Rohnert Park Municipal Code Ch. 13.02 City Water System

There is established in the city a public water supply system to be known as the Rohnert Park potable water system which shall include all facilities for the production and distribution of water and all improvements, additions, extensions thereto.

(Ord. No. 910, § 4(Exh. A), 9-26-2017)

The purpose of the Rohnert Park potable water system is to provide a source of water for the inhabitants of the city. Extension of water service beyond city limits shall only be permitted upon approval of the city council. The city council shall not approve the extension of water service unless it finds the city has sufficient water supply and sewer treatment capacity to accommodate its current customers and the growth anticipated per the general plan.

(Ord. No. 910, § 4(Exh. A), 9-26-2017)

A. The city has the sole right supply water within its city limits. No person, firm, corporation or institution shall drill, construct or cause to be constructed any well within the city of Rohnert Park.

B. The city council shall by resolution establish rates for the sale of water, connection fees, and any other such other fees, standards, rules and regulations as may be necessary for the administration and operation of the Rohnert Park city water system.

C. The city will not be liable for interruption, shortage, or insufficiency of supply, or for any loss or damage occasioned thereby caused by accidents, or acts of God, fire, strikes, riots, war, power outages or any other causes.

D. The city, whenever it shall find it necessary or convenient for the purpose of making repairs or improvements to its system, shall have the right to temporarily suspend delivery of water and it shall not be liable for any loss or damage occasioned thereby.

E. Applications for water service will be made. Such application will signify the applicant's willingness and intention to comply with all regulations or rates duly adopted by the city, and to make payment for services rendered.

F. All applicants for service connections or water service shall be required to accept such conditions of pressure and service as are provided by the distribution system at the location of the proposed service connection, and to hold the city harmless for any damages arising out of low pressure or high pressure conditions or interruptions in service.

G. If application is made for service to property where no service connection has been installed, but a distribution main is adjacent to the property, the applicant, in addition to making application for service, shall comply with the regulations and standards governing the installation of service connections.

H. No customer shall permit the use or resale of any of the water received.

I. Representatives of the city shall carry proper identification upon exhibition of which, they shall have the right of ingress and egress to the customer premises as necessary to ensure the provision of water service and the protection of public health and safety.

(Ord. No. 910, § 4(Exh. A), 9-26-2017)

A. The city owns all water distribution pipelines located in streets, highways, public ways, alleys, right-of-ways or easements which are used to serve the general public. When water distribution pipelines are planned to be extended, in accordance with Section 13.02.050, the owner of the lands upon which future pipelines are to be located, shall as a prerequisite to service grant easements unto the city for said purposes.

B. The service connection including the meter and the meter box, whether located on public or private property, is the property of the city and no part of the cost thereof will be refunded to the applicant. The city reserves the right to repair, replace and maintain said service connections, as well as to remove them upon discontinuance of service.

C. Water lines beyond the city's service connections belong to the property owner and must be maintained in proper condition by the property owner.

D. The property owner, or designee, shall, at its own risk and expense, furnish, install and keep in good and safe condition all equipment that may be required for receiving, controlling, applying and utilizing water beyond the service connection.

E. The city shall not be responsible for any loss or damage caused by the improper installation of such equipment beyond the service connection, or the negligence or wrongful act of the customer or of any of his tenants, agents, employees, contractors, licensees, or permitees in installing, maintaining, operating or interfering with such equipment installed beyond the service connection.

F. The city shall not be responsible for damage to property caused by faucets, valves and other equipment that are open when water is turned on at the meter, either originally or when turned on after a temporary shutdown.

G. The customer shall use all reasonable care to prevent damage to the meter or any other facilities loaned by the city that are used in furnishing the service from the time they are installed until they are removed. If meters or other facilities are damaged by the customer, the cost of making repairs shall be paid by the customer, except to the extent that the city caused or contributed to the damage.

