater study, including:
1. Adequate engineering data to support all water demand projections;
2. Peak wet weather wastewater discharge including maximum expected infiltration and inflows along with a flow peaking factor;
3. An analysis of the existing system, owned and maintained by the city, for available capacity, shall be required for all industrial, commercial, institutional developments. Residential developments with five or more dwelling units shall also be required to provide a water and/or wastewater study. The water and wastewater study shall be performed and sealed by a licensed professional civil engineer licensed in the State of Texas.
(e) Providing for future expansion of the utilities if such will be needed to serve future developments, subject to the city's policies, if applicable.
(f) Providing all operations and maintenance of the private utilities, or providing proof that a separate entity will be responsible for the operations and maintenance of the utilities.
(g) Providing all fiscal security required for the construction of the utilities.
(h) Obtaining approvals from applicable utility providers if other than the city.
(i) Complying with all requirements of the utility providers, including the city.
(2) Extension of water and wastewater lines shall be made along the entire frontage of the subdivision adjacent to a street in rights-of-way or dedicated easements in accordance with the city's Water and Wastewater Master Plans.
(a) If the subdivision is not adjacent to a street, the extension of utilities shall be to the edge of the subdivision's perimeter property line adjoining any undeveloped property or accomplished in such a manner as to allow future connections to said utilities by new subdivisions.
(b) If new subdivisions are not likely to be developed beyond the proposed subdivision (due to physical constraints, service agreements, or watershed boundaries), the Director of Public Works may waive the requirement for adjacent utility line construction at the time of preliminary plat approval and prior to construction of the subdivision. Easements for future expansion may still be required.
(c) The city shall determine the location and routing of water and sewer extensions and shall retain the authority to reject any extension not deemed to be in the best interest of the city.
(3) All public water and sewer facilities shall be located in the public right-of-way where possible. When not in the right-of-way, the public facilities shall be located in a utility easement.
(4) Utility easements shall be a minimum of 15 feet wide. Wider easements shall be required where lines exceed eight feet in depth, where other utilities exist nearby, where lines function as transmission mains, or where necessary for adequate access for maintenance. Utility easements, for utilities installed at depths greater than eight feet, should be a minimum of three times wider than the depth of installation centered on the utility unless otherwise approved in writing by the Director of Public Works.
(5) Easements must be accessible from a public roadway or access easement, or through a dedicated "utility access easement."
(6) Water or sanitary sewer service lines shall not cross any adjacent lot. The public main shall be extended so as not to require the service to extend across another lot.
(7) Public water and sewer mains adjacent to federal, state, or county roadways shall be constructed outside the right-of-way in a separate easement unless otherwise agreed by those agencies and the city.
(8) City owned water meter boxes, water service lines, sanitary sewer service lines, sanitary sewer service clean outs, fire hydrants and sanitary sewer manholes shall not be located in driveways, gutter pans or sidewalks. Water meter boxes, water service lines, sanitary sewer service lines and sanitary sewer service line clean outs that fall within a driveway, gutter pan or sidewalk shall be relocated with all cost associated with the relocation borne by the developer.
(B) Water system.
(1) The developer of a subdivision shall be required to install, at no cost to the city, a water distribution system adequate for domestic supply and for fire protection needs which serves each lot.
(2) All new subdivisions shall be connected with the city's water system or other public water supply system such as Johnson County Special Utility District or other system approved by TCEQ.
(a) When the water facilities fall under the jurisdiction of a provider other than the city, a letter from the water service provider, stating there are adequate facilities available to provide domestic service and fire protection, is required.
(3) The design and construction of a water system shall, at a minimum, comply with the following standards:
(a) Applicable regulations of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
(b) The city's design, engineering and construction standards.
(c) Fire protection and suppression standards in accordance with the city's policies and ordinances including Fire Code adopted by the city.
(4) General design and construction requirements.
(a) Pressure Planes. The connection to the appropriate water pressure plane shall be noted on the plans at the location of connection to the City Water Distribution System.
(b) No water system shall be constructed unless all plans have been reviewed and released for construction by the city to assure compliance with these requirements.
(c) All newly created lots are required to have their own water service tap.
(d) All new waterlines shall be constructed as "looped" waterlines whenever possible.
(e) Water lines located in cul-de-sacs shall be looped through lots and connected to another water line to avoid dead-end lines.
(f) Dead-end water lines should be avoided, but when deemed necessary, they should be extended to, and then through, the property sought to be subdivided to allow for a future connection. Dead-end lines shall not exceed 600 feet, unless approved by the Director of Public Works.
(g) All dead-end lines shall have a fire hydrant assembly installed at the extreme end of the line.
(h) New water lines crossing existing streets shall be placed by boring. A casing shall be required under roadways classified as collector or above (including minor collectors). Open cut excavation will not be allowed to cross existing streets, unless approved by the Director of Public Works.
(i) Along state highways, water lines are required on both sides of the roadway.
