Tehama Municipal Code Art. II General Requirements

Private water lines serving two or more buildings or structures located on the same lot or parcel or not maintained by a public utility shall be constructed to meet the standards for construction of public water mains.

(Ord. No. 174, 10-13-09)

A service connection may be relocated by the city at a customer's request provided the relocation, in the judgment of the director, is not detrimental to the city water distribution system. Such relocation shall include any modifications necessary to comply with then-current service connection standards or requirements, and the cost of the relocation shall be borne by the customer. The customer shall pay the estimated cost of the relocation, as determined by the director, prior to obtaining a water tap and constructing the water service. Where a service connection is relocated for the convenience or protection of the city, the relocation shall be at the expense of the city.

(Ord. No. 174, 10-13-09)

Each lot or parcel shall have a separate water service, except for fire service connections serving more than one lot or parcel that are authorized pursuant to the provisions of this chapter. All water service lines shall be equipped with an approved corporation stop/valve at the distribution main and a curb/stop valve at the point of service. Such service lines shall not cross another lot or parcel without first obtaining any and all rights-of-way, easements and/or other approvals necessary to do so.

To be eligible for water service, the property to which service is to be extended must abut a dedicated public easement or a city right-of-way in which a distribution main is constructed at a point immediately adjacent to the property, unless the director authorizes the extension of a distribution main.

The director may authorize water service for land locked parcels provided that the customer obtains recorded private easements from the affected owner(s) and all other applicable legal requirements are fulfilled. Private easements must abut a distribution main in a dedicated public easement or city right-of-way. Water service lines constructed in private easements are private water lines, and the city shall have no responsibility for the maintenance and repair of such lines.

Except as provided herein, maximum sizes of service connections shall be determined by the director. For single-family domestic service connections, the maximum size shall be three quarters of an inch unless otherwise authorized by the director.

All water service connections are subject to the city's tap, meter, development, and abandonment fees established from time to time by resolution of the city council, and to the department's then-current cross-connection control standards.

(Ord. No. 174, 10-13-09)

A customer receiving city water service shall provide the department's employees and/or contractors access to and use of the premises where city water service is received as may be required by the city's employees or contractors for the installation, maintenance, repair or removal of any pipelines, water meters and other appurtenances used to provide or measure city water service to the customer's premises or to adjacent premises, and/or as may be required by the city for purposes of connecting, reconnecting or relocating the connection for city water service to any such premises. Compliance with the foregoing requirements shall be a condition of the customer receiving or continuing to receive city water service.

(Ord. No. 174, 10-13-09)

Except

for separate irrigation service connections and fire service connections, each lot or parcel shall have only one service connection; provided that requests for multiple service connections to a single commercial lot or parcel (excluding separate irrigation service and fire service connections) may be approved on a case by case basis by the director, consistent with the department's then-current commercial tap policy.

A. If permanent multiple service connections require a public water main extension, the main extension shall be installed to the satisfaction of the director at the customer's expense.

B. Where multiple service connections already exist, and a lot split, lot merger, or a change of business or operations occurs, the excess service connection shall be removed at the customer's expense, if required by the director.

(Ord. No. 174, 10-13-09)

The city's responsibility to operate, maintain and repair public water mains shall extend only to the point of service. The operation, maintenance and repair of any private water line connected to the point of service shall be the customer's sole responsibility. The customer shall indemnify and hold harmless city, it's officers and employees from any claims, actions, costs (including attorney fees), damages or other liability resulting or arising from the condition, operation, maintenance or repair of said private water line.

(Ord. No. 174, 10-13-09)

The supply of city water may be discontinued at any time without notice to customers and the city shall in no way be liable for any damage or costs resulting from such discontinuance. The city does not guarantee, and shall not be liable for any failure in, continuity of water service or water pressure.

(Ord. No. 174, 10-13-09)

No person shall use any city water unless installation of the tap and initiation of the water service has been approved by the city in accordance with all applicable provisions of this code. Any use without such approval shall be unlawful.

(Ord. No. 174, 10-13-09)

It shall be unlawful for any person to interfere or seek to interfere with the inspection by the director or his/her designee of any water fixture or water using or distributing device to which city water is connected; provided that, before entering occupied dwellings or premises for the purpose of making an inspection, the consent of the occupant thereof shall be secured. If consent is not secured, the director shall take steps to effect an inspection as provided by law.

(Ord. No. 174, 10-13-09)

It shall be unlawful for any person to maintain or allow on his or her premises leaky or faulty water fixtures or water using or distributing devices to which city water is connected, so that city water is wasted thereby. The failure to repair or disconnect the faulty device within five days after being notified in writing to do so by the department shall be sufficient cause for the disconnection of city water from the premises until the repairs have been made. After disconnection, water shall be reconnected only in accordance with the provisions of Section 13.04.170.

