Chapter 13.04
WATER SYSTEM
Sections:
13.04.010 Water department established.
13.04.020 Office of municipal waterworks.
13.04.040 Consideration of resolutions.
13.04.080 Meter--Two or more consumers.
13.04.100 Fire emergency restrictions.
13.04.110 Shutoff valve required.
13.04.111 Water pressure regulator required.
13.04.120 Leaking pipes and fixtures prohibited.
13.04.130 Nonliability of city.
13.04.140 Right of entry for inspection.
13.04.150 Shutoff for repairs.
13.04.160 Shutoff for nonpayment of bills.
13.04.010 Water department established.
A city water department for managing the municipal waterworks for the city is established, which shall be under the control of the city council. (Ord. 335 §1, 1954)
13.04.020 Office of municipal waterworks.
The office of the municipal waterworks of the city shall be at the City Hall, or at such other headquarters of the offices of the city as the city council may provide from time to time. (Ord. 335 §3, 1954)
13.04.030 Administration.
A. The city council shall, as the city water department requires, appoint a water collector who shall collect the water bills, make deposits of all moneys so collected and be qualified and required to do the bookkeeping and accounting for the same, on the forms and in the method that may be designated by the city council.
B. The city council shall appoint a superintendent, who shall have charge of the waterworks system, and shall be responsible for the enforcement of the rules, regulations and the carrying out of the same, under the direction of the city council.
C. The city council shall fix the compensation of all employees and prescribe their duties.
D. The city council shall by resolution prescribe the manner and conditions under which application may be made for supplying of water by all persons desiring a water supply from the municipal waterworks.
E. All applicants making application for connection to the municipal waterworks shall run his service pipe to the curbline of the property to connect to the meter placed by the water department. (Ord. 335 §§2, 4(part), 20, 1954)
13.04.040 Consideration of resolutions.
All resolutions provided for by this chapter shall be considered at two separate meetings of the city council, one of which may be a special called meeting or a regular adjourned meeting, and one of which may be the meeting at which said resolution is finally passed and adopted, and shall not be required to be published and become effective at the time provided in the resolution, or if no provision therefor is made, upon its final passage and adoption. (Ord. 335 §6, 1954)
13.04.050 Charges--Generally.
The city council shall, by resolution, prescribe the charges for water, and the charges shall be uniform for all applicants within the city; and the manner and time of payment and the method of collection thereof. (Ord. 335 §4(part), 1954)
13.04.060 Charges--Lien.
A. All charges for water shall be a charge upon the property upon which such water is furnished, and shall constitute a lien on said property; and such lien may be enforced in any court of competent jurisdiction in the manner that mortgages are foreclosed provided in the Code of Civil Procedure of the state. Such charges shall also be a personal charge against the owner or occupant of the property (at the option of the city water department) and may be collected by suit therefor.
B. Each applicant or owner or occupant of any premises supplied with water shall be responsible for water bills from the time the use of water is commenced until the collector of the waterworks system shall be notified in writing to discontinue such service.
C. Any fees, charges and penalties authorized pursuant to this chapter which remain unpaid after the delinquent dates provided pursuant to Section 13.04.050 may be collected thereafter by the city as provided in this section and otherwise as allowed by law.
1. The city council shall cause a report of delinquent water fees, charges and penalties to be prepared periodically. The city council shall fix a time, date and place for hearing the report and any objections or protests thereto.
2. The city council shall cause notice of hearing to be mailed to the landowners listed on the report not less than fifteen days prior to the date of the hearing.
3. At the hearing, the city council shall hear any objections or protests of landowners liable to be assessed for delinquent fees, charges and/or penalties. The city council may make such revisions or corrections to the report as it deems just, after which, by resolution, the report shall be confirmed.
4. The delinquent fees, charges and/or penalties set forth in the report as confirmed shall constitute special assessments against the respective parcels of land, and are a lien on the property for the amount of such delinquent fees, charges and/or penalties and costs incurred by the city as authorized by this chapter. A certified copy of the confirmed report shall be filed with the city clerk, or auditor appointed by the city council, for amounts of the respective parcels of land as they appear on the current assessment roll. The lien created attaches upon recordation, in the office of the county recorder, of a certified copy of the resolution of confirmation. The assessment shall be collected at the same time and in the same manner as other property taxes and penalties and the same procedure and sale in case of delinquency as provided for such taxes. All laws applicable to the levy, collection and enforcement of city ad valorem property taxes shall be applicable to such assessment. (Ord. 908 §1, 2016: Ord. 335 §7, 1954)
13.04.070 Meter--Required.
All sales of water shall be by meter. (Ord. 826 §1, 2003: Ord. 335 §4(part), 1954)
