Gustine Municipal Code Art. 1 In General

The city shall have the right and power to turn off the water in the mains and pipes of the water system without notice at any time, in case of an emergency.

The department of public works, with the approval of the city council, during a time of serious water shortage or expected water shortage, may declare a limited period or certain hours each day when water may be used for irrigation purposes or any purposes other than actual house or sanitary purposes. All persons violating such regulations, if declared, will be subject to penalties as set forth in this chapter.

Before water may be served from the city water mains to any person or premises, such person or the owner or occupant of such premises shall make a written application for such service upon a form provided by the city at the office of the city clerk. The information, required in all instances where application is made for water, shall include the name and address of the applicant, name of the street upon which such property fronts and the official house number, if any, assigned to the premises for which water is desired, together with the applicants status as owner or lessee.

(Code 1966, § 6-4.08)

(a) Every application for water service shall be accompanied by cash deposits which shall be adopted by resolution. A service charge as established by resolution shall also be paid with each application. An applicant for water service whose credit with the city has been previously established need make no deposit. The payment by any person of his water bill by the 15th of each month to the city for a period of at least one year shall be presumed to have established acceptable credit for such purposes with the city.

(b) Lessors or renters of the premises upon which water service is furnished who have paid their water bills to the city by the 20th of each month for a period of a least one year shall, upon demand, have their deposits as provided in subsection (a) of this section returned to them when their accounts are closed, but the amount of any unpaid bills shall be deducted from such deposit before such deposit is returned. No deposit need be returned without the surrender of the receipt issued therefor. At the expiration of one year after a closing bill has been rendered, the amount of the deposit or the balance thereof shall be forfeited and the same shall be transferred to the water operating fund.

Water meters are to be located in the public rights-of-way unless permission for another location is granted by the city when it is not practical to place such meter in the right-of-way. Water meters shall not be placed in driveways unless permission is granted by the city.

(a) Where a premises served with one meter is occupied by two or more independent consumers under one ownership, the lessor or renter making application for service shall be required to sign the application for service, thereby being responsible for all bills connected with water service at such premises.

(b) The owner may have separate services installed for each independent consumer, if he wishes, as an alternative to subsection (a) of this section.

(Code 1966, § 6-4.08)

All city water used on any premises served with a meter must pass through the meter. No bypass or connection around any meter shall be installed, maintained or used. Consumers shall be held responsible, and charged for, all water passing through the meter or meters serving those consumers.

(a) Upon the application of a bona fide applicant for service, the city shall, at its own expense, furnish and install service pipe of suitable capacity for a distance of not more than 60 feet from its water mains to the curbline or property line of property abutting upon public street, highway, alley, lane, or road along which it already has water mains. Except that during any period of threatened or actual shortage of essential services that are provided by the city, the city shall have the right to apportion its available water capacity among consumers in such manner as appears most equitable under the circumstances then prevailing and with due regard to public health and safety. Such apportionment shall grant priority to housing with units affordable to lower income housing.

(b) The consumer, at his own expense, shall install that portion of the service inside the curb or property line. Such installation shall include a shutoff valve inside the property line at a location accessible in case of an emergency. The materials furnished by the consumer in the construction of such service extension shall at all times be and remain the sole property of the consumer and, when necessary, shall be maintained and repaired by the consumer at his own expense.

(Ord. No. 481, § 3, 3-6-2018)

No person shall tap, open or connect with any fixture or water main or pipe which forms any part of the system of the waterworks of the city without first notifying and obtaining permission from the city, and no permit shall be given to any person whose indebtedness to the city for water or damage to fire hydrants, meters, pipes or fixtures, is delinquent, or who has on one or more occasions taken water from the distributing system without having received permission as provided in this section.

Whenever any plumber or any other person connecting a service pipe to the property side of the meter shall use the water for testing the pipes, they must leave the service box in as good condition as found, and shall leave the water shut off if found so, and shall notify the city at the time the connection is made. Any damage caused by the carelessness of any plumber or other person to any part of the meter box or connection shall be charged to and paid by such plumber or other person.

