Alhambra Municipal Code Ch. 15.04 Service Regulations

Upon failure to comply with the rules and regulations established as a condition to the use of water, or to pay rates or any charges imposed in the time and manner provided by this title on any and all services where the delinquent consumer is being supplied with water, the water may be turned off and not turned on again until payment of the amount due is made, plus a minimum fee in an amount established by City Council resolution to cover the cost of turning the service off and on if the service is turned on during regular city working hours; that is, between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on any Monday through Friday other than a holiday, or a minimum charge in an amount established by City Council resolution if the service is turned on at any time other than during the regular city working hours.

('86 Code, § 15.04.010) (Ord. 2028, passed - - ; Am. Ord. 3529, passed - - ; Am. Ord. 3719, passed - - ; Am. Ord. 4587, passed 6-27-11; Am. Ord. 4588, passed 7-11-11)

(A) If any person should turn on water or suffer or cause it to be turned on after it has been shut off at the curb cock by the Water Department, such person shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and punished as provided in § 1.12.010.

(B) Penalty for unauthorized use. If any person should turn on or use water without authorization of the Department, he or she shall pay a minimum charge in an amount established by City Council resolution.

('86 Code, § 15.04.020) (Ord. 2028, passed - - ; Am. Ord. 4587, passed 6-27-11; Am. Ord. 4588, passed 7-11-11)

Before water shall be supplied to any premises, the owner or user shall make a written application for same to the Water Division of the Department of Public Services. The information, required in all instances where application is made for water, shall include the name and address of the applicant, address or location of premises, the applicant's status as owner or lessee and such other information as shall serve to establish credit standing. The city, as a condition to granting such application and furnishing water to the premises, is authorized and shall require payment of a fee thereof, in an amount established by City Council resolution.

('86 Code, § 15.04.040) (Ord. 2883, passed - - ; Am. Ord. 3628, passed - - ; Am. Ord. 3924, passed - - ; Am. Ord. 4043, passed - - ; Am. Ord. 4587, passed 6-27-11; Am. Ord. 4588, passed 7-11-11)

All water pipes between water mains and water meters shall be installed by the Water Department and it shall be unlawful for any person to install such services.

('86 Code, § 15.04.050) (Ord. 2028, passed - - ) Penalty, see § 1.12.010

No person shall install or maintain any physical connection between any private source of water supply and the city water supply; provided, however, that subject to the approval of the Board of Health of the state, the city may maintain emergency connec-tion with other public utilities serving water.

('86 Code, § 15.04.060) (Ord. 2028, passed - - ) Penalty, see § 1.12.010

No plumbing fixture, device, construction or pipe discharging therefrom, or connected therewith, shall be installed or maintained which will provide a cross-connection between the water distribution system used for human consumption and domestic purposes and a drainage system, waste or sewage system, or any other source of probable contamina-tion.

('86 Code, § 15.04.070) (Ord. 2028, passed - - ) Penalty, see § 1.12.010

All shutoff valves are installed by the city for the use of the Water Department, and it shall be unlawful for any unauthorized person to tamper with or to turn off or turn on any water service valve between the water meter and the water main, or to turn off or turn on any water main valve of any description, except in case of emergency. Before operating any water service valve or water main valve, written permission must be obtained from the Superintendent of the Water Department or his or her authorized representatives. The operating of water service valves and water main valves shall be performed by authorized Water Department employees upon request without cost for ordinary usage. All consumers shall install, at their own expense, a shutoff valve inside the property line at a location accessible in case of emergency.

('86 Code, § 15.04.080) (Ord. 2028, passed - - ) Penalty, see § 1.12.010

No person shall draw from the city pipes directly into any stationary steam boilers, hydraulic elevator, power pump or similar apparatus.

('86 Code, § 15.04.090) (Ord. 2028, passed - - ) Penalty, see § 1.12.010

Where city water is used to supply a steam boiler, hydraulic elevator or power pump, its owner shall provide a tank of sufficient capacity to afford a supply for at least 12 hours into which the service pipe shall be discharged.

('86 Code, § 15.04.100) (Ord. 2028, passed - - ) Penalty, see § 1.12.010

No consumer shall supply water to any person other than the occupant of the premises of such consumer; provided, that such consumer may supply water to persons for use in the performance of any contract for the improvement of any street or other public place after having given notice to and received permission from the Superintendent of the Water Department, who shall issue no such permit to or for any person whose indebtedness to the city for water or damage to hydrants is delinquent or who has on one or more occasions taken water from the distributing system of the city or from the pipes of consumers connected with the distributing system of the city without having given notice and received permission.

('86 Code, § 15.04.110) (Ord. 2028, passed - - ) Penalty, see § 1.12.010

No consumer shall permit leaks or waste of water.

('86 Code, § 15.04.120) (Ord. 2028, passed - - ) Penalty, see § 1.12.010

It is hereby declared to be unlawful wherever water is served by the city to use or permit the use of water in any refrigerating apparatus, ornamental fountain or other device in which the water so used is then permitted to flow wastefully. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to prohibit the use of water in such refrigerating appliance, ornamental fountains or other devices, if water so used is circulated by means of pumps and motors in such fashion that the maximum conservation of water is obtained. In all instances in which the Water Superintendent may dis-cover that water furnished by the city is being used in violation of the terms of this section, he may, after having given reasonable notice of his intention so to do, cause the water to be shut off from the consumer using it in violation hereof. Such water shall remain shut off until such consumer shall have removed the appliance causing the wastage of water, or shall have installed pumping and other equipment adequate to secure the maximum use of such water and to prevent waste. The city shall collect the minimum amount of $5 for shutting water off and turning it on again in such cases. Violation of this section shall also constitute a misdemeanor.

