Torrance Municipal Code § 76.2 Regulations

(Amended by O-1436)

a) Before water service is furnished, a written application therefor on forms prescribed by the Director of Finance may be required from and signed by the customer desiring such service, giving therein evidence of financial responsibility including, but not limited to, the signer’s status as owner, tenant, agent, corporation officer, or partner, and any other information deemed necessary.

b) Each applicant for water service or any customer delinquent in payment of bills for water service may be required to guarantee payment of water or water service charges by making a cash deposit or a surety bond in such amount as may be from time to time established by resolution of the City Council.

c) Such deposits may be returned to the depositor no sooner than one (1) year from the time service was begun, provided that said depositor has paid before becoming delinquent all charges made against him by the City.

d) If the water service furnished to said depositor is discontinued for any reason, said deposit shall be applied to any unpaid City charges against the customer, and any remaining balance of such deposit may be refunded.

(Amended by O-1436)

a) Water bills shall be due and payable on the day immediately following the billing date shown on each such bill, Sundays and legal holidays excepted.

b) Water bills shall become delinquent on the fifteenth calendar day after said billing.

c) Water service to a customer whose bill or bills are delinquent may be discontinued without further notice if any portion of the charges rendered on the water bill shall remain unpaid after the date of delinquency.

d) If service is so discontinued, a reconnection charge may be made in such amount as may be from time to time established by resolution of the City Council before said service is restored.

(Amended O-1436)

a) Meters shall be installed on all customer permanent water services.

b) Each house, structure or building under separate ownership shall be provided with a separate water service.

c) Two (2) or more houses, structures or buildings under one (1) ownership and on the same or contiguous lots or parcels of land may be supplied through one (1) water service.

d) Before any new service connection is made, the applicant shall pay an installation charge in such amount as may be from time to time established by resolution of the City Council for the particular size lateral and water meter required.

e) Upon payment of said installation charge, water service including meter, shall be installed from the distribution main to a point adjacent to the nearest property line.

f) Said water service shall remain the property of and shall be maintained, repaired and renewed by the City; provided, however, that the cost of any repairs, replacements or adjustments made necessary by any act of the customer or any agent thereof shall be charged to and collected from the customer.

If any consumer shall desire an enlargement, change or moving of any water service pipe or meters, the Water Department shall perform the necessary work and furnish the necessary materials to do so, and such consumer shall pay therefor the full cost of labor and materials involved, not to exceed, however, the maximum cost of the regular service of the type affected. No such change, enlargement or moving, however, shall be made if, in the opinion of the Water Superintendent, the same is not required or is not for the best interests of the City or of the Water Department.

(Amended by O-1436)

a) Water meters shall be read at intervals of approximately two (2) months, or as near thereto as convenient operation will permit; provided that the interval between two (2) successive meter readings shall be deemed a bi-monthly period for the purpose of computing water service charges.

b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection a), meters may be read at intervals of approximately one (1) month if the service is larger than two (2) inches in diameter or consumption is greater than average; provided that the interval between two (2) successive meter readings shall be deemed a monthly period for the purpose of computing water service charges.

c) Special meter readings may be ordered on any specified date for any reason deemed sufficient by the Director of Finance.

(Amended by O-1436)

a) The charge for service rendered in any bi-monthly period shall be computed by doubling the monthly quantities in each rate block and applying the monthly rate thereto; the minimum monthly charge and any monthly service charges shall also be doubled.

b) Opening and closing bills and bills for irregular periods shall be prorated on the basis of a thirty (30) day month, except that periods of fifty-four (54) to sixty-six (66) days, both inclusive, shall be deemed a bi-monthly period and periods of twenty-seven (27) to thirty-three (33) days, both inclusive, shall be deemed a monthly period.

c) For the purpose of computing charges, each meter upon a customer’s premises shall be considered separately, and readings from two (2) or more such meters shall not be combined as equivalent to measurement through a single meter.

d) Estimated bills may be rendered whenever the water meter is inaccessible and cannot be read, or when there is no meter, or when the meter fails to register properly, and said bills shall be computed on one of the following basis:

1. Previous consumption by metered service.

2. Average consumption during corresponding billing periods during which the meter registered correctly.

3. Consumption registered by a substituted meter and prorated as necessary.

4. Evaluation of seasonal demand, nature of use, volume of business, and any other factors, that may assist in determining the estimated consumption.