If the placing of an approved check valve or other device on the side of the meter of any consumer is necessary for the safety and protection of the water system or appliances thereof, such check valve, after approval by the city, shall be immediately installed inside the property line by and at the expense of the consumer, at the order of the city.

The city may require any water service to be equipped with an adequate shutoff valve (not a cock) at the expense of the consumer or owner within 30 days of notice to that effect by the city to install the same. Whenever the city requires a water service to be equipped with such an adequate shutoff valve, such valve shall be located inside the property line and on the street side of any fixture, including sprinklers. In a business zone the required shutoff valve may be located between the property line and the meter, but a minimum of two feet away from the meter and in a safe adequate box approved by the city.

(a) No person, within or without the city, may take water from an unmetered outlet of the water system without making application to and receiving permission from the city.

(b) Applicants receiving permission to take water shall pay the rates as established by resolution for streets, subdivisions, and other development projects including underground utilities such as storm, sanitary and water mains, or apply for a portable water meter and pay the rates as established in such resolution.

No person shall install, maintain or use any physical connection between any private source of water supply and the city water supply; however, subject to the approval of the board of health of the state, the city may install and maintain emergency connections with other public utilities serving for domestic use.

All services and water meters installed by the city shall remain the property of the city and shall be maintained, renewed and repaired by the city when rendered unserviceable through ordinary usage; provided, however, that where replacements, repairs or adjustments of any meter are rendered necessary by the act, negligence or carelessness of the consumer, or any member of his family or person in his employ, any expense caused thereby shall be charged against and collected from the consumer in the same manner as a water bill.

Consumers using a temporary connection for water service shall place a faucet inside the property line, and no excavation for such connection, if located on city property, shall be kept open or unguarded. The service or meter box shall be kept in the same condition as the city left it; namely, not dangerous to the public.

(a) Fire hydrants are provided for use in extinguishing fires, flushing mains and emergency uses, and shall be opened and used only by the public works or the fire department of the city, or by such persons authorized to do so by the city manager.

(b) All persons using water through fire hydrants or other hydrants owned or controlled by the city shall be required to get a permit to do so from the city, which shall give no such permit to any person who has violated any of the provisions of this chapter or whose indebtedness to the city for water used, or damage to hydrants, meters, pipes or fixtures, is delinquent.

(c) Every person authorized to open fire hydrants shall be required to replace caps on the outlets when such hydrants are not in use. Failure to do so shall be deemed sufficient cause to prohibit further use of the hydrants and the refusal to grant subsequent permits for the use of such fire hydrants.

Where fire hydrants, meters, pipes or other fixtures, any of which being the property of the city, are broken off or damaged, the total cost of damage and the labor shall be paid by the person responsible for such damage and loss.

It shall be unlawful for any person to open any street hydrant or stopcock, gate, valve, or to meddle with any street service, water connection or any water meter connected to any service pipe connected with the water mains or water pipes of the city; to turn on or off water mains or water pipes of the city; to tap, break or injure any water mains or water pipes of the city, laid in any street, avenue or alley, or other public place; to tap any water service pipe between the point of connection with the main and the meter; to take or draw water from the mains, pipes or hydrants of the city, without paying established rates thereof; or in any way to trespass upon the public property of the department of public works without permission first being obtained from the city.

No consumer shall supply water to any person other than the occupants of the premises of such consumer; provided, however, that such consumer may supply water to such persons for use on the premises or in the performance of any contract for the improvement of the street or other public place after having given notice and received permission from the city. No consumer shall permit leaks or waste of water.

(a) No person shall draw water from the city's water main into any steam boiler, hydraulic elevator, pressure (25 pounds or more) pump or similar apparatus. The owner in such case shall provide a tank of sufficient capacity to afford a supply for a least 12 hours, into which tank water direct from the city main shall empty in such a manner as to positively eliminate backsiphoning, and there shall be no cross connections.