(j) Water lines for multi-family, commercial and industrial fire protection lines shall be dedicated to the public, unless the system is isolated from the public system by a backflow prevention device.
(k) Fire hydrant coverage shall be in accordance with the standards of the International Fire Code and all other applicable requirements. The fire hydrant layout and installation shall meet the following requirements:
1. All structures in residential areas shall have fire hydrants within 400 feet as measured along an improved roadway.
2. All structures in commercial and industrial areas shall have fire hydrants within 300 feet as measured along an improved roadway.
3. The Fire Marshal shall have the authority to require additional fire hydrants be installed, when needed to provide adequate fire protection.
4. Fire hydrants shall be located on both sides of the street when the street is classified as a minor arterial or larger on the Master Thoroughfare Plan, or when the street has a raised median of any type.
5. All fire hydrants shall be painted silver (Polane Silver-Sherwin Williams part number F63SL5 or equivalent).
6. Bollards shall be required around fire hydrants located in undeveloped areas.
7. Hydrant markers shall be provided for hydrants located in undeveloped areas.
8. Fire hydrants shall not be located in creeks or creek banks.
(l) Standard water line sizes are, eight-inch, ten-inch, 12-inch, 16-inch, 20-inch, and 24-inch diameter. Other sizes may be approved by the Director of Public Works.
(m) Water line materials. All water lines and fittings shall be new materials and shall comply with the following:
1. All water lines shall be polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material and be designed, manufactured, and tested in accordance with the applicable requirements. All PVC water pipe shall be blue in color. All other materials must be approved by the Director of Public Works.
2. Eight-inch through 12-inch water pipe shall be pressure class 150, DR 18. Pressure class 200, DR 14 pipe may be required by the Director of Public Works in areas of high distribution system pressure, under roadways or in unusual circumstances.
3. All waterline pipe and fittings shall be new materials and produced in the USA.
(n) Water lines shall be constructed with a minimum of four feet of cover.
(o) Waterline sizing must be in accordance with the Water Masterplan and may result in oversizing for future capacity.
(p) Valves shall be installed at all intersections of water mains to provide for proper maintenance and operation of the system and to provide a means of shutting off the supply to portions of the system for repairs.
(q) Valves shall be spaced such that only one fire hydrant is out of service at any one time. Three valves shall be used on a four-way water line intersection and a minimum of two valves shall be used on a three-way intersection. Additional valves may be required for isolation purposes.
(r) Valves shall not be placed in sidewalks, accessible ramps, gutter pans or street valley gutters.
(s) Valves shall be marked on the curb, or edge of the asphalt pavement, with the letter "V" scored into the concrete (or asphalt). The base of the letter "V" shall be placed pointing toward the valve.
(t) Valve markers shall be required to locate valves when valves are installed in undeveloped areas.
(u) Tracer wire continuity test stations shall be flush mounted.
(v) Water service line sizes will be determined by the developer prior to requesting service from the city. The minimum water service line size between the water main and the meter shall be one inch. Water services on undeveloped lots shall be located at the property line and shall be a minimum of one inch in diameter.
(w) Water services lines shall be marked on the curb, or edge of the asphalt pavement, with the letter "W" scored into the concrete (or asphalt).
(x) Water services lines shall not be connected to fire hydrant leads.
(5) Water wells provisions. The city prohibits the drilling of new wells within the city limits (§ 51.004) unless a waiver is granted by City Council. All existing water wells shall be considered private and shall be owned and maintained by the property owner.
(C) Sanitary sewer system.
(1) The developer of a subdivision shall be required to install, at no cost to the city, a sewage collection system which shall serve each lot. The sewage collection system shall be connected to the municipal sewage system and be designed, sized and constructed in accordance with city design standards.
(2) The design and construction of a sewage system shall, at a minimum, comply with the following standards:
(a) Applicable regulations of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
(b) City's Wastewater Master Plan.
(c) City design and engineering standards.
(d) Be sized appropriately to accommodate future sanitary sewer flows for the fully developed sewerage basin.
(3) Lift stations.
(a) Lift stations should be avoided whenever possible. Utilization of a lift station requires the written approval of the Director of Public Works.
(b) If written approval is granted by the Director of Public Works, lift stations shall be designed per the applicable regulations of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
(4) General design and construction requirements.
(a) No wastewater system shall be constructed unless all plans have been reviewed and released for construction by the city to assure compliance with these requirements.
(b) All newly created lots are required to have their own wastewater service tap.
(c) Main trunk lines shall be sized based on the sewerage basin, considering current and future service needs. The depth of trunk lines shall be adequate to accommodate future tie-ins from all areas of the sewer basin.
(d) A utility study shall be required by the city to verify capacity of existing facilities. Where a utility study indicates that additional sanitary sewer flow from the developing property will overload downstream facilities and result in hazardous conditions, the city may withhold approval of the development until appropriate provisions have been made. These provisions may include any utility design, construction plans, and installation of the necessary system improvements to accommodate the increase in sanitary sewage to the downstream system. The utility study shall:
1. All conform to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality requirements for the design of a wastewater collection system.
