Los Angeles County Municipal Code Part 1 General Provisions

The ordinance codified in Division 1 of this Title 20 shall be known as and may be cited as the "water ordinance."

(Ord. 7834 Ch. 1 Art. 1 § 5, 1960.)

The purpose of the provisions set out in Division 1 of this title is to promote and obtain a reasonable minimum level of fire protection performance for water supply facilities constructed, replaced, extended or rehabilitated to serve new subdivisions and residential, commercial and industrial improvements in the unincorporated area of the county of Los Angeles.

(Ord. 7834 Ch. 1 Art. 1 § 1, 1960.)

The provisions of this Division 1 are not intended to augment, supplant or parallel any provisions of the Health and Safety Code of the state of California or order of the Public Utilities Commission pertaining to water supply except as to fire protection.

(Ord. 7834 Ch. 1 Art. 1 § 2, 1960.)

The provisions of this Division 1 are not intended to cause unnecessary hardships or practical difficulties inconsistent with economic feasibility and normal development, nor shall they be construed to require the replacement or abandonment of existing water facilities prior to the expiration of their economic utilization.

(Ord. 7834 Ch. 1 Art. 1 § 3, 1960.)

This Division 1 shall not impose upon water utilities, and they shall not be subject to any civil liability, either for damages or otherwise, which liability would not exist if the ordinance codified in this Division 1 had not been adopted.

(Ord. 7834 Ch. 1 Art. 1 § 4, 1960.)

Any time limit provided for in this Division 1 may be extended by mutual consent of the officer or department concerned and the permittee or applicant, or other person affected.

(Ord. 7834 Ch. 1 Art. 1 § 9, 1960.)

The engineer may perform educational work for development of standards as they exist in this Division 1, and may cooperate with civic organizations, industries, water utilities and public agencies whenever, in the opinion of the engineer, such work and cooperation is essential to the development of water utility standards or procedures.

(Ord. 7834 Ch. 1 Art. 1 § 10, 1960.)

The engineer may confer and negotiate with officials of any public agency, and may recommend to the board a contract by which the county and one or more public agencies may jointly exercise any powers pertinent to the enforcement of this Division 1 and any similar statute, ordinance, rule or regulation of such public agencies, common to all. The engineer may also recommend to the board a contract between the county and any city within the county. The engineer may also delegate authority to any municipality to enforce the provisions of this Division 1 as to its own water system in the unincorporated area of the county.

(Ord. 7834 Ch. 1 Art. 1 § 11, 1960.)

Not less than 10 days prior to the adoption of any ordinance amending or modifying this Division 1 in any way so as to impose any additional regulation upon, or so as to increase any existing regulation of any water utility or other person, either expressly or by implication, the clerk of the board shall notify in writing all water utilities which are either registered with the engineer, received an authorization from the engineer, or have filed with the clerk of the board a written request for such notification.

(Ord. 8367 § 1, 1963; Ord. 7834 Ch. 1 Art. 1 § 16, 1960.)

Whenever reference is made to any portion of the ordinance codified in this Division 1, such reference applies to all amendments and additions thereto now or hereafter made.

(Ord. 7834 Ch. 1 Art. 1 § 7, 1960.)

The water utility shall keep on record at its principal office the current effective water utility certificates of registration or water utility authorizations. The engineer shall keep on record in his office current copies of water utility certificates of registration and water utility authorizations, together with copies of the accompanying reports, plans and specifications. Said records shall be made available during regular working hours.

(Ord. 7834 Ch. 1 Art. 1 § 15, 1960.)

Whenever a power is granted to or a duty is imposed upon the engineer, the health officer, the forester and fire warden, the road commissioner, director of planning, or any other county officer by provisions of this Division 1, the power may be exercised or the duty may be performed by a deputy of the officer or a person authorized pursuant to law by the officer, unless this Division 1 expressly provides otherwise.

(Ord. 7834 Ch. 1 Art. 1 § 6, 1960.)

The engineer shall enforce all applicable provisions of this Division 1, and for such purpose shall have the powers of a peace officer. Such powers shall not limit or otherwise affect the powers and applicable duties of the health officer or forester and fire warden or the road commissioner.

(Ord. 7834 Ch. 1 Art. 1 § 8, 1960.)

Inspectors will be provided with suitable means of identification, and shall identify themselves upon request when entering upon the work of any contractor or property owner for any inspection or work required by Division 1 of this Title 20.

(Ord. 7834 Ch. 1 Art. 1 § 13, 1960.)

A person shall not, in the unincorporated area of the county, during reasonable hours, refuse, resist or attempt to resist the entrance of the engineer or other county officer into any place in the performance of any duties conferred upon him by this Division 1 or by law.

(Ord. 7834 Ch. 1 Art. 1 § 14, 1960.)

Every person violating any provision of Division 1 of this title is guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction is punishable by fine not exceeding $500.00 or by imprisonment in the County Jail for a period not exceeding six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

(Ord. 7834 Ch. 1 Art. 1 § 17, 1960.)

If any provision of the ordinance codified in this Division 1, or the application thereof to any person or circumstance should be held invalid, the application of other provisions, or the application of such provision to other persons or circumstances, shall not be affected thereby.

(Ord. 7834 Ch. 1 Art. 1 § 12, 1960.)