Fowler Municipal Code Art. 8 Private Fire Protection Services

(a) Costs. The applicant for private fire protection service shall pay the total actual cost of the installation of the service from the distribution main to the premises of the customer, including the cost of a detector check meter or other suitable and equivalent device, valve, and meter box. Such installation shall become the property of the City. The City may agree to install the connection and meter at cost, plus ten (10) percent.

(b) Connections to Other Systems Prohibited. There shall be no connection between such fire protection system and any other water distribution system on the premises.

(c) Use. There shall be no water used through such fire protection service, except to extinguish fires and for testing the fire-fighting equipment.

(d) Meter Rates. Any consumption recorded on the meter will be charged for at double the regular service rates, except that no charge will be made for water used to extinguish accidental fires where such fires have been reported to the duly authorized fire protection agency.

(e) Monthly Rates. The monthly rates for private fire protection shall be as set forth in Article 6 of this chapter.

(f) Meter for Fire Storage Tanks. Occasionally water may be obtained from a private fire service for filling a tank connected with the fire service, but only if written permission is secured from the City in advance, and an approved means of measurement is available. The regular water rates will be applied.

(g) Violations of Agreements. If water is used from a private fire service in violation of the agreement or of the provisions of this chapter, the City, at its option, may discontinue and remove the service.

(h) Water Pressure and Supply. The City shall assume no responsibility for losses or damages due to the lack of water or pressure, either high or low, and merely agrees to furnish such quantities and pressures as are available in its general distribution system. The fire protection service shall be subject to shutdowns and variations required by the operation of the water system.

(i) Connections. The following rules shall apply to fire service connections:

(1) Valves. When a fire service connection is installed, the valve governing such fire service connection will be closed and sealed and remain so until a written order is received from the owner of the premises to have the water turned on.

(2) Meters. If the City does not require a meter, and if water is used through a fire service connection for any purpose other than extinguishing fires, the City shall have the right to place a meter on the fire service connection at the expense of the owner or shut off the entire water supply from such premises.

(3) Additional services. The City shall have the right to take a domestic, commercial, or industrial service connection from the fire service connection at the curb to supply the same premises as those to which the fire service connection belongs. The Council shall also have the right to determine the proportion of the installation costs properly chargeable to each service connection if such segregation of costs shall become necessary.

(4) Check valves. The Council reserves the right to install on all fire service connections a check valve of a type approved by the National Board of Fire Underwriters and to equip the check valve with a bypass meter at the expense of the owner of the property.

(§§ 15-1 through 15-9, Ord. 14-6)