(Ord. No. 174, 10-13-09)

No person other than authorized employees of the department or fire department or other persons duly authorized by the city administrator shall open or operate any public fire hydrant or attach any hose, tubing or pipe thereto for any purpose, without first obtaining a fire hydrant use permit from the director. No person, whether authorized to open a public fire hydrant or not, shall leave a public fire hydrant open or leave the cap off the nozzle of a public fire hydrant after having ceased to use it. Any person that opens or operates a public fire hydrant, whether or not authorized as provided herein, shall indemnify and hold harmless the city, its officers and employees from any claims, actions, costs (including attorney fees), damages or other liability resulting or arising therefrom.

(Ord. No. 174, 10-13-09)

In the event any person shall violate any provision of Section 13.04.130, the following shall apply:

A. The department may require any person committing a violation at any time during the preceding five years, to provide a cash deposit in an amount established by the fire hydrant use policy as a condition of issuance for each and every fire hydrant use permit requested by that person. Said deposit shall be refunded after one year without interest if no further violations have occurred.

B. If a person commits more than three violations the city may refuse to issue any further fire hydrant use permits to that person.

C. The foregoing provisions shall be cumulative and in addition to any other penalty or remedy provided or authorized under any applicable law or regulation, including but not limited to, any applicable fire codes. The administrative penalty shall be one hundred dollars ($100.00) for the first violation, three hundred dollars ($300.00) for the second violation, and five hundred dollars ($500.00) for the third and all subsequent violations. These penalties may be changed by resolution of the city council.

(Ord. No. 174, 10-13-09)

No person shall block or obstruct any public fire hydrant in such a manner that interferes with its operation, maintenance or repair, or the attachment of a fire hose thereto. No person shall place upon or about any public or private fire hydrant, water gate, water meter, curb/cock or stop/cock connected with the city water distribution system any obstruction so as to prevent free access to the same at all times.

(Ord. No. 174, 10-13-09)

In no case shall water service be restored to any premises when shut off as provided in this title, unless the pipe leading thereto is directly connected with the distribution main and unconnected with any other service pipe leading to any other premises, and except on approval of the director and payment of all past due accounts and the additional amount covering costs for shutting off and restoring the water service.

(Ord. No. 174, 10-13-09)

It shall be unlawful for any person whose water service pipe is attached directly or indirectly to a public water main, to allow any person to attach any pipe or hose connection to the plumbing on his or her lot or parcel for the purpose of providing water service to any other lot or parcel.

(Ord. No. 174, 10-13-09)

If any person refuses to allow an authorized employee of the department to enter the premises of such person for the purpose of disconnecting the service pipe or hose connection attached to the owner's plumbing for the purpose of supplying city water to any other lot or parcel, the director shall immediately cause the water service to the premises of the person so refusing entry to be shut off at the distribution main.

(Ord. No. 174, 10-13-09)

Whenever, from any cause, the department shall shut off any public or private fire hydrant or pipe carrying or discharging water from the city water distribution system, it shall be unlawful for any person to open such hydrant or pipe or to turn on or use any water from such hydrant or water pipe without first obtaining approval from the director as provided herein.

(Ord. No. 174, 10-13-09)

Temporary water service shall be provided through a meter, at current city charges, except for temporary water service for new residential construction, that shall be provided upon payment, prior to issuance of a building permit, of a temporary water service fee for each residential lot equal to two times the city's then-current monthly rate for water service.

(Ord. No. 174, 10-13-09)

No permanent structure (including without limitation garages, patios, concrete slabs, tool shed and similar structures) shall be constructed on top of water pipelines or anywhere within the associated utility easements, unless approved by the director upon execution of a hold harmless agreement.

(Ord. No. 174, 10-13-09)

The city council shall from time to time by resolution adopt cross-connection control standards that establish the city's requirements for design, construction, installation, and maintenance of backflow prevention assemblies. The purpose of these standards is to protect the potable water supply of the city of Tehama from the possibility of contaminants, pollutants, or water from unapproved sources entering the city's water distribution system through cross-connections. Any person receiving or using water from the city's water distribution system shall comply with all provisions of the city's then current cross-connection control standards, and the violation of any provision thereof shall constitute an infraction. In the event a water customer is found to be in violation of the cross-connection control standards by the director or by a Tehama County environmental health officer, the customer's water service may be terminated. The foregoing provisions shall be cumulative and in addition to any other remedy provided under any applicable law or regulation.

(Ord. No. 174, 10-13-09)

Easements granted for public water mains shall be exclusive easements, and shall be in a form approved by the department and the city attorney.

(Ord. No. 174, 10-13-09)

Any person or entity damaging or removing any portion of the city water distribution system shall pay the city's costs of investigating and repairing such damage and/or replacing any removed item(s), and shall indemnify and hold harmless city, its officers and employees from any claims, actions, costs (including attorney fees), damages or other liability resulting or arising from such damage or removal.

(Ord. No. 174, 10-13-09)

Unless specified as a misdemeanor, the violation of any provision of this chapter is an infraction, in addition to any other remedy provided under any applicable law or regulation.

(Ord. No. 174, 10-13-09)