13.04.080 Meter--Two or more consumers.
A. Two or more water consumers may occupy a single structure and be served by a master water meter, provided that:
1. The division of the structure does not now or in the future result in separate ownerships;
2. The structure use is consistent with Title 17 of this code and improvements are made with the proper building permits, at which time the city shall determine the adequacy of the master water meter to serve the proposed use;
3. The property owner or agent shall agree in writing to pay all charges for water served to the premises;
4. A hookup charge is paid for each residential unit in residential structures as defined in Chapter 17.08 of this code shall be exempted from paying a hookup charge. The hookup charge shall be based on the size of the water meter required for each unit and shall not be less than that for a 5/8” X 3/4” meter. A unit shall be defined as a separate living space. In the case of common living spaces, the equivalent of a unit shall be defined as the full-time occupancy of each 2.3 persons using the common space. (Ord. 826 §2, 2003; Ord. 677 §1, 1988: Ord. 335 §4(part), 1954)
13.04.090 Prohibited acts.
It is unlawful for:
A. Any person to tamper with or interfere with or damage any meter, pipeline or other property of the waterworks department;
B. Any person to pile any lumber, brush or other objects on top of, or break or cause to be broken, any meter box, meter, cut off, hydrant, faucet or exposed pipe or conduit of the city water system;
C. Any person to make any bypass between the meter and the main, or to make any connection with the main without permission of the superintendent of city waterworks;
D. Any person, other than the authorized employees of the city water department, to turn the water on after the same has been turned off at any meter or connection, or for any person to take or use water without first notifying the superintendent of waterworks;
E. Any owner or occupant of property supplied with water to furnish water to others, or use the same on other property than that for which the same has been furnished and charges thereon paid;
F. Any person to take water from the waterworks and system, save as provided in this chapter. (Ord. 335 §5, 1954)
13.04.100 Fire emergency restrictions.
In case of fire alarm or other emergency, all water may be immediately shut off by an authorized employee of the city, excepting that for use of said fire or other emergency; and any member of the fire department and city employee may enter upon any premises within said city for the purpose of closing any hydrant or water outlet that may be open at such a time. (Ord. 335 §8, 1954)
13.04.110 Shutoff valve required.
Each consumer shall have on his own premises a hand valve, in a place easy of access for the convenient shutting off of the water supply to such consumer. (Ord. 335 §9, 1954)
13.04.111 Water pressure regulator required.
Each connection to the city water system serving a building shall have a water pressure regulator to limit the static water pressure at the building being served to a maximum of eighty pounds per square inch in accordance with the currently adopted California Building Standards Code as referenced in Section 15.04.010. The water pressure regulator shall be located between the required shutoff valve and the service to the building. The water pressure regulator shall be installed, owned and maintained by the owner of the property being served. (Ord. 924 §11, 2020: Ord. 801, 1999)
13.04.120 Leaking pipes and fixtures prohibited.
Each consumer of water shall keep all connections, faucets, hydrants, pipes, outlets and plumbing fixtures tight and free from leakage, dripping or waste of water; and for failure to do so, the superintendent of waterworks may shut off said water supplied to such premises, until said leaks or waste shall be prevented. (Ord. 335 §10, 1954)
13.04.130 Nonliability of city.
The city and the water department will not be responsible for the breaking of any pipe or service cock or for any other interruption of the supply of water by reason of the breaking of machinery or stoppage for necessary repairs. (Ord. 335 §12, 1954)
13.04.140 Right of entry for inspection.
Any officer, inspector, foreman or other authorized employee of the water department shall, upon presentation of proper credentials, have free access at all reasonable hours to any premises supplied with city water for the purpose of making any inspection of the entire water system upon the premises. (Ord. 335 §11, 1954)
13.04.150 Shutoff for repairs.
The city reserves the right to shut off the water at any time for the purpose of making repairs or making extensions to the system or for any other purpose and will not be responsible for any damage resulting from the same. (Ord. 335 §13, 1954)
13.04.160 Shutoff for nonpayment of bills.
The city reserves the right to shut off the water from the premises of any person, firm or corporation known to be using or to have been using the water in violation of any of the provisions of this chapter. Shutoff for nonpayment shall only be done after notice and opportunity to be heard provided prior to water service in fact being shut off. Parties found to be intentionally violating the above noted provisions shall not be entitled to water service until they legally connect to the water system and pay an additional sum of five hundred dollars as a penalty for each such violation. (Ord. 826 §3, 2003: Ord. 609 §1, 1982: Ord. 335 §14, 1954)
13.04.170 Violation--Penalty.
Any person or corporation violating any of the provisions of this chapter or who interferes or tampers with or opens, disconnects, connects, uncovers, mutilates or damages any covers, mutilates or damages any water pipe or mains or any connection thereof, or anything appurtenant thereto, or used therewith, without having first obtained permission from the city council shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine in the sum of not exceeding one hundred dollars, or by imprisonment in the city jail for a period not exceeding fifty days, or by both such fine and imprisonment. (Ord. 335 §15, 1954)