(b) As an alternative to subsection (a) of this section, the consumer may provide a service valve ahead of any steam boiler, hydraulic elevator or pressure pump, after such service valve shall be approved by the city.

(a) Health regulations. No physical connection between the potable water supply of the city and that of any other water supply source will be permitted except in compliance with the current regulations of the state department of health services contained in title 17 of the California Code of Regulations, chapter 5, group 4, sections 7583—7605 (hereafter known as state regulations).

(b) City requirements. To comply with the state regulations, the city requires installation of approved backflow protection devices at a location approved by the city pursuant to state regulation by, and at the expense of the customer, before service will be granted under any of the following conditions:

(1) When an approved fresh water supply is already available from a well, spring, reservoir, or other source. If the customer agrees to abandon this other supply and agrees to remove all pumps and piping necessary for utilization of this supply, the installation of backflow prevention devices will not be required.

(2) When nonpotable water, or water otherwise polluted, is available for industrial or fire protection purposes, or where fresh water hydrants are or may be installed.

(3) Where the premises are now or may be engaged in processes, which produce industrial wastes, or where the premises are or may be engaged in handling sewage or any other dangerous substances.

(4) Where the premises are such that there is special danger of backflow of sewage or other contaminated liquids through plumbing fixtures of water-using or treating equipment, or storage tanks and reservoirs.

(5) Where an approved water supply line terminates at an outlet, which is used to supply water for construction or other activities where water is transported. These installations shall be located where they will prevent the return of any water from a vessel or any other source into the approved water supply line.

(c) Plumbing changes required. In special circumstances, where the customer is engaged in the handling of especially dangerous or corrosive liquids, or light industrial or process water, the city may require the customer to eliminate certain plumbing or piping connections as an additional precaution and as a protection to the backflow prevention devices. In making plumbing connections beyond the backflow prevention device to the service, the customer shall be guided entirely by local or state regulations, and not by the city.

(d) Relief valve required. As a protection of the customer's plumbing system, a suitable pressure relief valve must be installed and maintained by the customer, and at the expense of the customer, when backflow prevention devices are used. The relief valve shall be installed between the backflow device and the water heater, in accordance with the local or state plumbing ordinances and the state regulations, and not pursuant to any regulations or rules of the city.

(e) Backflow protection on additional water supply lines. Whenever backflow protection has been found necessary on a water supply line entering a customers premises, then any and all water supply lines from the city's mains entering such premises, buildings, or structures shall be protected by an approved backflow device in conformance with state regulations, regardless of the use of the additional water supply lines.

(f) Protection against interstreet main flow. Two or more services supplying water from different street mains to the same building structure or premises through which an inter-street main flow may occur shall have an approved backflow device on each water service to be located adjacent to and on the private property side of the respective meter or service lines.

(g) Inspection of backflow prevention devices. The double check valve or other approved backflow protection devices may be inspected and tested periodically for watertightness by the city. In addition, the state regulations require that the owner of any premises on which check valves or other protective devices are installed shall have the device inspected by a certified backflow device tester for watertightness and reliability at least once every year. The devices shall be serviced annually, overhauled or replaced whenever they are found defective, and all costs of repair and maintenance shall be borne by the customer, in accordance with state regulations.

(h) Discontinuance of service for defective apparatus. The service of water to any premises may be immediately discontinued by the city if any defect is found in the backflow device installation or other protective devices, if it is found that dangerous unprotected cross connections exist, or the customer fails to comply with the state regulations, including the annual inspections and testing. Services will not be restored until such defects are corrected by and at the expense of the customer.

(Code 1966, § 6-4.32; Ord. No. 2001-417, § I, 6-4-2001)

Editor's note— Ord. No. 473, § 1, adopted July 19, 2016, repealed § 11-5-23, which pertained to restrictions on potable water use and derived from Ord. No. 465, adopted August 5, 2014.