(Amended by O-1436)

The rates to be charged and collected for water supplied through meters or otherwise by the Torrance Municipal Water Department, or for special services rendered by said Department, shall be from time to time established by resolution of the City Council.

a) The City reserves the right at any time, without notice and without liability, to shut off the water in all or any of its mains or services for the purpose of making installations, improvements, repairs, removals or extension or for the purpose of performing any other work or act reasonably necessary or advisable in connection with the operation of the waterworks system.

b) The Water Superintendent shall have the right and is hereby authorized to disconnect or cause to be disconnected, any water service pursuant to the rights reserved in subsection a) and shall have the further right and is hereby granted the authority and right, without liability, to turn off the water from and to disconnect any service for any violation of any of the provisions of this Chapter by either the owner, or any tenant or person in possession or control of any premises from the waterworks system.

c) Any service that has been inactive for a period of five (5) years may, in the discretion of the Water Superintendent, be disconnected in the main and upon application for reinstallation of the same, the full installation charge for any water service shall be made.

d) The Water Superintendent may also, without liability, disconnect any service for nonpayment of statements rendered.

a) At the time of laying out and subdividing or resubdividing any tract or parcel of land served or to be served with water by the waterworks system, the owner of such tract or land shall lay or cause to be laid, at the expense of such owner, in the public streets or right-of-way dedicated to public use therein, all water mains, submains and laterals necessary to properly serve water to such tract or land and each and every lot or parcel thereof and also the necessary fire hydrants for proper fire protection of the area involved. Upon the installation of such mains, submains, laterals and fire hydrants and when the same are connected, the mains, submains, laterals and fire hydrants thereby shall immediately become and be the property of the City and shall belong to the Water Department and water distribution system thereof. Such mains, submains, laterals, and fire hydrants shall be so laid and arranged as to properly and adequately serve water from the system to such tract or land and each and every lot and parcel thereof. The full expense of the furnishing and installation of all mains, submains, laterals and fire hydrants shall be paid by the owner of such tract or land.

b) Before the work of installing any mains, submains, fire hydrants or laterals shall be commenced, the owners proposing to install the same shall submit to the City Council a full detail map drawn to suitable scale showing the streets or public ways within which the same are to be laid and also showing by detailed drawings thereon, the location, size, class, type, quality and grade of pipe to be used; the exact location and depth of such pipe; the fittings to be used, including valves; and the fire hydrants proposed to be installed. Such plans must be properly presented in conformity with the provisions of this Code and any other ordinances of the City and of any governmental agency having jurisdiction in the premises in effect at the time, and none of the actual work of such installation shall be proceeded with until such map and specifications have received the written approval of the City Council and the Water Superintendent of the City.

The construction of all such water installation shall be subject to inspection by the Water Department and if such construction and installation is not undertaken in accordance with plans and specifications approved by the Water Department or if, during the course of construction and laying out of such mains, submains, laterals and fire hydrants, such work is not being done in accordance with the specifications approved by the Water Department or the materials therefor do not comply with the specifications approved by the Water Department, then and in such event the Water Superintendent of the City shall have the power, after reasonable notice, to order the work to cease until such time as the work or materials shall comply with such specifications.

c) In case the owner of any tract or land so desires, he may deposit or cause to be deposited with the Water Superintendent of the City such sum or amount as the Water Superintendent may indicate as being the estimated cost of such mains, submains, laterals and fire hydrants required to be installed and the cost of installation and connection thereof. Upon the making of any such deposit, the Water Department shall cause the necessary materials to be purchased and the necessary work to be done in order to construct and complete the improvements for such tract or land. Upon completion of the improvements, the Department shall compute the actual cost thereof to the Department, both for labor and materials, and thereupon add to such a sum equal to five (5) percent thereof. The cost plus the amount of five (5) percent shall thereupon be deducted from the deposit and the balance, if any, shall be repaid to the depositors thereof. In the event that such deposit is not sufficient to cover such cost and percentage, any balance shall be immediately due and payable to the Department of the City upon demand and shall be so paid to the City by such owner.

