51.05 Regular service.
(A) Generally. Water delivered through the city’s water system is to be used for domestic and ancillary-commercial purposes only. Use of water for agricultural irrigation is strictly prohibited.
(1) Service to water customers shall be subject to the rules, regulations and rates applicable and in effect at the time service is accepted or as they may be adopted or modified by the Council. An application for water service shall be deemed an agreement for service based upon the city’s ordinances, rules and regulations pertaining to water service.
(2) Service to customers or groups of customers may be discontinued for a failure to comply with the provisions of this subchapter and related rules, regulations and administrative policies.
(3) Service to customers or groups of customers may be discontinued or restricted during times of drought or other unforeseen circumstances, as may be determined by the Council.
(B) Service connections. The city shall furnish, install, maintain and connect to the main and own the service line from the main through and including the water meter.
(1) No connection to or from the city mains or alteration in the service connection shall be made by anyone other than the city.
(2) Service line sizes shall be determined by the city.
(C) Customer’s line.
(1) The customer’s line shall begin at the end of the service connection and will be installed and maintained at the expense of the property owner.
(2) The property owner shall protect such line from injury, freezing or siphonage and be responsible for all damages resulting from leaks, breaks or other similar causes and/or events. The customer’s service line shall conform to the prevailing Plumbing Code of the state, in effect at the time of installation.
(D) Third-party usage restricted.
(1) No customer shall serve any other water user except the business or residential use in the water service application, without the written consent of the city.
(2) Development that results in the creation of additional business or residential use on the same or adjacent property may be subject to an additional connection, connection fee, system development charge and/or increased water-related rates based on the additional business or residential use.
(3) Any additional business or residential use which is intended to be under separate ownership shall be required to install a separate connection.
(E) Abandoned service.
(1) When a service meets the definition of “abandoned,” as defined in § 51.03 of this chapter, the water meter will be removed by the city with all further billing on the account suspended.
(2) A new service application and reconnection fee, in addition to any amounts still owed on the original account, shall be paid in full before service is reinstated.
(3) When service is abandoned for six additional months, a new service application, reconnection fee and system development charge shall apply and be paid in full before service is reinstated.
(F) Discontinuance of service.
(1) The city may limit the use of water in times of shortage.
(2) The city may refuse to furnish water and may discontinue service to premises where excessive demand by one customer may result in inadequate service to others.
(3) Where wasteful or negligent water use seriously affects the general service, the city may discontinue the service if such conditions are not corrected within five days after the customer is given notice to that effect.
(G) Restricted service. The city may, at any time, approve a service connection with restricted service, such as smaller connection lines, or limited hours of use, if the city determines that the restrictions are necessary to preserve water service to others in the area, or to maintain adequate pressure or fire flow capability in the area. The cost of any restrictions as a condition of water service are the sole responsibility of the owner.
(H) Contamination of water supply.
(1) No owner of property or user of city water shall introduce or permit the introduction of pollution or contamination of any kind into the water system. Whenever a condition is found which presents the possibility of contamination or pollution, water service to such premises and/or other such premises as is necessary shall be discontinued immediately by physical break until such condition is remedied.
(2) No owner of property, customer or user of water shall cause or allow a connection of the city’s water system to any other water system or source, to include recreational vehicles (unless within a RV park in compliance with division (H)(3) below).
(a) Such cross-connections and the water supply to such premises shall be discontinued immediately until such cross-connections are eliminated.
(b) The control of cross-connections shall be in accordance with the requirements of standard practice pertaining to cross-connection control approved by the city and any requirements set forth by the Safe Drinking Water Act, Pub. Law No. 92-523, being 42 U.S.C. §§ 300f et seq., and any subsequent applicable federal and/or state legislation, rule or law.
(3) If the city determines that a permanent physical separation from the city’s water system is not practicable or necessary, or adequate inspection for cross-connections cannot be made, the city may require the owner of property or customer to install, test and maintain a backflow prevention device to prevent pollution or contamination of the city water supply.
(a) If a backflow prevention device is required by the city, the city shall prescribe the pattern, design and size of such device as it believes is reasonably adequate to prevent contamination.
(b) The city shall also regulate the location, installation and testing of such devices, in accordance with all applicable state and federal requirements.
(c) Any corrective measure or change required to a premises, and any testing of the backflow prevention device that the city may require, shall be at the sole expense of the owner of the property or the customer of city water.
(d) The cost of any change required in the city water system up to the property line or between the property line and the meter, as well as cut off or disconnection costs, shall be added to the charge against the premises or premises necessitating the expense.
(I) Private water supply connections.
(1) No physical connection, direct or indirect, shall exist even temporarily between the city water supply and that of a private water supply, including an RV outside of an approved RV park. Where such a connection is found to exist, the city water service shall be disconnected.
(2) The service shall not be reestablished until satisfactory proof is furnished that the cross-connection has been permanently severed.
(J) Nonreturn assemblies and valves – Backflow prevention devices. Regulation of nonreturn assemblies and valves, as well as backflow prevention devices, including, but not limited to, the inspection for the need of such devices and required testing, performed solely at the customer’s expense, shall be administered in accordance with all applicable rules, regulations and standards of the State Health Department, and any other such state and/or federal rule, regulation or standard as applicable.
(K) Temporary shutdowns. Temporary shutdowns of water service may be required by the city to make repairs or improvements to the system. Whenever possible, and as time may permit, affected customers shall be notified prior to a shutdown. The city shall not liable for any damage resulting from interruption in service. (Ord. 2010-02, passed 06/14/2010; Ord. 2022-01, passed 06/13/2022)
Penalty, see § 51.16