Chapter 13.04 WATER AND SEWER USE REGULATIONS

Billing to all water and sewer users shall be made on either a service month of approximately 30 days or on two months of approximately 60 days, as may be determined by the city council. (Ord. 21-004 § 1, 2021; Ord. 226 § 2(A), 1974).

13.04.020 Rates, charges, and conditions.

(1) The Kittitas city council shall, annually or more often if necessary, by resolution, establish a schedule “Appendix W” and “Appendix S” of charges and rates for water and sewer hookup and connection charges, water and sewer rates, allotments, and overage charges. The resolution(s) shall also list all other water and sewer service fees and charges.

(2) All water meters shall be kept accessible at all times. Any person blocking access to any water meter shall be assessed a fee of $150.00 plus estimated water consumption. Property owners shall be responsible for ensuring that the city-owned water meter(s) are kept free of any and all obstructions and/or coverings that would prevent in any manner access, inspection or reading, maintenance or replacement of the water meter(s) by city personnel. Any improvements, plantings, or structures (including fences) that must be removed, altered or dismantled by the city in order to access a water meter and/or perform maintenance or repairs on city-owned property and equipment shall be the responsibility of the property owner to reinstall, replace, reconstruct and/or replant at the property owner’s sole cost and expense. Further, the city may charge the property owner for all costs incurred by the city in having to remove, alter, or dismantle such improvements, planting and/or structures.

(3) All active accounts shall be charged the base water and sewer rate, regardless of the occupancy status. “Active account” shall mean all current water and sewer connections which maintain a physical connection to the city’s water and sewer service.

(4) A deposit in the amounts identified in Appendices W and S shall be required and collected on all new water and sewer accounts. Upon receipt of payment for the final billing, the deposit will be refunded. The deposit may be used to pay any outstanding billing in the event that a customer moves out without first notifying the clerk’s office, with any remainder refunded to the customer’s last known address.

(5) It shall be unlawful for any person to waste water or allow it to be wasted by imperfect or leaking stops, valves, pipes, closets, faucets or other fixtures, or to use water closets without self-closing valves, or to use the water for purposes other than those named in the application upon which rates for water are based, or for any other purpose than for which this contract provides, or to use it in violation of any provisions of this contract.

(6) If any person violates any provision of subsection (5) of this section, and fails to make proper repairs after being notified by a city official, the water shall be disconnected and shall not be reconnected until all repairs have been made, and until the applicable fees for disconnecting and reconnecting the water service have been paid.

(7) It shall be unlawful for any person to tamper with or destroy the lock placed on the water services for any reason, the angle meter valve, or the modular wire attached to the water meter. Any such activities shall be subject to the applicable fees set forth in Appendix W. It is unlawful for any person, except when duly authorized by the administrative head of the department or by a member of the fire department, to open, operate, close, turn on, turn off, interfere with, attach any pipe or hose to or connect anything with any fire hydrant, stop valve or curb stop belonging to the city. No person shall bypass any water meter, damage or tamper with such meter with intent to prevent or alter its recording of water, tap a water line, connect to a water hydrant or in any other way tamper with any part of the water system with intent to secure water without paying therefor or without properly making the applications or paying the deposits required by this title. In addition to the other penalties for such act provided by this title, any person found guilty of such act may be denied water service for a period not in excess of one year, and may be required to post a cash bond equal to 10 times his ordinary anticipated monthly billing as a precondition of future service. Any person engaging in the above conduct may also be subject to criminal penalties pursuant to RCW 9A.48.090 (malicious mischief) and RCW 9A.56.020 (theft).

(8) A permit must be obtained prior to the replacement of private water and/or sewer lines. All line replacements must conform to city standards. Inspections by the designated city official must be documented before any replacement lines are backfilled. No backfill shall be placed over pipe until the work has been inspected and approved by the administrative authority. Any portion of the pipe covered before inspection shall be uncovered at the owner’s expense within two days after notice to do so has been issued by the administrative authority. Reinspection of the site will cause the owner/contractor to be subject to a reinspection fee as set forth in Appendices W and S.

