West Sacramento Municipal Code Art. II Policies

The city shall operate and maintain the water system in an efficient and economical manner and supply water as fairly and equitably as possible. The charges to be made for service shall be set at rates necessary to enable the city to recover all costs of supplying water including, but not limited to, the costs for the following:

A. Purchasing, pumping, treating, storing, transmitting and distributing water;

B. Customer service;

C. Administration;

D. Overhead;

E. Debt service;

F. In-lieu taxes;

G. Replacement and maintenance of facilities; and

H. All other necessary and appropriate expenses.

(District code Ch. 7 Art. I § 3.01)

The city shall be responsible for operating, maintaining and replacing all portions of the distribution system which are owned by the city. The city shall not be responsible for operating, maintaining or replacing that portion of the distribution system not owned by the city. The installation of a city measuring device upon private property or within a portion of the distribution system not owned by the city shall not create an obligation on the part of the city operation, maintenance or replacement of any works of facilities not owned by the city.

(District code Ch. 7 Art. I § 3.02)

The portion of the distribution system, including the water main, service connection and/or meter which is located in the public way or in easements, shall be under the exclusive control of the city and owned, managed and operated under the direction of the city manager.

(District code Ch. 7 Art. I § 3.04)

No person shall supply water to any person or to any premises except as authorized by city permit or as approved in writing by the city for service outside the city or for temporary service.

(District code Ch. 7 Art. I § 3.03)

When the city has discovered that a customer has obtained water service by fraudulent means, or has diverted the water service for unauthorized use, the service to that customer may be discontinued without notice. The city shall not be required to restore service until the customer has complied with all rules and requirements of the city and the city has been reimbursed for the full amount of the service rendered and the actual or estimated costs to the city incurred by reason of the fraudulent use.

(District code Ch. 7 Art. I § 3.08)

The customer shall be responsible for the proper operation and maintenance of the customer's private water line and for any damages to the distribution system or loss of water resulting from the customer's private water line.

(District code Ch. 7 Art. I § 3.05)

The city shall have access at all reasonable hours to meters, service connections and other property owned by the city, whether located on or off the customer's premises, for the purposes of inspection, installation, repair, maintenance, operation, turn on, turn off or removal of the city's property.

(District code Ch. 7 Art. I § 3.06)

If an unsafe or hazardous condition is found to exist on the customer's premises, or if the use of water thereon by apparatus, appliances, equipment or otherwise is found to be detrimental or damaging to the city or its customers, the service may be shut off without notice; provided, that the city shall notify the customer immediately of the reasons for the discontinuance and the corrective action to be taken by the customer before service can be restored.

(District code Ch. 7 Art. I § 3.07)

A customer's private water line shall be open for inspection at all reasonable times to a representative of the city. However, before a city representative enters a customer's premises for the purpose of inspecting non-city-owned facilities, the city shall obtain the occupant's consent or the city shall give twenty-four-hour advance notice, in writing, to the occupant of the city's intention to enter and inspect the customer's private water line.

(District code Ch. 7 Art. I § 3.09)

Except as provided in Section 13.04.120, it is unlawful for any person to interfere, seek or cause to interfere with the inspection, installation, removal, maintenance or other lawful activity by the city manager, or the city manager's authorized representative, of any part of the distribution system owned by the city.

(District code Ch. 7 Art. I § 3.10)

No person shall place or cause to be placed on any water line easements any wires, fences, trees, buildings or other structures, either temporary or permanent, or any refuse, rubbish, debris or other objects which may impede or otherwise interfere with the ready access by the city to any portion of the distribution system owned by the city. Any such obstruction, upon the written request of the manager, shall immediately be removed by the violator at no expense to the city or removed by the city at violator's expense, and shall not be replaced.

(District code Ch. 7 Art. I § 3.11)

The city shall not be liable for any interruption, shortage or insufficiency of water supply or for pressure at the customer's point of connection, or for any loss or damages occasioned thereby.

(District code Ch. 7 Art. I § 3.12)

A. When a person who opens, grades, excavates, fills or does other street construction, deems it necessary to expose, remove, raise, lower or otherwise affect any portion of the distribution system owned by the city, the person performing the street construction shall give at least seven days' advance notice in writing to the city of the person's intention to perform the construction and immediate notice upon exposure or contact with such system.

B. At its option, the city may elect to perform the removal, raising, lowering or other construction of the city's distribution system which is necessitated by the street construction. Prior to the city performing the construction on its distribution system, the person requiring the street construction shall pay the city a reasonable deposit in an amount not to exceed the estimated cost of the city's construction. When the city completes its construction, the city shall refund that portion, if any, of the deposit which exceeds the actual costs of construction and the person requiring the construction shall pay the amount, if any, by which the actual costs of construction exceed the deposit.

C. The person performing the street construction shall be liable for any damage to the city's distribution system resulting from the street construction or from the person's construction on the city's distribution system.

(District code Ch. 7 Art. I § 3.13)

Portions of this chapter may be waived for persons hired by the city to construct any part of the city's distribution system.

(District code Ch. 7 Art. I § 3.14)

The city manager has the authority to delegate the performance of any of the manager's responsibility to any city employee or independent contractor.

(District code Ch. 7 Art. I § 3.15)

All procedures, design, work, materials, capacities, facilities and other improvements shall be based on the applicable provisions of the latest revisions of state and local regulations and generally accepted standards of water works practice insofar as deemed appropriate by the city considering the conditions and where not in conflict with city standards. Such regulations and standards are included in but not necessarily limited to the following references:

A. Waterworks Standards of the California Department of Health Services;

B. Titles 17 and 22 of the California Administrative Code;

C. California Safe Drinking Water Act;

D. Uniform Plumbing Code; and

E. American Water Works Association.

(District code Ch. 7 Art. I § 3.16)