The following rules governing the use of City water are hereby adopted:
(A) The material used for service pipe must conform to the standards required by the § 154.01 of the Mt. Vernon Plumbing Code.
(B) (1) No person shall connect water pipe or conduct water into any two distinct premises or tenements unless separate and distinct meter setter, angle meter valves, and meters shall be placed for each such premises or units served; nor shall such pipe be allowed to cross lots into adjoining premises. All meters and angle meters valves must be located outside of any structure. Every service pipe must be provided with an angle meter valve, so situated outside the structure, so that the water may be shut off to prevent its freezing.
(2) In the event a structure is required to have a fire suppression system, the domestic service connection shall be within two feet of the system’s back flow device. Said service connection shall have the meter, the angle meter valve, and the meter pit placed in a green space located outside the structure adjacent to said connection.
(C) (1) Persons taking water must keep their service pipes connected with mains or supply pipes, and all fixtures connected therewith, in good repair and protected from freezing at their own expense and must prevent all unnecessary waste of water. If it shall be found that there is an unreasonable or unnecessary waste of water in any building, structure, or premises to which water is supplied from the City’s waterworks system, through or by means of a leak in any water pipe located in any such building, structure, or in or on any premises, the Superintendent of Public Utilities may cause the water supply to be cut off from such building, structure, or premises unless such waste shall be stopped or shall cease within twenty-four hours after he shall have given notice to the owner, occupant, or person in possession, charge or control of such building, structure, or premises, to stop such waste.
(2) In cases where the water supply is cut off from any building, structure, or premises on account of a neglect, failure, or refusal of any person so notified to stop such leak, the water supply shall not again be turned on until the cost and expense to the City of cutting off and again turning on such water supply shall have been paid by such owner, occupant, or person in possession, charge or control.
(3) Persons who shall reasonably attempt to keep their service pipes connected with mains (i.e. from the meter to exterior of structure) in good repair and protected from freezing and in such condition as to prevent unnecessary waste of water and who shall suffer a water leak arising from a concealed leak from said pipes which leak was not immediately discovered or preventable upon exercise of reasonable alertness or diligence and which leak was not the fault of the occupant or owner of the premises shall be entitled to an adjustment to the water and sewer charges imposed herein for a period (a) not greater than the billing month during which the discovery of the leak is made and the period between the meter reading date for said month and the date of discovery, if the leak is discovered by comparison of water usage for said month with water usage for previous months, or (b) not greater than that part of the billing month immediately preceding discovery of the leak, if the leak is otherwise discovered. Provided, however, that such adjustment shall be made only if discovery of the leak is reported and a request for adjustment is made on or before the due date of the charges for the month during which an adjustment is sought. The charge for water and sewer services during the month that the adjustment is made shall be determined by adding the total water and sewer charges for the six months prior to adjustment and dividing that sum by six and by adding to that sum the actual costs incurred by the City for the purchase of water from Rend Lake Conservancy District for the water usage during the month of adjustment over and above the six-month average water usage; if water and sewer charges for six months prior to adjustment are not available, then the charge for water and sewer services during the month that the adjustment is made shall be determined by estimating the charges for the month of adjustment to be equal to the charges for the first month’s water and sewer usage following repair of the leak and by adding to that amount the actual costs incurred by the City for the purchase of water from the Rend Lake Conservancy District for the water usage during the month of adjustment over and above the estimated monthly water usage. Adjustments for part of a month shall be made on a pro rata basis and made in accordance with the foregoing provisions. No adjustments shall be made hereunder unless and until satisfactory proof of repair of the water leak is presented to the Director of Finance or his designee. In addition, no adjustment shall be made hereunder unless and until satisfactory proof that the repair has been effected by a licensed plumber, an owner-occupant of a single-family residence, or a lessee-occupant of a single-family residence is also presented to the Finance Director or his designee. Satisfactory proof shall consist of the completed work order of a licensed plumber if applicable and a statement under oath signed by the occupant of the real estate which contains a description of the leak, the date of discovery of the leak, the name and address of the individual making the repair, the date of repair, a description of the repair, the address of the property where the repair is effected, the name of the property owner, the names of the occupants of the property, and a statement that the repair has been effected in compliance with all state and local regulations and requirements. The Finance Director or his duly designated agent shall make the determination as to whether the person requesting an adjustment is entitled to any adjustment and, if so, the amount of the adjustment. Each person who shall request an adjustment shall be considered to have authorized the Finance Director or his duly authorized agent to inspect the premises, if necessary, to assist in the determination. If any person does not agree with the decision of the Finance Director or his duly designated agent, said person may appeal the decision to the City Manager within five (5) days of being notified of the decision regarding the adjustment; the City Manager shall then make the final decision.