(9) Water and sewer base rates and meter rates will be adjusted and increased at a rate of 5.6 percent (for water and meter rates) and 2.8 percent (for sewer rates) annually on April 1st of each year unless otherwise determined by council action, to meet future inflation for operation and maintenance costs. (Ord. 22-009 § 1; Ord. 21-004 § 1; Ord. 20-024 § 1; Ord. 20-006 § 1; Ord. 20-001 § 1; Ord. 19-017 § 1; Ord. 19-004 § 1; Ord. 19-001 § 1; Ord. 18-004 § 1; Ord. 17-016 § 1; Ord. 17-005 § 1; Ord. 16-010 § 1; Ord. 15-010 § 1; Ord. 13-002 § 1; Ord. 12-014 § 1; Ord. 10-014 § 1; Ord. 08-025 § 1; Ord. 08-005 § 1; Ord. 07-006 § 1; Ord. 06-007 § 1; Ord. 04-746 § 1; Ord. 04-723 § 1; Ord. 02-697 § 1; Ord. 00-628 § 1; Ord. 99-599 §§ 2 – 6; Ord. 531 §§ 3, 4, 5, 1996; Ord. 509 §§ 3, 4, 5, 1995; Ord. 454 §§ 2 – 5, 1992; Ord. 377, 1987; Ord. 326 § 1, 1982; Res. 318 § 1, 1981).

*Code reviser’s note: The fee for the permit is established and updated by resolution of the city.

13.04.030 Delinquent payments – Water turnoff.

Repealed by Ord. 02-684. (Res. 254 § 1, 1976).

13.04.040 Service conditions.

Service of water and sewer under the schedules set forth in this chapter shall be subject to the general provisions of ordinances of the city. (Ord. 21-004 § 1, 2021; Ord. 226 § 2(C), 1974).

13.04.050 Service installation fee.

Before any connection is made to the Kittitas water and sewer systems, there shall be paid to the city clerk-treasurer, for credit to the water/sewer fund, a fee for the installation of the service connections as set forth in Appendices W and S. The fee shall be separate and apart from and in addition to any water and/or sewer main charges. (Ord. 21-004 § 1, 2021; Ord. 226 § 2(D), 1974).

13.04.060 Service connection charges.

(1) All water and sewer connections applied for and granted after July 7, 2005, shall be charged a connection fee as set forth in Appendices W and S.

(2) All water and sewer connections applied for shall be reviewed by the city engineer and city council of the city of Kittitas.

(3) Before the installation of a water/sewer service connection takes place, the above fees must be paid in full. Additional fees will be assessed for labor and materials.

(4) All water and sewer hookups for multiple usage applied for shall be reviewed and approved by the city engineer and city council of the city of Kittitas. When several houses, buildings, or premises are supplied or are to be supplied with water through one service connection with the city main, the designated city official may in his/her discretion either decline to furnish water until separate services are provided or all services are metered.

(5) All water and sewer hookups for multiple usage approved by the city engineer and granted by the city council shall be charged a fee as set forth in Appendices W and S.

(6) All meters for new water connections must be purchased from the city of Kittitas water department. (Ord. 21-004 § 1, 2021; Ord. 21-001 § 1; Ord. 15-007 § 1; Ord. 13-003 § 1; Ord. 06-010 § 1; Ord. 99-603 §§ 2 – 6; Ord. 463 §§ 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 1993; Ord. 263 § E, 1977; Ord. 226 § 2(E), 1974).

13.04.065 Maintenance and repair of water and/or sanitary sewer lines.

Repealed by Ord. 02-684. (Ord. 97-540 § 1).

13.04.070 Water and sewer general facility charge.

(1) “General facility charge (GFC)” means that connection fee charged so that the property upon which it is imposed will pay its equitable share of the costs of water/sewer system facilities which are system-wide in nature and are not site-specific needs, including such property’s equitable share of the amount required to upgrade such system to meet the demands imposed by the development.

(2) Payment Required Prior to Connection. A GFC is imposed as a connection charge and shall be paid in full with an application for connection to the sewer or water system; provided, that a building permit application or an application for expanded service has been filed. In any case in which a building permit expires from passage of time, any utility connection permit which had been issued for the use provided for in that building permit shall likewise expire and a new GFC must be paid and a new utility connection permit secured.

