Tracy Municipal Code Art. 1 Purpose, Definitions

It is the purpose of this chapter to prevent the waste and unreasonable use of water and to promote water conservation as an effective means to manage the local water supply as necessary for public health, safety, fire protection and recreational needs.

(Prior code § 11-7.101)

(Ord. No. 1196, § 1 (Exh. A), 6-16-2015)

This chapter applies to every person both within and outside the City who draws water from the City water distribution system.

(Ord. No. 1196, § 1 (Exh. A), 6-16-2015)

For the purposes of this chapter, unless otherwise apparent from the context, certain words and phrases used in this chapter are defined as follows:

(a) "Consumer unit" or "unit" means one hundred (100) cubic feet of water, or seven hundred forty-eight (748) gallons.

(b) "Customer" means owner, tenant, manager, or occupant of property receiving City water service.

(c) "Director" means the Director of Utilities or his/her designee, or any agent for the City authorized to enforce compliance with this chapter.

(d) "Drought" means a water shortage as declared by the Governor of California which affects the local water supply, or any unusual situation or circumstance affecting the quantity or quality of the local water supply.

(e) "Flagrant water waste" means irrigating outdoor landscapes or hardscapes in a manner that causes runoff such that water flows onto adjacent property, non-irrigated areas, private and public walkways, roadways, parking lots, or structures.

(f) "Flow restriction device" means any device expressly used to limit water flow or pressure to a water service.

(g) "Hardscape" means the manmade part of the grounds surrounding a building such as but not limited to: a patio, sidewalk, cement walkway, asphalt, statue, driveway, street, gutter, or balcony.

(h) "Incidental runoff" means unintended amounts of water runoff, such as minimal over-spray from a sprinkler that escapes the area of intended use.

(i) "Irrigating" means the application of potable water.

(j) "Landscape" means trees, shrubs, grass, groundcover, plants or flowers. It does not include food sources such as vegetable and/or fruit plants and trees.

(k) "Recycled water" or "reuse water" means non-potable water, collected stormwater or treated wastewater.

(l) "Water emergency" means an event, time or situation that requires extraordinary management or restrictions on potable water use caused as a result of natural events or as an unanticipated manmade event affecting the quantity or quality of the local water supply.

(Prior code § 11-7.102)

(Ord. No. 1196, § 1 (Exh. A), 6-16-2015; Ord. No. 1233, § 1, 5-16-2017)

All applicants for water service are hereby put on notice that further restrictions or prohibitions on water use and service may hereafter become necessary; and nothing herein, no application, permit or approval of water service or water service facilities granted pursuant to these rules shall vest in the applicant any right to a particular use or quantity of water; but such applicant shall be subject to all further prohibitions, restrictions, rules and regulations in the same manner and extent as any other consumer or class of consumers similarly situated existing at the time such prohibitions or restrictions are imposed.

(Prior code § 11-7.103)