Mendota Municipal Code Ch. 13.28 Heat Transfer Systems Using Water

The following words and phrases as used in this chapter, unless a different meaning is clearly required by the context, shall have the following meanings:

"City water" means water furnished by the water division.

"Director" means the director of public works of the city.

"Evaporative cooler" means any device whereby air is directly cooled by the evaporation of water.

"Premises" means a property or that portion of a property or properties served with city water from a single connection to a city main.

"System" means any equipment, apparatus, contrivance or device, or any combination thereof, whereby water is used wholly or in part to add heat to or remove heat from a gas, a liquid, a product or a machine, and shall include air conditioning and refrigeration systems.

"Ton of capacity" means cooling capacity for the computation of which the following relationships shall be deemed correct: one per hour which equals one horse-power which equals twelve thousand (12,000) B.T.U.s per hour.

"Water conservation device" means an evaporative condenser, water cooling tower or similar apparatus by which any fluid or gas, used in any system for heat transfer, is cooled by recirculated water, and which does not consume water in an amount in excess of 0.15 gallons per minute per ton of capacity, and as to an evaporative cooler, it means a water recirculating device.

"Water division" means the water division of the department of public works of the city.

(Prior code § 15.04.001)

No person shall install or replace any system which requires a supply of city water without having first obtained a permit from the department of public works of the city.

(Prior code § 15.04.002)

No person shall install or replace any system including portable systems on any premises, unless such system is equipped with a water conservation device, and such device is properly maintained at all times, except as follows:

In a multistory building, unconserved water-cooled refrigeration units used only for the commercial preservation of food may be installed, replaced or maintained provided that such unit has a capacity of less than one ton and that all such units on any one premises do not exceed a cumulative total capacity of two tons and do not consume more than one and one-half gallons of water per minute per ton of capacity per unit.

(Prior code § 15.04.003)

When a system is installed or maintained on any premises contrary to the provisions of this chapter, no city water service shall be granted to serve said premises, whether located in or out of the city limits.

(Prior code § 15.04.004)

A. Whenever the director shall find that because of illegal or improper installation, alteration, improper operations or lack of maintenance, any system connected to city water will, when operated, cause use of city water in excess of 0.15 gallons per minute per ton capacity for systems with conservation devices, or one and one-half gallons per minute per ton of capacity for systems described in Section 13.28.030, or will cause wastewater therefrom to be discharged in violation of any provision of this chapter, the director shall give notice in writing to correct the deficiency. The notice shall identify the system and specify the correction or corrections required, and shall contain a statement that if the deficiency is not corrected or the system disconnected from city water within fifteen (15) days from the date of service of such notice, the director will order that city water service to the premises on which such system is located be discontinued forthwith. The notice shall be directed to and served upon the person in whose name water service to the premises is then being furnished, as shown by the accounting records of the city, or, if such service is in the names of more than one person, to either or any of such persons. A copy of such notice shall also be served upon each person having possession as tenant or otherwise, of all or any part of the premises and who receives city water service by the same service connection which supplies the system described in the notice.

B. If, upon the expiration of fifteen (15) days from the date of service of the notice, the system has not been corrected as specified in the notice or disconnected from city water, the director shall order the city water service to the premises on which such system is maintained to be discontinued; provided, that the director may for good cause extend the time for making any required correction for not to exceed an additional thirty (30) days.

(Prior code § 15.04.005)

No premises which have been disconnected from city water service by order of the director pursuant to this section shall be reconnected until the system has been corrected as specified in the notice or disconnected from city water, and until all reconnection charges required have been paid.

(Prior code § 15.04.006)