Arcadia Municipal Code § 7540.9 Use of Fire Hydrants

Each consumer shall at his own expense keep his service pipes, fixtures, stopcocks, gate valves and all other water apparatus other than that owned by the Department in good repair and free from leakage, and each consumer shall be liable for all damage which may result from failure to comply herewith.

No person shall willfully or negligently waste water in any manner whatsoever.

The use of water for watering lawns or shrubbery, wetting, construction or industrial purposes, may be restricted by the Superintendent or his representative by oral, written or published notification if and when such use be contrary to the public safety or welfare.

Water meters, meter boxes, gate valve covers and fire hydrants are and shall remain the property of the Department. No person shall damage or interfere with any such property, or permit any shrubbery or ground cover to obstruct or cover any such property, or place garbage or rubbish containers, dirt, trash, leaves, lawn cuttings or other material on any such property. Upon failure to remove any obstruction within a reasonable time after notice, the water service shall be discontinued and shall not be turned on again until such obstruction is removed and the sum of Ten and no/100 Dollars ($10.00) is paid for the expense of turning said water off and on as well as the cost, if any, incurred by the Department in removing any such obstruction.

(Amended by Ord. 1556 adopted 3-2-76)

With the approval of the Superintendent, two or more services supplying water to the same building structure or premises through which a circulating flow may occur, shall have a standard check-valve on each water service to be located adjacent to and on the property side of the respective meters. Such check-valve shall not be considered as an adequate backflow prevention device if backflow protection is deemed necessary to protect the Department's mains from pollution or contamination. The installation of approved dual backflow devices at such meters shall take the place of and satisfy the requirement for standard check-valves.

No person shall make or cause a connection to exist for any purpose whatever between the Department's system and any other source of supply.

As a protection to the consumer's plumbing system, a suitable pressure relief valve shall be installed and maintained by said consumer at his expense when check-valves or other protective devices are used, and the system is connected to a water heater of any type. The relief valve shall be installed between the check-valve and the water heater.

Any by-pass or connection around the meter shall be prohibited. All water used, except as provided herein, shall pass through the meter.

A program for cross-connection control is authorized to be established by resolution of the City Council.

(Amended by Ord. 1884 adopted 6-21-88)

The Superintendent may cause water service to be discontinued to any property served by the water system of the City after forty-eight (48) hours' due notice to the owner or occupant of the property if such owner or occupant shall fail, refuse or neglect to comply with the notice to correct conditions or perform prescribed device tests within the time specified and may further order such building or property vacated because of a hazard to the health and welfare of the occupants.

Each consumer shall install, for his ordinary usage and at his own expense, a shutoff valve on the property side of the meter prior to the first water takeoff. Such shutoff valve may be installed within the meter box. Except in case of an emergency, no consumer shall use or molest any shutoff valve on the street side of any meter.

Fire hydrants shall be opened only by the Water and Fire Departments or by such persons as may have first obtained a permit to use same. No such permit shall be issued to any person who has violated any of the provisions of this Chapter or whose indebtedness to the City for water used or damage to hydrants is delinquent.

All persons except members of the Water or Fire Departments shall observe the rules set forth in the following subsections when taking water from city fire hydrants.

Before operating any hydrant valve for the purpose of obtaining water for cleaning or sprinkling streets, flooding ditches, flushing sewers and culverts or for any other use except for fighting fires by members of the Fire Department, a wheel type gate valve having a National Standard Fire Thread (female on one end and male on the other) shall be installed on the hydrant outlet or the hydrant meter outlet and this valve shall be the only valve operated for turning the water on or off, except for the initial opening and final shutoff of the hydrant which initial opening and final shutoff shall be made with an approved fire hydrant wrench.

Every person opening fire hydrants shall replace the caps on the outlets when the same are not in use.

Failure to use the valves or tools, or to follow the instructions hereinbefore specified shall be sufficient cause for the prohibition of further use of the hydrants, for the forfeiture of deposits and for the refusal to grant subsequent permits for the use of such fire hydrants.

Fire hydrant meters shall be installed, moved or removed only by Departmental personnel.

When a fire hydrant has been installed in the location specified by the Fire Department, the Department has fulfilled its obligation. If a property owner or other party desires a change in the size, type or location of the hydrant, he shall bear all costs involved in such changes. Any change in the location of a fire hydrant must be approved by the Fire Department and the Superintendent.

Every person, firm or corporation shall give ten (10) days' written notice to the Superintendent prior to any public works improvements to be performed which will endanger or cause the securing or relocation of existing water mains, fittings, meters or other water equipment. Any changes which are required or any damages which may occur to such mains, fittings, meters or other water equipment without fault or negligence of the Department shall be chargeable to the person or agency requiring said work to be done.

All services and all water meters and boxes installed by the Department shall at all times remain the property of the Department. The expense of maintenance, repair, renewal or replacement of such services, meters, materials and boxes due to normal wear and usage shall be borne by the Department. All other expenses of maintenance, repair, replacement and renewal shall be charged to and paid for by the consumer.

(Amended by Ord. 1177 adopted 6-6-62)

(Ord. 1142 adopted 10-3-61 repealed original Ch. 5, Parts 1 through 4 and added a new Ch. 5, Parts 1 through 5)