Thousand Oaks Municipal Code Art. 1 General Provisions

The Public Works Department shall administer the water properties, facilities and services of the City and shall exercise powers and perform the duties set forth in this chapter.

(Ord. 1516-NS, eff. June 5, 2009)

The area in which service is or will be furnished is as shown on the maps available for inspection at the Public Works Department.

(Ord. 1516-NS, eff. June 5, 2009)

The City shall exercise reasonable diligence and care to:

(a) Endeavor to furnish at all times a safe and potable supply of water for domestic services:

(b) Endeavor to maintain adequate service pressures as further defined in the City's Water Design and Construction Standards to those properties located within the water system. In the event that any customer or the City deems that the pressure is inadequate, then the customer shall furnish and maintain at his expense whatever devices are necessary to boost the pressure for his premises. In the event water pressures are deemed to be excessive by either the customer or the City, then the customer shall furnish and maintain at his own expense such devices as may be required to protect his plumbing and/or to reduce the pressures:

(c) Endeavor to provide adequate flow to its customers from fire hydrants for fire protection within the City service area:

(d) Construct, maintain and operate the City's system of reservoirs, pumping stations, and transmission and distribution pipelines with the City's responsibility extending to the water meter. All items between the water meter and the premises being served shall be the responsibility of the customer/ owner.

(Ord. 1516-NS, eff. June 5, 2009)

The City shall not be liable for:

(a) Interruptions of service or a shortage or inadequacy of supply. The City shall have the right to discontinue water service to any customer or premises or in any part of the distribution system as long as necessary without notice to customers in case of emergency. In the event of an interruption in service, the City shall not be liable for any loss or damage caused thereby. The causes for temporary suspension of service shall be removed by the City without unreasonable delay.

(b) Damages to building plumbing or premises as a result of the customer's failure to maintain the pipes and protection devices on the customer's side of the water meter.

(c) Variations in either the taste, color or odor of the water wherein such variation is either:

(1) Typical for potable water supplies, meeting the requirements of public agencies setting standards for such items:

(2) A result of corrosion or input of deleterious material or chemicals on the customer's side of the meter.

(d) Inadequate fire protection where caused by actual fire flow requirements exceeding the stipulated or conditioned fire flow requirements, failure of the owner or his/her engineer to properly design a system, loss of water due to circumstances beyond City's control, failure of owner to maintain any installed on-site fire protection system or other cause as determined to be beyond the City's reasonable control.

(e) All representations made by the City as to the sufficiency of its water system or as to the necessity of the construction of additional facilities or the payment of fees by any applicant/developer are specifically made subject to the ability of the City to secure water from sources which are beyond the boundaries of the City and in the control of other governmental entities or private companies.

(Ord. 1516-NS, eff. June 5, 2009)

All water transmission, distribution and related facilities shall be designed and constructed in complete conformity with the Water Design and Construction Standards and approved plans and specifications (as appropriate). These standards are adopted by Council action and cover such topics as: design criteria, materials, plan preparation, administrative requirements, construction, testing and disinfection, certain aspects of cross connection and backflow prevention, reservoirs and pumping stations, and wells. All engineers designing water facilities and contractors constructing such facilities shall have obtained the Water Design and Construction Standards prior to their activities.

Water facilities not covered by the Water Design and Construction Standards shall be designed and constructed in conformity with all applicable requirements and standards of governmental agencies having jurisdiction within the City's service area.

The Water Design and Construction Standards may be revised with such revisions being adopted by the City Council via a resolution. Copies of the standards are available for purchase in the office of the Public Works Department.

(Ord. 1516-NS, eff. June 5, 2009)

Most administration requirements are set by the Water Design and Construction Standards with fees set by Council action. Other administrative requirements shall be established by the Director of the Public Works Department.

(Ord. 1516-NS, eff. June 5, 2009)

(a) Each parcel of property and each house, building or dwelling unit of separate ownership shall be provided with its own service line and meter. This policy also pertains to townhouse, condominium and/or mobile home projects wherein each owner shall have a separate meter, although a common association may have a meter(s) for irrigation, recreation and/or pool purposes, or other purposes. More than one meter may be permitted to a building where judged necessary, such as a commercial building housing various users. The requirement for each separate ownership unit to have its own separate meter shall also pertain to condominium conversion projects, unless an exemption is requested by the applicant and approved by the Public WorksDepartment Where this provision is exempted the plant investment fee due the City shall be as set by Council action. Unless otherwise approved by the Public Works Department, separate buildings within a commercial or industrial project shall have separate meters. A non-residential condominium shall have a minimum of two separate meters, one solely for determining the volume of common area irrigation or landscaping water used, and the other solely for determining the volume of domestic water used within the building or buildings. Additional irrigation and/or domestic meters may be installed, if approved or required by the Public Works Department. Applicable fees for water shall be charged based on the size of each of the meter(s) installed as set by Council action.

(b) When property provided with a service connection is portioned, split or otherwise divided, the existing service connection shall be assigned to the lot or parcel nearest the meter unless the City at its option decides to have it relocated to the other parcel. Additional meter(s) shall be installed to the other parcel(s) or building(s).

(c) A service connection (meter) shall not be used to supply adjoining property of a different owner or to supply property of the same owner on opposite sides of a public street or alley.

(d) All irrigation meters require payment of a plant investment fee, regardless of whether or not a public agency is or may become the eventual owner of the meter. For industrial projects and selected commercial projects, the Public Works Department may require that the outside water use (irrigation) be metered separately from the use within the buildings.

(e) A separate water meter shall be installed to measure the volume of water used exclusively for landscape purposes where the water service connection serves property with more than five thousand (5,000) square feet of irrigated landscape. This requirement for a separate meter shall apply to property where water service has not been previously provided.

(Ord. 1516-NS, eff. June 5, 2009)

The provisions in this Title shall be used in conjunction with the Water Design and Construction Standards, pertinent City Council resolutions and ordinances, other sections of the Municipal Code, Public Works Department policies as well as the codes and policies of other public agencies having jurisdiction on a particular subject matter. In case of conflict, the Public Works Director shall review the matter and render a decision based upon an interpretation which is most consistent with this Title.

(Ord. 1516-NS, eff. June 5, 2009)