(3) Additional Fees Permitted. The city reserves the right to maintain, develop and impose other charges as may be found necessary for the support and improvement of the water/sewer system.

(4) General Facility Charge Schedule. The GFC schedule as set forth in Appendices W and S shall be used to determine the connection fees for new connections and expanded use or conversion of use.

(5) The GFC shall be paid to the city by the person desiring to make the connection, and shall be payable at the time the application is made for the permit to perform the work and make the connection.

(6) GFC for Uses Located Outside City Limits. The GFC for uses located outside of the city limits but within the city’s urban growth areas shall be 150 percent of the charge applied within the city limits. No service shall be provided outside of the city’s urban growth areas. (Ord. 21-004 § 1, 2021; Ord. 21-001 § 1; Ord. 06-009 § 1).

13.04.075 Water reserve surcharge (fund 413).

In addition to the monthly rates established for water services under this chapter, a surcharge shall be paid by each water and sewer service customer. This reserve fund will account for funds which are to be used for water improvements allocated to fund 413. (Ord. 21-004 § 1, 2021; Ord. 19-018 § 1; Ord. 16-021 § 1).

13.04.080 Water and sewer extensions of mains to be made by local improvement districts.

It shall be the policy of the water/sewer department of the city that all extensions of the existing water and sewer mains shall be done by the developer of any plat or unimproved ground without any cost to the city. (Ord. 21-004 § 1, 2021; Ord. 04-723 § 3; Ord. 226 § 2(G), 1974).

13.04.090 Water mains replacement outside of city – Premises served to pay cost.

Whenever any portion of the distribution system of the water department serving premises beyond the corporate limits of the city has become in such a state of disrepair as to require replacement, the owners of the premises receiving service from such portion of the system shall be charged with the cost of such replacement, including all engineering expenses. Such work shall be initiated upon order of the city council after recommendation by the superintendent of the water department. (Ord. 21-004 § 1, 2021; Ord. 226 § 2(H), 1974).

13.04.100 Financing to be organized.

In the time required by the order of the city council, the persons affected thereby shall immediately organize or take such steps as may be necessary to finance the cost of such improvement. Upon failure to so organize or provide a means by which such work may be financed within the time specified by the city council, the superintendent of the water department may immediately without further notice discontinue service through such facilities as have been found in need of replacement. (Ord. 21-004 § 1, 2021; Ord. 226 § 2(I), 1974).

13.04.110 Wasting water.

Repealed by Ord. 04-723. (Ord. 263 § E, 1977; Ord. 226 § 2(J), 1974).

13.04.120 Water from hose.

Water for any purpose from any service not connected with a meter and delivered through a hose must be delivered through a nozzle, the orifice of which is in no case greater than one-fourth of an inch in diameter, and no hose having an inside diameter greater than three-fourths of an inch shall be used for delivering water for such purpose, and no water shall be delivered through a hose unless the same has a nozzle attached thereto as hereinbefore provided. It is unlawful for any person willfully to place any automatic sprinkling device or willfully to place or hold any hose in such a position or manner that water therefrom falls on any person while on any public street or sidewalk. (Ord. 21-004 § 1, 2021; Ord. 226 § 2(K), 1974).

13.04.130 Irrigation and sprinkling prohibited during fires.

It is unlawful for any person to use any water for irrigation or sprinkling during the progress of any fire in the city unless for the protection of property, and all irrigation and sprinkling shall be immediately stopped when an alarm of fire is sounded in the city, and shall not be begun again until the fire is extinguished. (Ord. 21-004 § 1, 2021; Ord. 226 § 2(L), 1974).

13.04.140 Right of city to shut off water for repairs, nonpayment, etc.

The city reserves the right at any time, without notice, to shut off the water supply for repairs, extensions, nonpayment of rates, or any other reason, and the city shall not be responsible for any damages, such as bursting of boilers, supplied by direct pressure, the breaking of any pipes or fixtures, stoppages or interruption of water supply, or any other damage resulting from the shutting off of water. However, where possible, prior notice will be given. (Ord. 21-004 § 1, 2021; Ord. 226 § 2(M), 1974).

