(A) Service connection permits and charges.
(1) No connection without permit. Connections to the county public water supply system shall be made after issuance of a permit by the county. All such connections shall be made by a licensed plumber or a bonded sewer and water contractor utilizing a licensed plumber under the supervision of Public Works Director, and no connections shall be buried and backfilled until the work has been inspected to the satisfaction of the Public Works Director. Whenever any new connections to the county public water supply should hereafter be made, a connection fee shall apply, in accordance with the Rate Ordinance and be paid at the time a permit is issued by the Public Works Department.
(2) Connections required.
(a) Existing houses, buildings and properties.
1. The owner of all existing houses, buildings or properties located within service areas of the Lake County Public Works Department and abutting on any street, public easement or right-of-way in which there is now located, or which the county intends in the future to be located, a public watermain owned by the county, is required to make a connection to the Water Facilities in accordance with the provisions of this chapter in the event that (i) a building is demolished or (ii) an existing private well serving the property needs to be replaced or deepened in order to maintain compliance with the Lake County Health Department requirements, provided that the public water supply is within 250 feet of the property line of residences or within 1,000 feet of the property line of nonresidential properties.
2. Upon connection to the Water Facilities, private wells previously serving the house, building or property shall be sealed in accordance with the requirements of the Lake County Health Department. A variance shall be required from both Lake County Health Department and Public Works Department to retain an existing well. If approved, a cross-connection control device shall be installed in accordance with § 52.05.
3. The owner shall pay all costs of connection, turn-on, meter, and watermain extension fees.
(b) Future houses, buildings and properties.
1. The owner of all houses, buildings or properties hereafter constructed within service and abutting on any street, public easement or right-of-way in which there is located, or which the county intends in the future to be located, a public watermain owned by the county, is required to make a connection to the Water Facilities in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, provided that the public water supply is within 250 feet of the property line of residences or within 1,000 feet of the property line of nonresidential properties, upon the earlier of: (i) the issuance of a certificate of occupancy, or (ii) once the existing well serving such property is no longer operable.
2. Upon connection to the Water Facilities, any private wells previously serving the house, building or property shall either be sealed in accordance with the requirements of the Lake County Health Department or, where the Director has granted a variance to retain the well, shall have a cross-connection control device installed in accordance with § 52.05.
3. The owner shall pay all costs of connection, turn-on, meter, and watermain extension fees.
(c) Watermain extension.
1. If requested water service requires the installation of any watermain, any applicant whose building, structure or premises directly benefits from such main extension shall pay with such application the cost to install the main (including, but not limited to construction cost, permit fees, and all engineering, administrative and legal expenses). Such payment shall be made in addition to any other connection, turn-on or meter fees in force at the time of the application.
2. Any extension of the main shall be installed in accordance with plans approved by the Public Works Department and shall be installed along the entire frontage of the premises to be served to the next adjacent property as determined by the Director.
(d) Plumbing Code compliance. No permit for connection to the Water Facilities shall be issued unless the house, building or property to receive service is in compliance with the Illinois Plumbing Code as adopted and amended by Lake County.
(B) Application for water service. No water from the Water Facilities shall be turned on for service into any premises by any person but the Director. An application for water and/or sewer service account is necessary to have water turned on and shall be made to the Public Works Department prior to water turn on. Water will only be turned on between 7:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday (except during county observed holidays) with a responsible adult representative of the applicant present. Water turn on shall be made by appointment. Applicant must appear in person at the administrative offices of the Public Works Department and present a valid driver's license or other state issued photo identification within 30 days of establishing service, otherwise the account is subject to disconnection without further notice.
(C) Water service installation. The pipe, valves and fittings used for the service connection and b-box including materials and size, shall be as specified by the Public Works Department. Any service connection into the water main shall be made by a licensed plumber or a bonded sewer and water contractor utilizing a licensed plumber . The owner shall pay all costs associated with installing the service connection, including such services and materials as may be provided by the county.
(D) Repairs to system. The owner of any house, building or property connected to the county public water supply system shall maintain the service connection and all other appurtenances thereto (other than the b-box, corporation stop, and meter, which shall be and remain the property of the county) in good repair and protected from frost at the owner's expense. In the event that the county becomes aware of deficiencies in the service connection, the county shall notify the owner of such deficiencies, either in person or in writing. The owner shall have the deficiencies corrected within 48 hours after such notice or as otherwise determined by the Director, after which the water supply shall be shut off and shall not be turned on again until such time as the deficiencies are corrected.
(E) Shut-off boxes.
(1) B-boxes shall be placed on every service pipe, and shall be located between the curb line and the sidewalk line or otherwise in a location approved by the Director. Such b-boxes shall be Minneapolis pattern and located such that they are easily accessible for maintenance by the Public Works Department.
(2) If a customer or a customer's agent damages a b-box or corporation stop, then the Public Works Department shall cause the b-box or corporation stop to be repaired at the customer's expense.
(3) If the b-box is located on private property, then the owner of such private property grants to the county a license to go upon such private property for any purposes of connecting or disconnecting water service or repairing, replacing, or maintaining water facilities and such license shall be a precondition of any owner or user to connect to or remain connected to the county water service. Nothing contained herein shall be construed to require the county to make repairs of any water facilities located on private property. Furthermore, if there is more than one corporation stop located along a service connection, the county shall only be responsible for the maintenance and repair of the corporation stop closest to the watermain.
(4) B-boxes and corporation stops shall be located outside of any paved, hard surface driveway approaches or driveway areas where a new water service connection is installed for any one- and two-family dwellings. In all new subdivisions, water service connections, b-boxes, and corporation stops must be utilized in their designed and approved locations.
(5) No person may interfere with the Public Works Department's access to a b-box or corporation stop, including, but not limited to, camouflaging or otherwise concealing the location of a b-box. To the extent that a customer has directly or indirectly concealed or permitted the concealment, or otherwise interfered with access to a b-box in a manner that causes the Public Works Department to incur additional costs when accessing a b-box (including paving over any b-box or corporation stop), the Public Works Department has the discretion to charge the customer for such additional costs as a cost of water service.
(F) Separate services required. A separate water service connection is required for every building or residence. Where a building contains more than one commercial or industrial user or where the building contains a combination of commercial or industrial and residential uses, the county may require separate service connections for each use.
(G) Duty to notify at change of use, ownership, tenant or process. Each customer is obligated to notify the county when the following occurs in connection with any premises from which such customer receives water service from the county:
(1) Any structure or dwelling is to be sold, quit claimed, traded or otherwise transferred;
(2) The use of the property has or will change from its existing use;
(3) There is a change in process that impacts or can significantly impact the amount of water used or creates a new potential cross-connection as described in § 52.05;
(4) There is a building expansion;
(5) There is a change of tenant;
(6) There are interior or exterior building changes that affect the use or water usage upon the premises.
(Ord. 19-1394, passed 9-10-2019) Penalty, see § 52.99