Ceres Municipal Code Ch. 01 General Water Provisions

The purpose of this title to develop and maintain an adequate and safe water supply to serve commercial, industrial, residential, and public facility land uses as established in the general plan. The provisions of this title shall apply to:

A. Water supplies and services operated by the City;

B. The design, construction, alteration, use and maintenance of public water mains, reservoirs, distribution systems, pumping equipment and facilities, pressure reducing stations, connections and other services operated by the City;

C. All system appurtenances connecting to the City's distribution system;

D. The issuance of permits and the collection of fees for services and improvements to the City's distribution system;

E. Fees to pay for the cost of checking plans, inspecting construction and making record plans of City facilities permitted in this title;

F. Providing penalties for violations of any of the provisions of this title; and

G. All other necessary or related matters.

(Ord. No. 2019-1054, § 2, 12-9-2019)

Except as otherwise provided in this title or by State law, the management, control, and care of the City's water system shall be vested in the Director of Public Works under the supervision of the City Manager and City Council. Any powers granted to or duties imposed upon the Director of Public Works may be delegated by the Director of Public Works to other City personnel or contractor hired by the City.

(Ord. No. 2019-1054, § 2, 12-9-2019)

The following abbreviations, when used in this chapter, shall have the designated meanings:

(Ord. No. 2019-1054, § 2, 12-9-2019)

For the purposes of this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the following meanings:

Applicant means an individual or agency applying for utility service.

Commercial service means provision of water for use in connection with commercial premises devoted primarily to operations for profit, other than industrial purposes, including offices, stores, markets, apartments, hotels, motels, automobile trailer parks or courts, service stations and the like.

Corporation stop or corporation cock means the valve adjoining the water main on a service connection.

Cross connections means that all applicable sections of chapter 6.28 of the Ceres Municipal Code shall apply.

Customer or consumer means the owner, agent or authorized tenant of the owner of the property receiving water service.

Developer means a person or corporation requesting water service from the City for the purpose of land development, regardless of the number of services.

Development means the improving of developed or undeveloped land to more fully use the available land or structures. A development may be a subdivision.

Director shall mean the Director of Public Works.

Domestic service means the provision of water for household residential purposes, including water for sprinkling lawns, gardens and shrubbery; watering livestock; washing vehicles; and other similar and customary purposes.

Employee means any person designated by the City Manager or the Director of Public Works to perform work and labor for the Public Works Department, excluding contractors and their employees.

Fire protection service means the provision of water to premises for automatic fire protection.

Flat rate service means the provision of water in unmeasured quantities for a fixed periodic charge.

Idler means that piece of pipe used to conduct water in place of a meter in flat rate service.

Industrial service means the provision of water to industrial premises where the water is primarily used in manufacturing or processing activities.

Irrigation service means the provision of water for commercial agricultural, floricultural, or horticultural, or landscape irrigation uses. No water from an irrigation service may enter the sewer system.

Lateral means the horizontal piping which extends from a building to the sewer main.

Mains means the distribution pipelines located in streets, highways, public ways or public utility easements which are used to distribute water to the customers, service connections, and fire hydrants.

Meter means the device used to measure water consumption; i.e., water meter.

Meter rate service means the provision of water in measured quantities for a charge based on the quantity of water supplied.

Metered service connection means the portion of the distribution system by which water is conveyed from the water main to the premises, including the tap, meter, meter box, pipe, corporation stop, curb stop or shut-off valve.

Multiple-family dwelling means a dwelling occupied as a permanent residence or home for two or more customers, or families of customers, living independently of each other.

Municipal or public use means the provision of water to a municipality or other public body.

Premises means a parcel of real estate, including any improvements thereon, which is determined by the City to be a single unit for purposes of receiving, using and paying for service. In making this determination, the City shall take into consideration such factors as whether the unit could reasonably be subdivided and whether the unit is being used for a single enterprise, apartment or dwelling.

Private water line means the portion of the distribution system located on the customer's side of the metered service connection.

Record drawings means a set of construction plans updated to reflect all changes occurring after plan approval and during the construction of work, showing exact dimensions, geometry and location of all elements reflecting as-built conditions.

Rentable unit means any building or portion thereof that can be used as a completely independent unit.

Residential service means the provision of water for household purposes, including water used on the premises for irrigating lawns, gardens and shrubbery; washing vehicles; and other similar and customary purposes pertaining to single or multiple-family dwellings.

Service connections means the pipes, valves and other facilities by which means the utility conducts water from its distribution mains to and through the meter, or to the curbstop or shutoff valve on an unmetered service connection.

Special services and users means those services and users not otherwise provided for in this chapter.

Subdivider shall have the same definition as the term is defined under title 17, Subdivisions.

Subdivision shall have the same definition as the term is defined under title 17, Subdivisions.

Temporary service means the service for circuses, bazaars, fairs, construction work, irrigation of vacant property, and similar uses, that because of their nature will not be used steadily or permanently.

Utility means the public utility or publicly owned utility named in this chapter.

Utility service means the water and/or sewer and/or refuse service.

Water facilities means all wells, sources of supply, storage, treatment, transmission, distribution and pumping facilities, service connections and any other appurtenance in connection with the City's distribution system. Unless otherwise specified, "water facilities" do not include facilities and appurtenances operated by California Water Service Company.

Water system means the system of pipelines and other appurtenances by which the City conveys water to its customers.

Water wasting means the use of water in such a manner that excess water is used and not effectively utilized for the lawfully intended purpose.

(Ord. No. 2019-1054, § 2, 12-9-2019)