Title 13 — PUBLIC SERVICES CHAPTER 13.04. - WATER FACILITIES CHARGES AND REGULATIONS

A.

The city council finds and determines that it is in the best interest of the people of the city to impose water facilities charges to pay for the operation, maintenance, repair, replacement and improvement of the city's water facilities. Imposing water facilities charges will allow the city to provide safe, adequate and up-todate water facilities for the use and benefit of the people of the city and benefits their health, safety and welfare.

B.

The city council further finds that water facilities charges should be imposed upon users and uses of the water facilities on a cost reasonably borne basis, and that the rates of such charges should be set by resolution.

(Code 1985, § 13.04.005; Ord. No. 508, § 1(part), 2004)

Applications for connections with the water facilities shall be in writing and shall be made to the department of public works of the city, which department shall issue permits for such connection with the approval of the public works director or the public works superintendent. Upon making application for connection to any portion of the water facilities, the applicant shall pay to the city the actual costs of all labor, materials and equipment expended, together with the administrative fee for such connection.

(Code 1985, § 13.04.010; Ord. No. 508, § 1(part), 2004; Ord. No. 509, § 1(part), 2004; Ord. No. 596, § 2, 6- 9-2025)

In no event shall the public works director or the public works superintendent be required to lay or place connections to the water facilities other than from the main water line to the curbline of the property to be served by such connection. In all cases the materials so used and which become a part of such connection, shall become the property of the city and is under the control of the public works superintendent.

(Code 1985, § 13.04.020; Ord. No. 508, § 1(part), 2004; Ord. No. 509, § 1(part), 2004; Ord. No. 596, § 2, 6- 9-2025)

In order to avoid redundant connections to properties, no more than one water system connection per parcel may be made. As part of the city's drought resiliency measures, each service connection shall be separately metered.

(Ord. No. 596, § 2, 6-9-2025)

No person except firefighters in carrying out firefighter duties during a fire or during practice or other employees of the city in discharge of their duties shall turn water on or off through any public hydrant or valve, without a written permit from the public works director or public works superintendent. No person shall obstruct the free access to any hydrant or valve.

(Code 1985, § 13.04.040; Ord. No. 508, § 1(part), 2004; Ord. No. 509, § 1(part), 2004; Ord. No. 596, § 2, 6- 9-2025)

No person shall permit the unnecessary waste of water or permit the same to run unnecessarily on any public street or alley or vacant lot.

(Code 1985, § 13.04.050; Ord. No. 508, § 1(part), 2004)

The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

A.

Premises means a lot, parcel of land, building or establishment.

B.

User means any person or entity who uses the city water facilities or who has used such water facilities within the previous 24 months.

C.

Water facilities means the water supply system of the city and all appurtenances thereto and portions thereof.

(Code 1985, § 13.04.060; Ord. No. 508, § 1(part), 2004; Ord. No. 509, § 1(part), 2004)

The city imposes a charge upon all users of the city water facilities for operation, maintenance, repair, replacement and improvement of those water facilities. The rates of charge for specific uses and users shall be set by resolution. No charge shall be imposed upon the use of water itself.

(Code 1985, § 13.04.070; Ord. No. 508, § 1(part), 2004)

Notwithstanding any other provision of the ordinance codified in this chapter, any contracts for water service negotiated by the city with governmental agencies, political subdivisions, or other persons or entities outside its corporate limits, shall be based upon the amount of water supplied to such entity from the city as well as the costs reasonably borne of operation, maintenance, repair, replacement and improvement of such water facilities and the fire demand of such facility, provided that nothing herein contained shall affect the validity of presently existing contracts for such services.

(Code 1985, § 13.04.080; Ord. No. 508, § 1(part), 2004; Ord. No. 509, § 1(part), 2004)

A.

Bills for monthly periods in advance shall be mailed or delivered to each user of city water facilities subject to the charges as set by resolution. Each such monthly bill shall be paid in advance or before the 15th day of the monthly period for which it is tendered.

B.

