(A) All premises intended for human habitation or occupancy or other establishments where a water supply is or may be used for human consumption and to which the city water distribution system is available shall be connected to the city water distribution system.
(1) Each structure requiring water service which is now or may in the future be under individual ownership or control shall have an individual water meter. New developments, which include private roads, shall be master metered. Developments with existing water services that shall be unutilized after final construction completion shall be required to cut, cap and/or plug the service at the main to city specification.
(B) Developments or requested water service connections that propose water consumption expected to meet or exceed 100,000 gallons per day will be required to undergo and coordinate a system capacity study with the city’s consultant. The study will assess the water system and project impacts under average daily and maximum daily demand conditions to include system pressure, fire flow, water age and quality. All associated costs of the impact study will be the responsibility of the owner/developer. All required improvements to the system due to the project will be at the cost of the developer.
(1) All connections to the city water distribution system within the city’s public right-of- way shall be made by the city or the city’s authorized contractor or a contractor with a permit approved by the City Engineering Department. All connections to the city water distribution system outside of the city’s public right-of-way shall be made by the contractor with a permit approved by the City Engineering Department. Services installed by the contractor shall be a minimum of four feet in length from the connection to the curb stops. All services shall adhere to the most current City Engineering Standard details. All tapping fees and deposits shall be paid in full before the water service or fire line is installed.
(2) The city shall be responsible for the maintenance of mains and service lines within the public right-of-way and on private property up to and including the water meter and any city-owned dual check devices. Maintenance of water service lines beyond the last city-owned device shall be the property owner or water customer’s responsibility.
(3) All water meters shall be furnished and installed by the city and shall belong to the city. The city reserves the right to remove any meter at any time from any premises when it is deemed necessary. Meters shall be located just behind or adjacent to the customer’s recorded property line in a position determined by the policies of the Utilities Department. The customer shall not install any fitting, except backflow, in the service line on their side of the meter within three feet of the meter. The customer shall not place shrubbery or any other obstruction within a three-foot radius of the meter. Any obstruction or device placed upon city utility infrastructure that limit or hinder immediate access to inspect, maintain, repair or interfere with the proper operation of the service is prohibited. New water service installations used during building construction shall be inspected and approved by the Utilities Department prior to the issuance of the certificate of occupancy by the Building Department.
(4) Meters shall be carefully tested before installation in accordance with AWWA standards. After its installation should any customer question the accuracy of the meter through which he is served, the city shall upon the customer’s written request accompanied with a deposit as set forth herein for each meter in question to cover the cost of the test, remove the meter and test it in the presence of the customer or his authorized agent. If the test shows that the meter has been over-registering more than 2%, the deposit for each meter shall be returned to the customer and the bill rendered based on the last reading of the tested meter shall be corrected accordingly. If the test shows that the meter is not over- registering more than 2%, the deposit shall be retained by the city and in addition thereto, if the test shows that the meter has been under-registering more than 2%, the bill rendered shall be corrected accordingly. The cost to test meters 5/8-3/4 inches through two inches shall be $165 effective on January 1, 2024, with a required deposit of $100. The required deposit for meters larger than two inches shall be the actual cost of testing as determined by the Utilities Department at the time the test is required. The deposit requested herein and remaining balance may be added to the next bill.
(5) The city reserves the right to shut off water temporarily whenever necessary for the purpose of making alterations or repairs. It is expressly stipulated by and between the city and the water customer that no claim shall be made against the city for or on account of temporary shut-offs, low pressure, the bursting or breaking of any main or service pipe, or other disruption of supply.
(6) It shall be unlawful for any customer or owner to have a cross-connection on their potable water system on their property. The Utilities Director or his authorized designee, shall have the authority to require a customer to install an approved backflow preventer on all of the customers water service connections, or to repair or replace same if defective, as directed by the Utilities Department and at a location designated by the Utilities Department. The containment backflow prevention assembly or device shall be subject to the approval, inspection, and discretionary testing or inspection by Utilities Department personnel or authorized designee. It shall be the customer’s responsibility to maintain any individually owned approved backflow preventer in proper working condition. Testing shall be performed by approved, licensed contractors that have met the requirements set by the Utilities Department for working on the utility distribution system. Installation, repairs and testing shall be in accordance with the requirements of the Utilities Department’s most current version of the backflow manual and any additional criteria set forth in Chapter 54 of the City Ordinances. All backflow assemblies shall be tested, certified and registered with the city’s database and/or database provider a minimum of once per year. Additional testing shall be performed as directed by the Utilities Director when necessary. Repairs, maintenance, replacement and all associated registration costs and testing fees shall be the responsibility of the owner regardless of the installation location of the approved backflow preventer. Permits for all new installations and replacements of backflow preventers shall be obtained from the Building Department. Failure by the customer to install, repair, replace or test and register a backflow prevention assembly or device within 15 working days, after being directed to do so by the Utilities Department, shall be a violation and may result in termination of the customer’s water service. For purposes of enforcement, discontinuance procedures as described in § 54.10(A), will apply.
