Chapter 15.48
DEFINITIONS
Sections:
15.48.010 Definitions.
Except where specifically designated herein, all words used in this article shall carry their customary meanings. Words used in the present tense include the future, and plural includes the singular. The word “shall” is always mandatory; the word “may” denotes a use of discretion in making a decision. Any definition not found in this section will take its meaning from Chapter 246-290 WAC, as amended, or the most recent edition of the Manual of Cross-Connection Control published by the Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research, University of Southern California.
All references in this chapter to any federal, state, or local law or regulation is to that law or regulation as it exists now or as amended.
The following words and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the following meanings:
“Accessory dwelling unit” (ADU) means a single-family residential structure as defined in LMC Title 19.
“Agent” means any person empowered in writing to act on behalf of the legal owner in matters concerning utility service.
“Air gap” means a physical separation between the free-flowing end of a potable water supply pipeline and the overflow rim of an open or nonpressurized receiving vessel. To qualify as an air gap approved by the city, the separation must be at least:
(a) Twice the diameter of the supply piping measured vertically from the overflow rim of the receiving vessel, and in no case be less than one inch, when unaffected by vertical surfaces (sidewalls); or
(b) Three times the diameter of the supply piping if the horizontal distance between the supply pipe and a vertical surface (sidewall) is less than or equal to three times the diameter of the supply pipe, or if the horizontal distance between the supply pipe and intersecting vertical surfaces (sidewalls) is less than or equal to four times the diameter of the supply pipe and in no case less than one and one-half inches.
“Authorized agent” means any person who:
(a) Makes decisions regarding the operation and management of the public water system whether or not engaged in the physical operation of the system;
(b) Makes decisions whether to improve, expand, purchase, or sell the system; or
(c) Has discretion over the finances of the system or is designated by an authorized agent as described above.
“Backflow” means the undesirable reversal of flow of water or other substances through a cross-connection into the public water system or customer’s potable water system.
“Backflow assembly tester” means a person holding a valid backflow assembly tester (BAT) certificate issued in accordance with WAC 246-292-490.
“Backflow preventer” means an air gap, backflow prevention assembly, or atmospheric vacuum breaker.
“Backflow prevention assembly” means a device, combination of devices, or equipment of make, model, and size that is approved by the city for use to prevent backflow to the city’s public water system. Backflow prevention assemblies include, but may not be limited to:
(a) RPBA – Reduced pressure backflow assembly;
(b) RPDA – Reduced pressure detector assembly;
(c) DCVA – Double check valve assembly;
(d) DCDA – Double check detector assembly;
(e) PVBA – Pressure vacuum breaker assembly;
(f) SVBA – Spill-resistant vacuum breaker assembly;
(g) AVB – Atmospheric vacuum breaker.
“Back-pressure” means pressure caused by a pump, elevated tank or piping, boiler, or other means on the customer’s side of the service connection that is greater than the pressure provided by the public water system, and which may cause backflow.
“Back-siphonage” means backflow due to a reduction in system pressure in the city’s distribution system and/or customer’s water system.
“Capital recovery fees” are charges imposed by the water utility upon new development to tie into the water system and use existing water supply capacity that has already been paid for by the existing customer base. Capital recovery fees easily and fairly distribute the burden of providing additional potable water capacity from the water utility and its existing customers to new customers because of new development. The fees are collected from new industries, new commercial businesses, new residential construction, and new water taps, and they allow the new customer to “buy-in” to the remaining water capacity of the water system. The fee is set periodically through a resolution of the city council.
“CCF” means 100 cubic feet. The city of Longview measures water consumption in CCFs or 100 cubic feet. One CCF is equivalent to 748 gallons. To determine the number of gallons of water used during a billing period, simply multiply the number of CCFs (the number is shown on the bill under the Usage column) by 748.
“City” means the city of Longview or the city of Longview water utility.
“Combination fire protection system” means a fire sprinkler system that:
(a) Is supplied only by the city’s water system; and
(b) Does not have a fire department pumper connection; and
(c) Is constructed of approved potable water piping and materials that serve both the fire sprinkler system and the customer’s potable water system.