Any and every bill not paid within 20 days from the last day of the month in which it is tendered shall thereupon be and become delinquent whereupon ten percent of the amount of the bill shall be added thereto as penalty for delinquency. On the 20th day of each monthly period thereafter that the same bill remains unpaid, there shall be added thereto an additional 1½ percent of the original amount of the bill as additional penalty or penalties for delinquency.

C.

Any user being connected for the first time or being reconnected to the water facilities of the city shall be charged in advance for the water services for or during the monthly period during which such connection is made.

D.

There shall be no refund, rebate, reduction or allowance in the charges against any premises for any monthly period because of the destruction, demolition or removal of the building or premises, the disconnection from the water system during such period or for the nonuse of the water system.

(Code 1985, § 13.04.090; Ord. No. 508, § 1(part), 2004; Ord. No. 509, § 1(part), 2004; Ord. No. 596, § 2, 6- 9-2025)

A.

Any qualifying applicant who uses water services at the applicant's personal residence may apply for a 25 percent reduction in the monthly water service charge respecting use at that residence only. Applications for reduced rates shall be on forms supplied by the city. All information required to be given on such forms shall be supplied by the applicant under penalty of perjury.

B.

Reduced rates shall be granted qualifying applicants who receive a bill for service directly from the city and file their applications with the finance director.

C.

For the purposes of this section, a "qualifying applicant" is any person 65 years of age or older who is a member of a household and who has a verifiable gross income of no more than that specified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as "very low income" for the county.

D.

The finance director may adopt such rules and regulations, not inconsistent herewith, which the director deems necessary to properly carry out the provisions of this section.

(Code 1985, § 13.04.091; Ord. No. 508, § 1(part), 2004)

In addition to any other remedy allowed to the city, where a commercial or other nonresidential user has not paid any billing of the city for water services within 60 days after that billing was tendered to such user, the city, upon ten days' prior written and mailed notice of delinquency and impending termination of water service, shall have the right to terminate water service to such commercial or other non-commercial user. In addition to the foregoing, written notice of delinquency and impending termination of water service shall be posted on the property which is the subject of the billing, not less than 48 hours prior to actual termination of water service. The city shall restore delivery of water service to such commercial or other nonresidential user within a reasonable period of time after the billing is paid in full, together with payment of the actual cost of the city to terminate and restore such water service. As used in this section, restoration of water service within 72 hours, not including weekend days or holidays, of full payment of the foregoing charges shall be deemed a "reasonable period of time."

(Code 1985, § 13.04.095; Ord. No. 508, § 1(part), 2004; Ord. No. 509, § 1(part), 2004; Ord. No. 529, § 2, 3- 8-2010)

A.

In addition to any other remedy allowed to the city, where a residential user had not paid any billing of the city for water services within 60 days after that billing was tendered, the city shall have the right to terminate water service to such residential user as provided in Public Utilities Code § 10001 et seq. The city shall restore water service to such residential user within a reasonable period of time after the billing is paid in full, together with payment of the actual cost of the city to terminate and restore such water service. As used in this section, restoration of water delivery within hours, not including weekend days or holidays, of full payment of the foregoing charges shall be deemed a "reasonable period of time."

B.

The city council may, by resolution or motion, adopt a policy for discontinuation of residential water service. Such policy may include, but may not be limited to, additional procedures concerning billing, discontinuation of service, notifications, restoration of service, contesting or appealing a bill, extensions and alternative payment arrangements, protections available to qualified low-income customers, and related matters. To the extent a policy adopted pursuant to this section conflicts with any provisions of this chapter, the policy shall control.

(Code 1985, § 13.04.100; Ord. No. 529, § 3, 3-8-2010; Ord. No. 565, § 1, 2-24-2020)

The charges and rentals levied pursuant to this chapter shall be collected by the finance department, which shall prepare and send monthly statements for all charges fixed by this chapter. The public works director, or the director's designated representative, is authorized to make all such inspections as may be necessary to implement this chapter.

(Code 1985, § 13.04.110; Ord. No. 508, § 1(part), 2004; Ord. No. 509, § 1(part), 2004; Ord. No. 596, § 2, 6- 9-2025)