(D) No addition to or alteration whatever of any tap, pipe, watercock, or other fixture shall be made or caused to be made by any person except through a duly licensed plumber, and a permit first shall be obtained from the Superintendent.
(E) Hydrants, taps, hose, water closets, urinals, baths, or other fixtures shall not be kept running when not in use.
(F) The Mayor may at any time during an emergency, when in his judgment the public interest requires it, prohibit the use of City water for street or lawn sprinkling purposes, for washing cars or for fountains, for such time as he may deem proper. No person shall so use City water during the time for which such use shall have been so prohibited.
(G) In any case where the water has been turned on without the proper application or authorization, or in any case where the water has been turned off for any reason provided in this Article and the water is found on again, or in any case where in the opinion of the City the turning off of the water on the curb stop-cock or angle stop-cock is not a sufficient protection against the further use of water, the City may take such steps as are necessary to prevent further use of the water including but not limited to the locking of the meter, the removal of the meter, the crimping of a supply pipe or disconnection at the corporation cock. Upon application or re-application for water service when the water has been so turned off by the City, an additional charge of not less than Fifty Dollars ($50.00) covering all expenses of so turning off the water shall be imposed and said charge shall be recoverable from the owner of the property, the applicant for the service at the time the unauthorized water service was used, any occupant of the property or any user of the service; until payment of the charge, no water service shall be provided to the property, except upon the determination by the City that none of the persons listed above nor any person associated with the unauthorized water service is receiving any service or benefits from re-connection of the water service.
(H) Where the water supply to any building, structure, or premises shall have been cut off or stopped on account of the nonpayment of water rates or on account of the violation of any of the provisions of this Article, or for any reason or cause whatsoever, where such cutting off or stopping shall have been done by the Superintendent of Public Utilities, the water shall not again be supplied to such building, structure, or premises or permitted to be turned on therein without a permit first issued as above provided.
(I) (1) No person shall in any manner obstruct, or cause to be obstructed, the free access of any officer or employee of the Water Department to any hydrant of said system or to any stopcock, water meter, shutoff box or connection with any water main or service pipe by means of any coal, lumber, brick, building material, or by any other means, shift or device whatsoever, or refuse or prevent free access thereto by such officer or employee whenever such officer or employee shall desire access thereto.
(2) The officers, agents, and employees of the Department of Public Utilities shall have free access to all and every part of any building, structure, or premises to which water is supplied from the City’s waterworks system, for the purpose of examining the water pipes, taps, and fixtures therein or thereon, whenever such examination is deemed necessary to determine whether there is occurring any waste of water or whether the provisions of this Article are being complied with.
(3) Any person in possession, charge, or control of any such building, structure, or premises, into which any such officer or person shall desire to make entry or to have access for the purpose herein specified who shall refuse to permit such entry or access or who shall do or cause to be done any act or thing for the purpose of preventing such entry or access, shall be punished as provided herein.
(J) No service shall be rendered to any premises where storm water and sanitary drainage are not separated as required by the ordinance governing sewers and sewage disposal.
(K) No water shall be turned on for service in premises in which the plumbing does not comply with the Plumbing Code of the City; provided that water may be turned on for construction work in unfinished buildings, subject to the provisions of this Article.
(L) It shall be unlawful for any person or persons in any manner to interfere with any main or service water pipe of the water system without first being authorized by the proper authorities of the City, and at the same time procuring a permit from the proper department of the City government, as required in the ordinances of the City or any that may hereafter be passed by the City concerning such matters.