2. Contain at a minimum, all requirements listed in the Tex. Admin. Code Chapter 217.10.
3. Include the signed and dated seal of the engineer, licensed in the State of Texas, responsible for the utility study.
4. Include all pertinent calculations, analyses, graphs, formulas, constants, tables, geologic information, hydraulic information, historical data, manufacturers recommendation's, technical assumptions, and any other information needed to demonstrate that the design of the project complies with local, state and federal regulations.
(e) Standard sewer line sizes are eight-inches, 12-inches, 15-inches, and 18-inches in diameter. The Director of Public Works may approve other sizes.
(f) Sewer lines shall be constructed with a minimum of four feet of cover.
(g) New sewer lines crossing existing streets shall be placed by boring. A casing shall be required under roadways classified as collector or above (including minor collectors). Open cut excavation will not be allowed to cross-existing streets, unless approved by the Director of Public Works.
(h) Along state highways, sewer lines are required to be constructed on both sides of the roadway.
(i) Sewers should be designed with straight alignment whenever possible. Changes in direction must occur at a manhole. No joint deflection is allowed without written approval from the Director of Public Works.
(j) A minimum wastewater flow of 0.86 gallons per minute shall be applied to all single-family equivalent connections.
(k) Peak flow. When site specific data is unavailable, the peak flow shall be determined by multiplying the design flow by a factor of at least four.
(l) Utilization of existing and proposed wastewater mains shall be restricted to 75% of the total peak wet weather flow conveyance capacity.
(m) A condition assessment of the existing wastewater main may be required in order to determine the suitability of a connection to the city's collection system. The condition assessment shall consist of televising the section of wastewater main between the upstream and downstream manholes.
(n) Sewer line materials. All sewer lines and fittings shall be new materials and shall comply with the following:
1. All sanitary sewer pipes shall be polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe type SDR-35 or better for sewer lines constructed less than ten feet deep. SDR-26 shall be provided where sewer lines exceed ten feet. PVC pipe will not be allowed for depths greater than 24 feet unless approved by Director of Public Works.
2. All PVC sanitary sewer pipe shall be green in color. The developer is required to provide a manufacturer’s statement for pipe colors other than green.
3. PVC sewer pipe and fittings shall conform to the current ASTM Designation D 3034 for four inches through 15 inches and ASTM Designation F 679 for greater than 15 inches.
(o) All sewers shall be designed with hydraulic slopes sufficient to give mean velocities, when flowing full or half full, of no less than two feet per second.
(p) Sewer lines shall not be installed within nine feet horizontally of any water main or fire hydrant. Where this is not possible, separation shall be in accordance with TCEQ standards.
(q) Sanitary sewer service lines may not be connected to sanitary sewer mains whose depth is in excess of 12 feet without written approval from the Director of Public Works.
(r) Manholes.
1. Manholes shall be located at all changes in grade, all changes in direction and at the ends of all sewer lines.
2. Manholes shall be located at all intersections of sewer lines and at intermediate spacing along the line. Generally, the maximum spacing should not exceed 500 feet.
3. A manhole is required at the junction of sewer lines with different inside pipe diameters.
4. A drop of at least one-tenth of a foot is required through the manhole when a change in flow direction occurs.
5. Minimum manhole inside diameter is four feet. Manholes with a depth greater than 10 feet shall have an inside diameter of five feet.
6. A drop manhole is required when the flow line in is two feet or more greater than the flow line out. Drop-connection manholes shall have a minimum inside diameter of six feet, with an interior drop.
7. Manholes with an exterior drop connection will not be approved.
8. All manholes shall be concrete.
9. Manholes located within the floodplain shall have a bolted sealed cover and frame.
(s) Sewer services.
1. Materials.
A. All lateral sewer service lines in the public right-of-way shall be gasketed PVC pipe type SDR-35.
B. All PVC sanitary sewer pipe used for lateral services shall be green in color (ASTM SPEC).
2. All sewer service lines that are connected to a section of sewer service piping located within the right-of-way must have a clean out installed where the property line abuts the right-of-way.
3. Sewer service line locations shall be marked on the curb, or edge of the asphalt pavement, by scoring the letter "S" on the concrete (or asphalt).
4. Point of connection. The point of connection for all sanitary sewer service lines shall be made to an approved public sewer main line. No sanitary sewer service line shall directly connect to a manhole, nor shall any sanitary sewer service connection be made to a sanitary sewer main within 24-inches of a new or proposed sanitary sewer manhole.
5. No sewer service line (lateral) shall be less than four inches in nominal diameter.
6. Sewer service laterals shall have a minimum of four feet of cover at the property line.
7. Commercial and industrial use properties may require additional treatment prior to being discharged into the public sanitary sewer system, as required by the Director of Public Works.
(Ord. 08-2021-43, passed 8-24-21; Am. Ord. 07-2024-48, passed 7-9-24)