In the interest of control and protection of the water system, the following rules shall be considered a part of the contract with every person who accepts water service as supplied by the City, and all persons accepting said service shall be bound by these rules:
Rule 1. Applications; Payment of Fee: Applications for new connections to the mains or alterations in old connections must be made at the City Clerk’s office on the printed form furnished for that purpose. The application must be made by the owner or agent for the property to be served and must be accompanied by the connection fee before connection will be authorized. This fee shall be established by the City Council and include the cost of certain standardized items of material that will be furnished to the applicant for use in the service line and connection. The use of the furnished items is mandatory.
Rule 2. Additional Service; Permit For Extensions: Should the owner of the property or his agent desire additional service or desire to apply water for a purpose not intended in the original application, a permit must be obtained before extensions are made.
Rule 3. Termination Of Service By Consumer: Upon payment of service charges to date of notice and presentation of written notice to the city clerk, consumers may at any time terminate service. Water rentals will be charged until such notice is filed. No charge will be made for turning water off or on when the account is not in arrears but no remission of the minimum charge will be made for less than one calendar month.
Rule 4. Consumer Payments: Service charges must be paid monthly. Accounts not paid by the twentieth of the month following notification of the consumer are presumed to have been received by the person for whom they were intended. Accounts which have been terminated because of delinquency in payment must be paid in full together with a service charge of forty dollars ($40.00) before service will be restored. All persons not in the employ of the city water department are forbidden to open, close or in any manner change or disturb the curb valve or any consumer’s service line.
Rule 5. Location of Service Pipes: No permits shall be issued for service connections when said services are to run across adjacent property or through buildings on the same property. Service pipes must be laid at least six-and-one-half feet (6.5') below the surface and not in the same trench with the sewer pipes. Service pipes may enter the building at any point designated by the owner of the property or his agent and all risk due to freezing of such pipes and meters shall be assumed by the said property owner.
Rule 6. Connected Premises: Two (2) or more premises of different ownership shall not be supplied by the same connection (see Rule 1 of this Section) unless the services are so installed that each is controlled by a separate curb valve. In all cases, the owner of the property served shall be responsible for all water used either by himself or any others to whom the water is accessible.
Rule 7. Stop And Waste: Immediately ahead of every meter, a stop and waste valve must be installed and in service lines entering basement, this valve should be located immediately beyond the point of entry. These valves must be provided with handles or wrenches for their operation and when not supplied by the City, shall be of a form and quality specified by the Water/Wastewater Operator. It shall be the duty of owners and occupants to familiarize themselves with the uses and purposes of these valves and to report any fault in their operation. No responsibility for damage will be assumed by the City through failure of the owner or occupant of the premises to use the stop and waste valve in stopping leaks or draining pipes and meters to prevent freezing.
Rule 8. Ball Valves: Immediately ahead of every meter a ball valve must be installed. These valves must be provided with handles for their operation and when not supplied by the City, shall be of a form and quality specified by the Water Superintendent. It shall be the duty of owners and occupants to familiarize themselves with the uses and purposes of these valves and to report any fault in their operation. No responsibility for damage will be assumed by the City through failure of the owner or occupant of the premises to use the ball valve in stopping leaks or draining pipes and meters to prevent freezing.
Rule 9. Private Hydrants: No private hydrants shall be located within the street lines or in any place easy of access to the public unless the same is metered and then only by special permit.
Rule 10. Responsibility For Service Pipes And Fixtures: The City will not be responsible for service pipes and fixtures. Owners, at their own expense, must keep service pipes and fixtures from the mains in good working order and properly protected from frost and other dangers. No claim shall be made against the City on account of failure of any service pipe or fixture or for the accidental failure in the supply of water. No reductions from the regular rates will be made for any time that service pipes or fixtures are out of commission due to frost.
Rule 11. Special Permit; Large Quantities Of Water: A special permit must be obtained from the Water/Wastewater Operator before water meters or other service requiring larger quantities of water are installed.
Rule 12. Hose For Sprinkling: Hose used for sprinkling purposes must not be more than three-fourths inch (3/4") inside diameter and the inside diameter of the orifice or the nozzle of the same must not be more than one-half inch (½") in diameter.
Rule 13. Unnecessary Use Of Water: Consumers shall prevent the unnecessary waste of water in lawn or garden sprinkling, washing of vehicles or other similar uses of hose, and shall keep all water outlets closed when not in actual use. Hydrants, basins, urinals, water closets, bathtubs or any other openings must not be left running to prevent water freezing in pipes, or for any other unnecessary waste, and when consumers persist in a wasteful use of water, the City reserves the right to cut off the supply, and repeated violation of this rule will subject the offender to prosecution as hereinafter provided.
Rule 14. Alarm Of Fire: During alarms of fire the use of hose, yard fountains and all other outlets where a constant flow of water is maintained is forbidden. This rule will be strictly enforced and will subject offenders to prosecution.