(7) All new dedicated fire line connections to private property shall be provided with an approved type fire line meter that has been tested in accordance with AWWA standards. The meter shall be capable of accurately recording flow. The customer shall pay all costs involved in the installation of the fire line and meter. The meter shall be installed by the city.
(8) Should the city have reason to believe that water is being used from any existing unmetered fire line for other than fire protection purposes, the city shall install a meter of an approved type in the fire line at the city’s expense. If the meter indicates that there is leakage or use of water from the fire line for other than fire protection purposes, the customer shall be required to pay all costs to install said meter. Additionally, a back flow prevention assembly shall be installed. The city may terminate both fire and domestic water service to the customer until the customer has deposited with the city the cost as determined by the city of the fire meter installation.
(9) The customer shall not draw any water through a dedicated fire line connection except for the purpose of extinguishing fires or for periodic tests of the fire system; these tests shall be made in the presence of a representative of the Utilities Department. The Utility Department will be contacted 48 hours prior to any testing of the fire systems. Authorized representatives of the Utilities Department shall have free access to the structure being protected by the fire line at any reasonable time for the purpose of inspecting water lines and equipment and investigation of unauthorized use of water through the fire protection system. The city may seal fire line valves and connections. If a seal is broken, the customer shall immediately notify the Utilities Department.
(10) All buildings in excess of two stories shall meet the requirements of applicable Building Codes for the installation of a booster pump system.
(11) No person except authorized city personnel in the discharge of their duties shall open or interfere with fire hydrants, valves, water services, curb cocks, valve boxes, water lines, or meters, unless previous permission has been obtained from the Utilities Department. Any person damaging any fire hydrant, valve, water service, curb cock, valve box, water line, other utility appurtenances or meter, either accidentally or intentionally shall pay the cost of the repair or replacement as determined by the Utilities Department within five days after being notified to do so. The city reserves the right to place this cost on a customer's account.
(12) City personnel and/or authorized agents of the city shall be authorized to conduct inspections of metered irrigation lines which are under continuous pressure, as required by Florida Department of Environmental Protection. All pressurized pipe shall conform with all standards in the latest edition of the Florida Building Code in effect, for domestic water service.
(C) Any person violating any of the above provisions shall be subject to having their water service terminated and shall be subject to the penalties in § 10.99.
(D) Any party or entity extending or improving the city water system shall adhere to the most current city engineering standard details and continue such extension/ improvement as follows:
(1) If the length of the property line along a public roadway is greater than or equal to 50% of the total distance between the adjacent mains, the developer shall continue the water main improvements to the closest intersecting main of the same size or larger.
(2) If the distance to the next adjacent main is under 50%, the city shall compensate the entity or party for the cost of pipe and appurtenances based upon prevailing city-awarded bid prices, to complete the run.
(3) If the extension/improvement is an increase in pipe size, the new system shall be moved to the new main by the developer.
(4) All abandoned mains may be left in place. If left in place, the mains shall be cut and capped or properly abandoned according to AWWA standards.
(D) Water from fire hydrants. Without first obtaining an approval and meter from the Department of Finance it shall be unlawful for any person to obtain water through the city fire hydrants; however, this provision shall not affect the right of the Utilities Department to flush fire hydrants or the right of the Fire Department to use water through the fire hydrants when necessary.
(‘58 Code, § 49.06) (Ord. 534, passed 7-13-54; Am. Ord. 80-1, passed 10-9-79; Am. Ord. 84-60, passed 6-5-84; Am. Ord. 88-21, passed 12-29-87; Am. Ord. 89-03, passed 10-4-88; Am. Ord. 93-78, passed 9-28-93; Am. Ord. 97-47, passed 3-25-97; Am. Ord. 2007-44, passed 3-27-07; Am. Ord. 2011-58, passed 7-12-11; Am. Ord. 2013-05, passed 10-23-12; Am. Ord. 2022-45, passed 4-26-22; Am. Ord. 2024-10, passed 11-14-23) Penalty, see § 10.99
Cross-reference:
Private wells and water systems, see § 50.11