Fowler Municipal Code Art. 4 Installations

Minimum standards for the design and construction of water facilities within the City shall be in accordance with the applicable provisions of the laws, rules, and regulations and the Standard Specifications adopted by the Council, copies of which are on file in the office of the City Superintendent. The Council or the City Superintendent may permit modifications or may require higher standards where unusual conditions are encountered.

Two (2) complete sets of "as-built" drawings showing the actual location of all mains, valves, fire hydrants, house services, meters, and appurtenances shall be filed with the City before the final acceptance of the work.

(§ 5-1, Ord. 14-6)

(a) Applications: Form. Applications for regular water services where no main extension is required shall be made upon a form provided by the City.

(b) Undertaking of applicants. Such applications shall signify the willingness and intention of the applicant to comply with the provisions of this chapter and other laws and regulations relating to regular water services and to make payment for the water services required.

(c) Payments for previous services. No such application shall be honored unless payment in full has been made for water services previously rendered to the applicant by the City.

(d) Installation of services. Regular water services will be installed of the size and location determined by the Water Department, Service installations will be made only to property abutting on public streets or abutting on such distribution mains as may be constructed in alleys or easements at the convenience of the Water Department. Services installed in new subdivisions prior to the construction of streets or in advance of street improvements shall be accepted by the applicant in the installed location.

(e) Service connections. Service connections will be installed in accordance with the provisions of Article 5 of this chapter.

(§§ 6-1 through 6-5, Ord. 14-6)

(a) Applications: Installations. The following rules for regular water services where a main extension is required are hereby established:

(1) Determinations. Upon the receipt of an application for water services or a request for an application form, the City Superintendent shall determine whether, in his judgment, a main extension is necessary to provide such services. A main extension shall be installed in the manner provided in this section whenever, in the judgment of the City Superintendent and the Council, such main extension is necessary to provide regular water services to the property described in such application or request.

(2) Applications. Any owner of one or more lots or parcels, or the subdivider of a tract of land, where, in the opinion of the City Superintendent, one or more main extensions is required, desiring regular water services to serve such property shall make a written application therefor to the City. Such application shall contain the legal description of the property to be served, the tract number thereof, and any additional information which may be required by the City, and such application shall be accompanied by a map showing the location of the proposed connections.

(3) Investigations. Upon the receipt of the application, the City Superintendent shall make an investigation of the proposed extension and submit his opinion and the estimated cost thereof to the Council.

(4) Rulings. The Council shall thereupon consider such application and report and, after such consideration, reject, amend, or approve the application.

(5) City lines. All extensions thus provided shall be and remain the property of the City in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.

(6) Dead-end lines. No dead-end lines shall be permitted, except as recommended by the City Superintendent and approved by the Council. In cases where, subsequent to the approval of a dead- end line by the Council, another dead-end line is planned in sufficient proximity to make a connection feasible, and such connection is recommended by the City Superintendent and approved by the Council, the dead-end lines shall be connected. In cases where circulation lines are necessary, they shall be designed and installed by the Water Department as a part of the cost of the extension.

(7) Extent and design. All main extensions shall extend to the far property line of developed property. If additional property is developed on the same lot after the installation of a main extension, the main extension shall be extended to the far property line of the additionally developed property. All main extensions shall be subject to design approval by the City Superintendent and the Council.

(b) Costs: Liability. The City will provide the main extensions upon an application for water services at the cost of the applicant provided the construction of an extension will not, in the opinion of the City, work an undue hardship upon the City or its then existing consumers or result in a disproportionate benefit to the applicant. The City will, at its own expense, provide up to 100 feet of an extension as may be necessary to service each premises. Apartment houses, motels, office buildings, and structures of a like nature shall be classified as single premises for the purposes of this subsection.

(c) Costs: Determination. The estimated costs shall be determined by the engineer.

(d) Deposits. The estimated, costs shall be deposited with the City prior to construction. If the amount of the advance deposit exceeds the actual costs of engineering, legal, inspection, and other charges attributable to the extension, the balance shall be refunded to the property owner. If the amount of the deposit is insufficient to pay all the costs of engineering, legal, inspection, and other charges attributable to the extension, the property owner shall pay all such costs to the City prior to the acceptance of the extension by the City.

(e) Service connections. Service connections will be installed in accordance with the provisions of Article 5 of this chapter.

(§§ 7-1 through 7-5, Ord. 14-6)

(a) Applications: Filing. Any person desiring to provide a water system within a tract of land which he proposes to subdivide shall make a written application therefor.

(b) Applications: Contents. Such application shall state the number of the tract, the name of the subdivision, and its location. The application shall be accompanied by a copy of the tentative map and a copy of the plans, profiles, and specifications for the street work or shall note if they are already on file with the City Superintendent.

(c) Plans and specifications: Deposit of costs. The applicant shall advance to the City the estimated costs of the plans and specifications therefor.

(d) Conveyances of title. All facilities not transferred by dedication shall be the property of the City and shall be conveyed to the City by a proper instrument in writing at the time the facilities are completed and before they are accepted by the City.