H. The customer shall be liable for any damage to the city-owned customer water service facilities when such damage is from causes originating on the premises by an act of the customer or his tenants, agents, employees, contractors, licensees or permitees, including the breaking or destruction of locks by the customer or others on or near a meter, and any damage to a meter that may result from hot water or steam from a boiler or heater on the customer's premises. The city shall be reimbursed by the customer for any such damage.

(Ord. No. 910, § 4(Exh. A), 9-26-2017)

A. Applications for extension of distribution mains shall be made. Such application will signify the applicant's willingness and intention to comply with all regulations or rates duly adopted by the city, and to make payment for services rendered.

B. The extension of distribution mains may be accomplished by either the applicant or the city, but in all cases must be approved as to design and location by the city engineer prior to installation. Where installation is made by the applicant, plans must be prepared by a licensed professional only, and the city will provide inspection services to assure installation according to approved plans. The cost of the extension shall be borne by the applicant. The cost of city inspection shall be borne by the applicant.

C. When the city requires the installation of a water main which is larger than that necessary to serve the applicant, the city may, in its sole discretion, enter into an agreement with the applicant whereby the applicant shall recover the excess cost through a reimbursement arrangement. The reimbursement may be by way of credits against connection or capacity charges, to the extent allowed by state law, or from other persons at the time of connection to said main. The city may, at its sole discretion, contribute a portion of the costs of main extensions.

D. Applicant shall guarantee all costs and charges specified herein prior to commencement of work. Such deposit or security shall be in an amount equal to the estimated cost together with any appropriate contingency, approved by the city engineer. If the applicant's guarantee is in cash, any cash balance remaining upon completion of the work shall be refunded to the applicant.

(Ord. No. 910, § 4(Exh. A), 9-26-2017)

A. Water service connections will be installed in the size and at the location specified by the city. Service connections will be made only to property abutting on public streets, alleys, right-of-ways, or easements.

B. Installation charges shall be in accordance with the rates established by the city's fee schedule.

C. For multifamily residential and non-residential services connections, the applicant shall arrange for the installation of the water service connections by an approved contractor. Said installation will be in accordance with the standards set forth by the city and will be subject to city approval.

(Ord. No. 910, § 4(Exh. A), 9-26-2017)

A. Meters are required for all users.

B. For commercial and industrial development, separate meters shall be installed for each portion of the property that is or could be used or occupied by a different customer class.

C. For all development, except single-family residential development, irrigation water shall be separately metered.

D. Meters will be installed at accessible locations at the curb, or at the property line, in accordance with the city's adopted standards. Owners shall be responsible for maintaining area around meter to provide adequate access.

E. Upon installation, meters will become the property of the city. No rents or other charges will be paid by the city for a meter or other facilities, including housing and connections, located on a customer's premises.

F. All meters may be sealed by the city at the time of installation, and no seal shall be altered or broken except by an authorized city employee.

G. Meters or services moved for the convenience of the customer will be relocated at the customer's expense. Meters or services moved to protect the city's property will be moved at the city's expense.

H. The cost of a change in the size of a meter on an existing service will be paid for by the customer.

I. All meters will be tested prior to installation by the water meter manufacturer and no meter will be installed unless the accuracy is within one and one-half percent of being one hundred percent accurate.

J. If a customer desires to have the meter serving their premises tested, the customer shall pay a meter check fee, as established by the city's fees schedule.

K. If a meter tested at the request of a customer is found to be more than five percent slow, the city may bill the customer for estimated consumption. Such estimates will be made in Section 13.44.050 and will take into account the payments the customer has made.

L. If a meter is found to be non-registering due to any cause, except the non-use of water, the charges for service will be based on the estimated consumption. Such estimates will be made in Section 13.44.050.

(Ord. No. 910, § 4(Exh. A), 9-26-2017)

The customer shall provide a valve on its side of the service installation as close as is practical to the meter location, street, highway, alley or easement in which the water main serving the customer's property is located, to control the flow of water to the piping on his premises. The customer shall not use the service curb stop to turn the water on and off for his convenience.