d) No subdivision or resubdivision map or plat of any tract or land within the City shall be accepted or approved by the City Council unless and until the necessary and required arrangements with regard to water service therein and fire protection service therein, as specified in this Chapter shall be made with the City Council including such financial guarantees or features as may be indicated in the premises.

e) All work of installation and connection of such mains, submains, laterals and fire hydrants, and all materials composed or used in connection with the same shall be subject to the inspection and must receive the approval of the Water Superintendent.

No water main shall be installed of less than six (6) inch diameter, unless its total length between connections to larger distribution mains is less than six hundred (600) feet or unless its primary purpose is circulation.

No pipe four (4) inches in diameter or over, other than cast iron or equivalent, shall be laid in the waterworks system except for temporary installation.

All proposed water main developments or extensions shall first be presented to the Water Superintendent for approval as to plans, specifications and materials to be used.

A key map of the master plan under this Chapter shall be maintained and kept in the Water Department office. Such map will show, in addition to main extensions, all new consumers added to any extension. Also, a file of each such extension will be maintained in the office of the Water Department.

Where future plans of the Water Department or needs of the territory to be ultimately served require a distribution or supply main larger than that needed to serve the immediate area, the prospective consumer shall pay a service connection charge plus cost of construction and materials used in laying main extension line adequate to serve the immediate area under the same terms of the refund provided in Section 76.2.21. The Water Department shall bear the difference in cost of extending pipe and fittings of designed or planned size. The cost of the City’s engineering and inspection service shall be borne by the individual requesting such installation.

For the purpose of this Article, a water main shall be deemed to have been constructed for the benefit of the following property: all property described in the application for the construction thereof; or, if such main was constructed prior to the effective date hereof (March 25, 1952), all property for the immediate use of which such main was constructed, as determined by the Water Superintendent from records of the City; and all property which shall have been specially assessed to pay the cost thereof.

Except where it is impracticable to do so, property shall be served with water from a water main installed in a street or right-of-way on which such property fronts or to which it is contiguous. If there be no such main, an extension of an existing water main shall be required as a condition to obtaining service.

If there is an existing water main from which service may be obtained, property not previously served may receive water service through such main upon payment of the service connection installation charge provided for, and except as hereinafter provided, upon payment of the water main construction charge provided for in Section 76.2.19.

Where a water main construction charge is required to be paid, the amount thereof shall be the pro rata share of the actual cost of construction and the pro rata share of the actual cost of materials supplied therefor, such pro rata share being determined by the square footage of the lot or parcel of land to be served. The extent of each lot or parcel to be served shall be determined by the Water Superintendent, subject to the right of appeal of the applicant to the City Council for final determination in case of dispute.

a) Where a water main extension is required to provide water service, it shall be made at the expense of the person applying for such service, except as hereinafter provided. Such extension shall extend from the nearest water main in place to and for the full length of that portion of the street or right-of-way on which the property to be served fronts, or to which it is contiguous, unless the Water Superintendent shall find the strict application of this Section inequitable as to any particular property, in which case he shall be and he is hereby authorized to modify this requirement so as to make the same equitable in its application. Such extension shall be a cast iron pipe, or equal, of adequate capacity to meet the requirements for a distribution main in the territory to be immediately or ultimately served thereby, as determined by the Water Superintendent in accordance with efficient operating requirements of the water system.

b) Where the installation of a water main extension becomes necessary and desirable in sparsely developed areas not subject to new subdivisions or resubdivisions, or where said areas are not properly served by water mains installed in existing developed streets, or where it would be inequitable to impose an additional charge without proportionate benefit to property owners now assessed for contiguous lots to streets under an assessment district or under a previous main extension, the Water Superintendent may determine that close adherence to the provisions of Sections 76.2.9. through 76.2.23. is not practicable, and may then proceed to make equitable distribution of main extension charges among the various owners as each property is developed.

