Cotati Municipal Code Art. I Title, Purpose And General Provisions

This chapter shall be known as the "water conservation toilet retrofit ordinance for nonresidential customers" of the city of Cotati and may be so cited.

(Ord. 786 § 1(part), 2006; Ord. 822 § 4(part), 2009)

The purpose and intent of this chapter is to ensure that the present and future water resources and sanitary sewer treatment capacity available to the city of Cotati are utilized to maximum benefit for our present and future customers. The city intends to promote water conservation through requiring the installation of Water Sense toilets at the time of any change in water service by a nonresidential customer. All nonresidential customers applying for change of service shall comply with the requirements set forth in this chapter.

(Ord. 786 § 1(part), 2006; Ord. 822 § 4(part), 2009)

The terms used in this chapter shall have the following meanings:

"Certificate of retrofit compliance"

means a certificate issued upon completion of installation of a toilet retrofit in a residential structure. The certificate requires the signature of a licensed plumber verifying inspection or installation of toilet retrofit for each nonconforming toilet at the service address.

"City"

means the city of Cotati.

"Nonresidential customer"

means the person or entity applying for service from an existing connection for a property, or portion thereof, who is also the property owner of the property at the service address. For purposes of this chapter, "nonresidential customer" is defined to exclude renters or tenants of nonresidential property.

"Nonresidential property" or "property"

means a parcel or parcels of real property upon which is located a nonresidential structure. For a "mixed use" property, the connection for a residential customer is governed by Chapter 13.32, whereas the connection for a nonresidential customer is governed by this chapter.

"Nonresidential structure"

means a structure or structures located upon a parcel or parcels of real property which is used for any purpose other than to provide living accommodation to one or more persons, including, but not limited to, use as a place of business for commercial, industrial, office or institutional purposes.

"Pre-1992 structure"

means any nonresidential structure built and available for use or occupancy before January 1, 1992.

"Property owner"

means the person or entity holding legal ownership and financial authority over the property.

"Service address"

is the address of a nonresidential property receiving water service in the city.

"Toilet retrofit"

means replacing each toilet using more than one and six-tenths gallons of water per flush with a Water Sense toilet.

"Water Sense toilet"

means any toilet that uses 1.28 gallons per flush or less and conforms to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Water Sense specifications, as demonstrated though Water Sense certification.

"Water service change"

means a request for new, increased or modified water service at an existing service address.

(Ord. 786 § 1(part), 2006; Ord. 822 § 4(part), 2009)

All nonresidential customers of a pre-1992 structure shall, at the time of water service change, comply with the requirements set forth in this chapter.

(Ord. 786 § 1(part), 2006)

All existing toilet fixtures in pre-1992 structures receiving water from the city's water system shall, at the time of water service change, be retrofitted, exclusively with a Water Sense toilet as defined in Section 13.73.030, if any existing toilet fixtures exceed one and six-tenths gallons per flush. A certificate of retrofit compliance shall be submitted by the property owner to the city for nonresidential structures in which all toilet fixtures have been retrofitted. If no certificate of retrofit compliance is on file with the city at the time of request for a water service change, a site inspection shall be required and the property owner shall be charged a city inspection fee. Said fee may be set by council by separate resolution. The inspection will be performed by city personnel or a licensed plumber contracted by the city. The property owner may also contract its own licensed plumber, at its own expense, to conduct the inspection. If the pre-1992 residential structure is found to already be retrofitted, the city personnel or plumber will sign a certificate of retrofit compliance and submit it to the city building department with a copy to the property owner. If it is determined that a toilet retrofit is required the property owner shall be financially responsible for said toilet retrofit. Certificates of retrofit compliance will be maintained by the building department in order to provide future verification that all toilets installed in a structure do not exceed one and six-tenths gallons per flush.

(Ord. 786 § 1(part), 2006; Ord. 822 § 4(part), 2009)

It shall be the property owner's responsibility to obtain from the city, in addition to any normal permits required by the city, a certificate of retrofit compliance. The property owner will have ninety days from the date of request for change of water service to certify compliance with this chapter. Thereafter, the city will assess the property owner a surcharge of twenty percent of the water bill per billing cycle until a certificate of retrofit compliance is filed with the city. Said surcharge shall be prorated from the ninety-day deadline date to the actual date the certificate of retrofit compliance is filed with and received by the city building department.

(Ord. 786 § 1(part), 2006)

A nonresidential customer shall be exempt from the requirements of this chapter in the following circumstances:

A. Unavailability of a Water Sense toilet to either match a well-defined historic architectural style fitted with authentic plumbing fixtures or to accommodate existing plumbing without bathroom alteration;

B. Other Exemptions. The city manager determines that an exemption is necessary for purposes of health, safety and sanitation.

A request for an exemption must be accompanied by substantial evidence of the existence of the facts supporting the requested exemption.

(Ord. 786 § 1(part), 2006; Ord. 822 § 4(part), 2009)