(M) No person shall use or distribute, or permit to be used or distributed, any water supplied directly or indirectly by the City, to any person not now being supplied directly or indirectly with water produced by the City.
(N) In case of making repairs or constructing new work, the City reserves the right to shut off water without notice and keep it shut off as long as may be necessary to accomplish such purpose or by giving such reasonable notice thereof to its customers as shall be practicable.
(O) All plans pertaining to utilities shall be submitted to the Technical Review Board for their review and recommendation at least 15 days before presentation to the respective commission.
(P) All water mains shall be a minimum of 6” in size. Mains serving residential districts shall consist of mains at least 6” in size, arranged so they form a good gridiron. Where long lengths of pipe are necessary, 8” or larger mains should be used. Mains should be looped if feasible.
(Q) In new construction, 8” or larger pipe should be used where dead ends and a poor gridiron are likely to exist for a considerable time or where the layout of streets are not well adapted to a good gridiron.
(R) In commercial districts, the minimum size main should be 8” in size, arranged so they form a good gridiron. Twelve inch (12”) or larger mains should be used on principal streets and for all long lines that are not connected to other mains at intervals close enough for mutual support.
(S) The use of dead-end 6” mains to provide fire protection shall not be allowed.
(T) Fire hydrants shall be spaced a maximum of 600’ apart in single family residential areas.
(U) (1) Fire hydrant spacing and requirements in multifamily, commercial or industrial areas shall be determined by an evaluation of the required fire flow for fire protection for those areas. Construction plans and data shall be submitted to the Mt. Vernon Fire Department and for review and evaluation. The evaluation shall be performed by the Fire Chief or his duly designated representative. Requirements for fire hydrant spacing shall be indicated on the subject plans during the review and evaluation process.
(2) The review shall include consideration of such items as type of construction, area, occupancy, number of stories, density, special hazards, accessibility, water supply, availability, and other factors. There shall be sufficient hydrants installed to provide the required fire flow around any building with no hose line exceeding 500 feet in length. The Insurance Service Office’s “Guide for Determination of Required Fire Flow”, December, 1974 Edition, shall be used as the primary guideline for determination of required fire flow and for fire hydrant spacing and requirements; three copies of said Guide shall be placed on file in the office of the City Clerk of the City of Mt. Vernon.
(3) Any water main or fire loop on private property used for the purpose of fire protection shall be the responsibility of the property owner to maintain; all maintenance, repair, and upkeep shall be the responsibility of the property owner. However, the City shall have the authority to maintain safe drinking water according to Illinois Environmental Protection Agency guidelines to ensure water quality; the City to safeguard the public water supply shall have the authority to terminate or to repair a water service having any damaged, broken, or other water line, hydrant, or valve that poses a threat to public health or safety; in addition, in the event that the City elects to make a repair to any fire protection line or facility to ensure the safety of the public, the property owner shall be liable for all costs and the City shall bill the property owner for all cost associated with said repair; which costs shall be due and payable 30 days from invoicing.
(V) Fire Hydrants shall be of Brand, Size and Specifications as required by the Fire Chief.
(W) Valves shall be installed at least every 1300’ on arterial mains; every 500’ in commercial districts and every 800’ in residential districts. Valves may be required at closer intervals in specific situations.
(X) Specific locations of fire hydrants shall be determined by the Fire Chief or his duly designated representative. The cost of fire hydrants and installation shall be borne by the developer.
(Y) Water main extensions and fire hydrant installations shall be inspected by the City during construction. Immediately upon completion, the system shall be tested, EPA approval obtained and the system placed in service at the direction of the City.
(Z) Water main extensions and fire hydrants may be installed on private property only with the written approval of the City; for the purpose fire protection, the service connection for a property may be placed within two feet of a dead end. Said service connection shall have the meter, and meter pit installed in a green space adjacent to the water main. The City shall only be responsible for the condition of the meter. The property owner shall be responsible for all maintenance and repair of the service line.
(AA) The Insurance Service Office Grading Schedule for Municipal Fire Protection shall be used as a primary guideline for water and fire protection.
(Prior Code, Art. 16, § 16.3(c))