Sec. 13-51. - Emergency water supply.

(a)

All buildings shall have a permanent emergency water supply approved by the county fire warden /fire marshal, which shall be installed, maintained and available for use as follows:

(1)

Except as otherwise provided in subsection (a)(3), where water is provided by a public water system, the permanent emergency water supply shall be installed and available for use prior to the completion of road construction;

(2)

Except as otherwise provided in subsection (a)(3), where water is provided by a water system other than a public water system, the permanent emergency water supply shall be installed and available for use prior to the commencement of construction of any permanent structure;

(3)

When authorized by the county fire warden/fire marshal , an interim emergency water supply acceptable to the county fire warden/fire marshal may be substituted for the permanent emergency water supply provided the permanent emergency water supply is installed and available for use prior to issuance of an occupancy permit or final inspection;

(4)

When authorized by the county fire warden/fire marshal and local fire chief, the emergency water supply requirements may be waived when sufficient evidence is proven the intent to Title 14 of the Natural Resources Code, Division 1.5, Article 4 - Emergency Water Standards have been met.

(b)

If the water supply to the parcel is provided by a public or community water system (urban parcel — see definitions) the emergency water supply for residential buildings shall consist of a permanent hydrant located on the road within two hundred fifty feet (250') of the driveway or as provided in Appendix C of the California Fire Code measured from where the driveway intersects with the public or private road. Distance measurements shall be determined by hose lay along the road, not horizontal distance.

(c)

If the water supply to the parcel is provided by a private water well (non-urban parcel - see definitions) an emergency water storage of not less than two thousand five hundred-gallon capacity shall be provided. A single two thousand five hundred-gallon tank may serve more than one building on the same parcel, provided all hydrants are located in accordance with Section 13-52. When multiple tanks are utilized to achieve the required volume of water, the connection between the tanks shall be an approved minimum four-inch (4") diameter water line.

(d)

Water tanks for emergency water supply placed inside the minimum setback requirement of Section 13-55 shall be constructed of non-combustible material. A flammable vegetation clearance of not less than twenty feet (20') shall be maintained around all poly-plastic or similar water tanks.

(e)

All permanent emergency water supplies for commercial buildings shall meet the requirements of the California Fire Code if the building is served by a public water system or NFPA 1142, "Standard on Water Supplies for Suburban and Rural Fire Fighting" if the building is served by a water system other than a public water system.

(Ord. No. 6318, § I, 8-11-2020)

State Law reference— California Code of Regulations, Title 14 Natural Resources Code, Division 1.5, Chapter 7, Subchapter 2, Article 1-5, SRA Fire Safe Regulations, 1275.02