13.04.150 Private pipes – Specifications.

All persons connecting to the city service or laying their own pipe shall be required to be in compliance with the Uniform Building and Plumbing Codes for the state. (Ord. 21-004 § 1, 2021; Ord. 263 § E, 1977; Ord. 226 § 2(N), 1974).

13.04.160 Service pipes – Requirements.

Before water will be turned on to any premises connected with the city’s mains, the service pipes upon such premises must be made to conform to the following regulations: The service pipes must be so located that the supply of each separate house or premises shall be controlled by separate stop and waste cocks of the best standard make, approved by the superintendent, with extension handle, property protected from the frost, and so placed within the premises that all service pipes and fixtures may be thoroughly drained during freezing weather. (Ord. 21-004 § 1, 2021; Ord. 226 § 2(O), 1974).

13.04.170 Turning water on.

Whenever the owner or occupant of any premises connected with the city’s water supply system desires to use the water, he shall notify the superintendent and request that the water be turned on to said premises. The owner shall leave his portion of the service exposed in the trench until the water is turned on by the superintendent, when he shall immediately properly cover the pipe. (Ord. 21-004 § 1, 2021; Ord. 226 § 2(P), 1974).

13.04.180 Use of water restricted.

It is unlawful for any person whose premises are supplied with water, either at a fixed rate or through a meter, to furnish water to additional families or premises or fixtures. (Ord. 21-004 § 1, 2021; Ord. 04-723 § 5; Ord. 226 § 2(Q), 1974).

13.04.190 Sewers – Prohibited discharges.*

See Chapter 13.12 KMC. (Ord. 21-004 § 1, 2021; Ord. 366, 1986; Ord. 226 § 2(R), 1974).

*Code reviser’s note: Ordinance No. 366 was replaced by Ordinance No. 98-571 and is recodified in Chapter 13.12 KMC, Sewer Use.

13.04.200 Lien on property for water and sewer charges – Water or waste testing fee.

All charges for water and sewer service including fees and penalties are declared to be a lien against the real property to which water and sewer has been furnished. Should it be necessary at any time to have any type of testing done for water or waste, etc., the property owner shall pay the city clerk-treasurer a fee of as set forth in Appendices W and S. (Ord. 21-004 § 1, 2021; Ord. 263 § E, 1977; Ord. 226 § 2(S), 1974).

13.04.210 Planting of trees near sewer restricted.

It is unlawful to plant within 30 feet of any public or private sewer any willow, poplar, cottonwood, soft maple, gum tree, or any other tree or shrub whose roots are likely to enter and obstruct the flow of said sewer. (Ord. 21-004 § 1, 2021; Ord. 226 § 2(T), 1974).

13.04.220 Meter size.

All residential and commercial meters shall be of the standard five-eighths, three-fourths or one-inch size. Any larger size meter requested on the part of the user will necessitate city council action and approval. The council’s decision will be based on the nature of the business, potential needs, and any other relevant supportive data supplied by the user making the request. (Ord. 21-004 § 1, 2021; Ord. 226 § 2(U), 1974).

13.04.230 Statement of intention to place all water users on metered basis.

(1) There is stated as a “statement of intention” that all water users will eventually be placed on a metered basis. This will be accomplished as per the following schedule, but not necessarily in this order:

(a) Industrial users;

(b) Commercial users;

(d) Multiple lot single-resident owners watering from a single service;

(e) All single residential lot owners.

(2) Any water user will have the prerogative of changing from the prescribed flat rate to the metered rate ahead of schedule; provided, said user reimburses the city for all actual costs of the meter and installation. (Ord. 21-004 § 1, 2021; Ord. 226 § 2 (V), (W), 1974).

13.04.240 Water rationing period.

There is established a water rationing period to be during the summer months each year, the dates to be determined yearly as needed. All users shall water coinciding with their house numbers, be they odd and even. (Ord. 21-004 § 1, 2021; Ord. 263 § E, 1977; Ord. 226 § 2(X), 1974).

13.04.250 Reconnection charge – Monthly minimum charge on water service.

Repealed by Ord. 02-684. (Ord. 376 §§ 1, 2, 3, 1987).

13.04.260 Violation – Penalty.

Any violation of this chapter will be subject to a civil penalty of $500.00. (Ord. 21-004 § 1, 2021; Ord. 02-684 § 6).