(e) Service connections. The subdivider shall, at his cost, provide and install the service connection to each house or proposed house in the tract, including the pipeline and curb stop, and, if required, a meter box but not the meter. No deposit will be required.

(f) Meters. If a meter is required at the time of an application for water services by the purchaser of a house in the tract, the applicant shall pay the City the costs, plus ten (10%) percent, to cover the cost of the installation of a three-fourths (¾″) inch meter, or an amount to be estimated and fixed by the Water Superintendent for larger meters.

(g) Costs and expenses. All costs and expenses incurred by the City pursuant to the provisions of this section, including the costs of the investigations, inspections, and the services of the legal and consulting engineers, shall be paid to the City by the subdivider prior to the approval of the application.

(h) Additional requirements. In granting such an application, the Council may make whatever further requirements or establish such conditions as may appear to it to be necessary or desirable.

(§§ 8-1 through 8-8, Ord. 14-6)

(a) Purpose. The purpose of this section is to protect the public water supply system from contamination due to potential and actual cross-connections. This shall be accomplished by the establishment of a cross-connection control program as required by State regulations. The ordinance codified in this section is adopted pursuant to Title 17, Section 7583—7605, inclusive, of the California Code of Regulations, entitled "Regulations Relating to Cross-Connections."

(b) Responsibility. The Water Department shall be responsible for implementing and enforcing the cross-connection control program. An appropriate backflow prevention assembly shall be installed by and at the expense of the water user at each user connection where required to prevent backflow from the water user's premises to the domestic water system. It shall be the water user's responsibility to comply with the Water Department's requirements.

(c) Cross-connection protection requirements. The type of protection that shall be provided to prevent backflow into the public water supply system shall be commensurate with the degree of hazard, actual or potential, that exists on the water user's premises. Unprotected cross-connections with the public water supply are prohibited. The type of backflow prevention assembly that may be required (listed in decreasing level of protection) includes: Air-gap separation (AG), Reduced Pressure Principle Backflow Prevention Assembly (RP), and a Double Check Valve Assembly (DC). The water user may choose a higher level of protection than required by the Water Department. The minimum type of back- flow protection required to protect the approved water supply at the user's water connection to premises with varying degrees of hazard are listed in Table 1 of Section 7604, Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations. Situations which are not covered in Table 1 shall be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and the appropriate backflow protection shall be determined by the Water Department or health agency.

(d) Backflow prevention assemblies. Only the backflow prevention assemblies which have been approved by the Water Department shall be acceptable for installation by a water user. A list of approved backflow prevention assemblies will be provided upon request to any affected customer. Backflow prevention assemblies shall be installed in a manner prescribed in Section 7603, Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations. Location of the assemblies shall be as close as practical to the user's connection. The Water Department shall have the final authority in determining the required location of a backflow prevention assembly.

Testing of backflow assemblies shall be conducted only by qualified testers and testing will be the responsibility of the water user. Backflow prevention assemblies must be tested at least annually and immediately after installation, relocation or repair. More frequent testing may be required if deemed necessary by the Water Department. No assembly shall be placed back in service unless it is functioning as designed. These assemblies shall be serviced, overhauled, or replaced whenever they are found to be defective and all costs of testing, repair, and maintenance shall be borne by the water user. Approval must be obtained from the Water Department prior to removing, relocating or replacing a backflow prevention assembly.

(e) Administration. The cross-connection control program shall be administered by the Water Department. The Water Department will establish and maintain a list of approved backflow prevention assemblies as well as a list of approved backflow prevention assembly testers. The water department shall conduct necessary surveys of water user premises to evaluate the degree of potential health hazards. The Water Department shall notify user when an assembly needs to be tested. The notice shall contain the date when the test must be completed.

(f) Water service termination. When the Water Department encounters water uses that represent a clear and immediate hazard to the potable water supply that cannot be immediately abated, the procedure for terminating water service shall be instituted. Conditions or water uses that create a basis for water service termination shall include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Refusal to install or to test a backflow prevention assembly, or to repair or replace a faulty backflow prevention assembly;

2. Direct or indirect connection between the public water system and a sewer line;

3. Unprotected direct or indirect connection between the public water system and a system or equipment containing contaminants;

4. Unprotected direct or indirect connection between the public water system and an auxiliary water system.

For condition 1, the Water Department will terminate service to a water user's premises after notification has been sent. If no action is taken immediately, the water service shall be terminated.

For conditions 2, 3 or 4, the Water Department shall take the following steps.

(1) Make reasonable effort to advise the water user of intent to terminate water service;

(2) Terminate water service and lock service valve. The water service shall remain inactive until correction of violations has been approved by the Water Department.

(§ 9-9, Ord. 14-6, as amended by § 2, Ord. 89-3, eff. August 17, 1989)

The owner shall provide a valve on his side of the service installation as close as practicable to the meter location, street, highway, alley, or easement in which the water main serving the premises of the owner is located to control the flow of water to the piping on such property. The owner or applicant, if other than the owner, shall not use the service curb stop to turn water off and on for his convenience.

(§ 9-8, Ord. 14-6)