The Water Superintendent is hereby authorized to adjust any inequity that may arise under the foregoing conditions by calculating the cost of installing mains, valves, hydrants and fittings adequate to serve all the prospective customers that would benefit from such a complete main extension, and to prorate this cost to the property owners of the lots so benefited on the basis of the front footage of the lot or parcel of land to be served. Construction of said main extension would be performed as required and the charges therefor allocated to the property owners at the time applications for service connections are received. Monies received for the installation and construction of said water mains or to connect to said water mains from property owners, respectively, shall be placed in the Water Main Extension Fund.

(O-1214)

c) The Director of Finance shall keep an account of all monies paid into and paid out of said fund and shall keep a record of all lots for which the money is paid into said fund and of all water mains installed with said monies. Monies in the Water Main Extension Revolving Fund may be mingled with other monies of the City, but may not be expended for any purpose other than the installation and construction of mains, valves, hydrants and fittings for property owners served within the meaning of this subsection.

(O-1214)

Upon receipt of an application for a water main extension to serve property having no available water main and upon receipt of a deposit from the applicant in such an amount as the Water Superintendent shall estimate to be sufficient to pay the cost of providing and installing the same, the Superintendent shall cause such extension to be made. The actual cost of such extension shall be not less than the amount which would be required to be paid as a water main construction charge if an available main existed. The application shall describe the property intended to be benefited by such extension. The City does not guarantee the installation of such main until the pipe has been ordered and delivery of same made to the City. Upon the completion of such extension and the determination of the actual cost thereof, any remaining portion of such deposit in excess of such cost shall be refunded. In case such deposit is insufficient, the applicant shall be liable to the City for such deficiency and shall pay the same immediately upon receipt of statement therefor. The service connection installation charge provided for shall be in addition to the amounts herein required to be paid.

Where water main extensions are installed at no expense to the City, either from its general fund, water fund or other municipal source, the water main construction charges thereafter received by the City relating to such respective extensions, within ten (10) years from the date of the completion of the installation of such extension, for subsequent service connections thereto from all other property immediately served by such extension, shall be refunded to the person who paid for such extension or to his successors or assigns; provided, that the amount of such refund shall in no case exceed the actual cost of such extension, less the amount which would have been required to be paid hereunder as a water main construction charge for service to the property for the benefit of which the extension was originally made. Refund of water main construction charges received by the City for service connection to water mains heretofore constructed shall be made pursuant to the respective agreements therefor existing on the effective date of this Section (March 25, 1952).

No main will be extended under any circumstances where the request for such extension is made by a prospective consumer unless an immediate need for such extension to provide actual, immediate service exists, unless in the opinion of the Water Superintendent an immediate, potential, early future actual use is indicated by the facts relating to the particular case.

(Amended by O-2822)

Any decision of the Water Superintendent may be appealed to the City Council pursuant to the provisions of Article 5, Chapter 1, Division 1 of this Code, commencing at Section 11.5.1.

It shall be unlawful for any person to willfully, knowingly or intentionally injure, damage, molest, steal, remove or otherwise interfere with any of the tangible properties of the water distribution system acquired or hereafter acquired from the Torrance Water, Light and Power Company, a corporation, out of the proceeds of the sale of bonds of the "Act of 1927 Municipal Improvement District No. 1 of the City" or hereafter acquired, installed or constructed by the City or district. Such tangible properties and water distribution system shall be construed to include all pipes, mains, conduits, meters, water tanks, reservoirs, buildings, pumps or other real or personal property of every nature used in connection with the operation of the water system of the City or district, whether within or without the boundaries of the district.

It shall be unlawful for any person to turn on or use any water possessed, owned, furnished or supplied by the City or district after it has been shut off by the City or district without first obtaining the written consent of the City or district.

(Added by O-3906)

a) Water usage fees that remain delinquent for a period of 60 days shall constitute a lien against the property for which the water service was provided in accordance with the procedures stated in California Water Code Sections 72094, 72100, 72101, 72102, or any successor provision.

b) Water usage fees may be collected on the tax roll in the same manner and at the same time as general taxes, pursuant to California Water Code Sections 72094, 72100, 72101, 72102, or any successor provision. The City of Torrance may also seek other collection methods as provided by law.