('86 Code, § 15.04.130) (Ord. 2028, passed - - ; Am. Ord. 3628, passed - - ) Penalty, see § 1.12.010

No person shall tap, open or connect with any water main or pipe which forms any part of the system of the waterworks of the city, without first notifying and obtaining written permission so to do from the Superintendent of the Water Department, who shall issue no such permit to or for any person whose indebtedness to the city for water or damage to hydrants is delinquent, or who has on one or more occasions taken water from the distributing system of the city without having given the notice and received the permission required by this section, even though such person has paid for water so taken.

('86 Code, § 15.04.140) (Ord. 2028, passed - - ) Penalty, see § 1.12.010

The Superintendent of the Water Department, or his duly authorized personnel, is hereby authorized to turn off and on water from mains and pipes of the city system without notice. Consumers dependent upon a continuous supply of water should provide emergency storage. When water is turned on for any consumer, the Water Department's jurisdiction and responsibility ends at the water meter, and the city will in no case be liable for damages occasioned by water running from open or faulty plumbing fixtures or from broken or damaged pipes beyond the Water Department's meter.

('86 Code, § 15.04.150) (Ord. 2028, passed - - )

The refusal or neglect of the owner or occupant of any premises to equip and maintain the premises with plumbing of such character and quality as to prevent waste of water shall be sufficient grounds for the refusal of the Water Department to connect the premises with the city water supply, or to discontinue such connection after having given two days' notice in writing to the owner or occupant of the property of intention to discontinue the service pending such repairs. In all such cases, the city shall collect the minimum amount of $5 for shutting water off and/or turning it on again during regular city work hours; that is, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on any Monday through Friday other than a holiday, or a minimum of $5 for shutting water off and/or turning it on again at any time other than during the regular city working hours.

('86 Code, § 15.04.160) (Ord. 2028, passed - - ; Am. Ord. 3628, passed - - ; Am. Ord. 3719, passed - - ) Penalty, see § 1.12.010

(A) There is hereby created a committee of three whose duties it shall be to hear complaints registered by any water consumer in the city, and to adjust and recommend the disposition of complaints. In addition, the committee shall perform such other duties and functions which may be assigned to it from time to time by the City Council. The committee shall be composed of the following city officials or their duly authorized agents: Water and Sewer Systems Superintendent, City Manager or Mayor, and Director of Finance.

(B) It shall be the duty of the committee to review all complaints made against the excessive amount of water bills or similar complaints arising from time to time by water consumers in the city and the committee is hereby authorized to adjust com-plaints. In the event the findings of the committee are unsatisfactory to the complainant, the complainant may, within 30 days from the date of review of the matter, file with the Board of Appeals an informal written appeal, or appear before the board of appeals at its next regular meeting concerning any adjustment of any water bill. The decision of the Board of Appeals with respect to any such appeal shall be final.

('86 Code, § 15.04.170) (Ord. 3628, passed - - ; Am. Ord. 3931, passed - - )

The Superintendent of the Water Department shall have the right to restrict the use of water for sprinkling, wetting, irrigating or construction purposes to such hours and for such time as he may deem advisable for the best interest of all concerned; provided, however, that first a notice thereof shall be published in a daily newspaper in the city.

('86 Code, § 15.04.180) (Ord. 2028, passed - - )

Consumers are hereby required to shut off lawn sprinklers or any other steady flow of water they may be using whenever a fire occurs in their section of the city or whenever a large fire occurs in the business section of the city.

('86 Code, § 15.04.190) (Ord. 2028, passed - - ) Penalty, see § 1.12.010

All contractors and other persons who open, grade, regrade, fill, excavate or work on a street shall give ten days' written notice to the Super-intendent of the Water Department for the removal or displacement of any water mains, pipes, fittings, meters or other waterworks material that may interfere with such street work, and on failure to so furnish such notice any damage resulting from such failure shall be charged against the person responsible.

('86 Code, § 15.04.200) (Ord. 2028, passed - - )

Whenever the amount of any tax has been overpaid or paid more than once or has been illegally, erroneously or wrongfully collected or received by the city under this chapter, it may be refunded; provided that a claim in writing therefor, duly verified by the person paying such tax or penalty, his or her attorney, duly authorized agent, guardian, or his or her executor or administrator, shall have been filed with the Director of Finance within one year after the date or payment of the amount sought to be refunded. Such claim shall include the name and address of the claimant, the amount and date of payment sought to be refunded, and state under penalty of perjury the reasons or grounds upon which the claim for refund is based. The claim shall be on forms furnished by the Director of Finance. In no case shall any judgment be rendered for the plaintiff in any proceeding brought to enforce the payment of any claim arising hereunder if such action or proceeding is brought by any person other than the persons designated herein. Except as expressly provided herein, § 3.16.060(C) of this code shall apply to claims filed hereunder.

(Ord. 4320, passed 3-24-97)