(Ord. No. 910, § 4(Exh. A), 9-26-2017)

All persons are forbidden to attach any ground wire or wires to any plumbing which is or may be connected to a service connection or main belonging to the city. The city will hold the customer liable for any damage to its property occasioned by such ground wire attachments.

(Ord. No. 910, § 4(Exh. A), 9-26-2017)

A. Temporary service may be provided from the potable water system through an approved hydrant meter, unless an alternative method is specifically approved by the city engineer.

B. Applications for temporary water service must be submitted by the applicant. Such application will signify the applicant's willingness and intention to comply with all regulations or rates duly adopted by the city, and to make payment for services rendered.

C. The rates and meter rental fees for temporary water service, including any applicable deposits, shall be established as part of the city's rate schedule.

D. All hydrant meters, or other forms of temporary connection, shall be installed by the city or a licensed contractor and shall be operated in accordance with instructions.

E. The customer shall use all possible care to prevent loss or damage to the hydrant meter or to any other loaned facilities of the city which are involved in furnishing the temporary service from the time they are installed until they are removed.

F. If the meter or any other equipment is lost, damaged or stolen, the meter rental fee, including any applicable deposit, shall be forfeited. If cost of repair exceeds deposit, the additional cost shall be paid by the customer and shall be subject to collection procedures set forth in Chapter 1.27 of the Code.

G. Tampering with any fire hydrant for the unauthorized use of water there from, or for any other purpose is a misdemeanor, punishable by law and subject to the penalties outlined in Chapter 13.06.

(Ord. No. 910, § 4(Exh. A), 9-26-2017; Ord. No. 939, § 2, 12-10-2019)

A. The purpose of this section is to insure the provision of a safe and sanitary drinking water supply for the city by the establishment of wellhead protection zones surrounding all wells which are the supply sources for the city water system.

B. As used in this section, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings given in this section:

"Camping" means residing or occupying any tent or any unpermitted structure or otherwise using property as a place of residence or accommodation. For purposes of this section, use as a residence or place of accommodation may be presumed, where it reasonably appears in light of all of the circumstances, that a person is using space for living accommodation purposes, by engaging in more than one of the following activities: Possession of any tent or materials for construction of an unpermitted structure; erection of any tent or unpermitted structure; having possession any sleeping bag, bedroll, blanket, pillows; having possession of kitchen utensils, cookware, or cooking equipment; engaging in the preparation of or cooking of meals; sleeping; making preparations for sleep such as laying down of bedding materials; and storing personal property including luggage, backpacks, or other personal items.

"Hazardous waste or material" means any waste or material which, because of its quantity, concentration or physical, chemical or infectious characteristics, may cause or significantly contribute to an increase in mortality or an increase in serious irreversible or incapacitating reversible illness; or pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or to the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, disposed of or otherwise managed. Hazardous waste specifically includes such hazardous wastes subject to federal or state regulation as a hazardous waste, including under 40 C.F.R. § 261.3 or 22 Cal. Code. Regs. 66261.3, and hazardous material specifically includes agricultural pesticides and all materials regulated by the Secretary of Transportation under hazardous materials transport laws, 49 U.S.C. § 5103 and 49 C.F.R. § 171.8.

"Wellhead" means the upper terminal of a well, including adapters, ports, seals, valves, and other attachments.

C. The following are prohibited within six hundred feet in any direction from any wellhead used by the city for water supply:

1. Camping on any public property.

2. Urination or defection, except in a toilet or urinal connected to a sanitary sewer or some other waste disposal system permitted by the city.

3. Depositing, bury[ing], or otherwise disposing of any trash, litter, debris, refuse or waste matter on the ground.

4. Surface use, storage, or disposal, of any hazardous waste or material on the ground.

(Ord. No. 965, § 3, 5-10-2022)