Rule 15. Water For Building Purposes: Contractors, builders or others desiring water for building purposes must make application to the Water/Wastewater Operator, who will issue a permit therefor, and all consumers are warned not to allow them to use their fixtures. Water will not be turned on in any new building until all water used in construction thereof has been paid for. Owners are recommended to require contractors to show a receipt in full for water used for building purposes before making final settlement, as the property is held for such rental.
Rule 16. Authorized Employees: No person other than authorized employee of the Water Department shall make any tap or connection with any main or mains or with any distributing pipe of the water system.
Rule 17. Accidents From Boilers And Pressure: The City will not be responsible for accidents resulting from insecure boilers or for variation of water pressure, or the ram from water in the mains, or collapse from any cause whatever.
Rule 18. Shutting Off Of Water In Mains: The City reserves the right at any time to shut the water off in the mains for the purpose of making repairs or extensions or for any other needful purpose and consumers will be so notified, but no claim shall be made against the City on account of the breakage of any service pipe or service cock or for any other damage that may result from shutting off water for necessary repairs, laying or relaying mains, hydrants or other connections.
Rule 19. Meters; Regulations and Charges: Meters will be placed on all services as directed by the Water/Wastewater Operator. Each metered consumer is subject to the minimum charge for such class of service as he receives. In Residential Zoning Districts, and in all mobile home parks, multi-family structures which have one meter shall be subject to the minimum water charge for each residential unit, regardless of meter status. Rates for additional water are shown in Section 9-2-6 of this Chapter. In all cases where a meter is installed, the consumer must furnish proper protection from frost or other damage, and the meter must be located where it is easily accessible for reading purposes and repairs. Where necessary for protection, a standard form of meter box will be required by the Water Department. The actual cost of the same shall be paid by the consumer. After such receptacle is placed, the Water Department will furnish and connect the meter and maintain the same in good condition under ordinary wear and tear. When a meter is installed at the request of a consumer, its installation shall be permanent unless the consumer elects to have same removed and pays all expenses incident to the installation and removal of same or discontinues service entirely. Service on a meter for a shorter period than six (6) months will be considered temporary and in such cases, the consumer will be required to reimburse the Water Department for the actual cost of the labor in connection with the installation and removal of the meter.
Rule 20. Replacing And Testing: The Water Department may replace any meter at such time as it may see fit and shall be the judge of the size and make of any meter installed. In case of a dispute as to the accuracy of a meter, the customer, upon depositing the estimated cost of making a test, may demand that the meter be removed and tested as to accuracy in his presence. In case the meter is found to be registering correctly or in favor of the consumer, the cost of such testing and replacing of the meter shall be borne by the consumer. In case the meter is found to be registering incorrectly and against the consumer, the amount deposited by the consumer will be refunded and a reasonable adjustment made for overcharges, for a period not exceeding sixty (60) days previous to the demand of the consumer for a test to be made. In case a meter is found stopped for any reason, so that it is not correctly recording the consumption of water, the Water Department may average the amount due for the current month, using the past two (2) months as a basis of average.
Rule 21. Interference With Meters: Water consumers are not permitted to interfere in any way with the meter after it has been set in place. In case the meter seal is broken or the working parts of the meter have been tampered with or the meter damaged, the Water Department may render a bill for the current month, based on the average of the past two (2) months, together with the full cost of such damages as have been done to the meter, and may refuse to furnish water until the account is paid in full.
Rule 22. Placing of Meters: Where practicable, meters may be placed in a location with easy access for reading and maintenance. In Residential Zoning Districts all new multifamily residential structures shall have a meter installed on each unit. The meter must be placed so as to be of easy access to the officers of the Water Department, and must be carefully protected from freezing and from other dangers. Before setting any meter, the pipes must be blown out, and the meter must be set without the use of red lead or any other substance for packing in the fitting. The meter must be set level and made firm, suitable supports being provided when necessary. All new water hookups shall have a double check-valve backflow prevention assembly installed downstream of the water meter.
Rule 23. Meters Outside of Buildings: When meters must be located on the outside of buildings, they need to be placed in an approved meter pit or structure approved by the Water/Wastewater Operator. The approved meter pit or structure shall have a cover with easy access.
Rule 24. Check Valves On Meters: In all cases, if meters are placed on pipes connected to boilers or other hot-water apparatus, a check valve must be placed between said meter and such boiler, or other hot-water apparatus, to protect the meter from back pressure of steam or hot water.
Rule 25. Rules Regulating Plumbing: Rules regulating plumbing work upon any of the water mains, connections or appliances in any way pertaining to the water system of the City are set forth in Section 9-2-4 of this Chapter. (1977 Code § 2.34.050; amd. 2000 Code; Ord. 293-06-07, 10-10-2006; Ord. 390-2021, 8-10-2021; Ord. 393-2022, 5-24-2022)