“Commercial” means all property zoned or used for nonresidential purposes.
“Conservation” is defined as the voluntary reduction of use of potable water by customers.
“Contaminant” means a substance present in drinking water that may adversely affect the health of the customer or the aesthetic qualities of the water.
“Cross-connection” means any actual or potential physical connection between the public water system or the customer’s water system and any source of nonpotable liquid, solid, or gas that could contaminate the potable water supply by backflow.
“Cross-connection control program” means the administrative and technical procedures the city implements to protect the public water system from contamination via cross-connections, as required in WAC 246-290-490.
“Cross-connection control specialist (CCS)” means a person holding a valid Washington State cross-connection control specialist certificate issued in accordance with Chapter 246-292 WAC.
“Cross-connection control summary report” means the annual report required by the Washington State Department of Health, Office of Drinking Water, that describes the status of the city’s cross-connection control program.
“Customer” means the fee owner of property or premises served by the city’s utility; provided, that the fee owner may designate an agent for purposes of managing the customer’s account; and provided further, that a tenant may put service in their own name under the provisions of the LMC, or the point where the service line connects with the distribution system, if no meter is present. For purposes of cross-connection control, “customer” means the owner or operator of a water system connected to a public water system through a service connection.
“Customer rates” means charges that recover all costs of operating the utility. They include both a monthly base fee and consumptive charges.
“Customer’s water system,” as stated in WAC 246-290-490, means any potable and/or industrial water system that begins at the public water system point of delivery; that is, at the immediate downstream side of the water meter or connection, and is located on the customer’s premises. The customer’s water system includes all auxiliary sources of supply, storage, treatment, and distribution facilities, piping, plumbing, and fixtures under the control of the customer.
“Developer” means any person who has development control over property on which development is proposed to occur or is occurring.
“Developer extension” means the development, extension, or expansion of water facilities, mains, or improvements initiated, paid for, and completed by a developer, owner, or any person benefiting therefrom under the supervision of the city.
“Developer extension agreement” means a contract between the city and a property owner, person, and/or developer that sets forth the terms and conditions for a developer extension, including plan review, inspection, construction, costs, conveyance of title, and warranty. Also known as a “contract for extension agreement.”
“Direct service connection” means a service hookup to a property that is contiguous to a water distribution main and where additional mains or extensions are not needed to provide service.
“Director” means the director of the city of Longview’s public works department, and/or public works staff designated by the director to carry out required activities.
“Distribution system” means all piping components of a public water system that serve to convey water from transmission mains linked to source, storage, and treatment facilities to the customer, excluding individual services.
“Dormant” means alive but not actively growing, a state of minimal metabolic activity with cessation of growth.
“Dwelling unit” means one room or a suite of two or more rooms, designed for use by one family or housekeeping unit for living and sleeping purposes, and having one kitchen. Each unit shall provide a complete independent living space for one or more persons, including permanent facilities for living, sleeping, cooking and sanitation.
“Easement” means a grant of one or more property rights or privileges by a property owner to and/or for use of the property by the city for utility purposes. Easements may be temporary or perpetual.
“Emergency” means any natural or human-caused event or set of circumstances which disrupts or threatens to disrupt or endanger the operation, structural integrity, or safety of the public water system; endangers the health and safety of the public; or otherwise requires immediate action by the city.
“Engineer” means the city of Longview city engineer or designee.
“Engineering Special Provisions and Standard Drawings” means the standards adopted by the Longview engineering department which set forth the processes, design and construction criteria, inspection requirements, standard plans, and technical standards for engineering related to the development of streets, utilities, and improvements within the city.
“Fee schedule” means that schedule of rates, fees, and charges established by resolution of the city council.
“Finance department” means the city department charged with the financial management of the city.
“Financial policies” means those policies and procedures adopted by the city’s finance department for the financial administration of the utility.
“Flow-through fire protection system” means a fire sprinkler system that:
(a) Is supplied only by the city’s water; and
(b) Does not have a fire department pumper connection; and
(c) Is constructed of approved potable water piping and materials to which sprinkler heads are attached; and
(d) Terminates at a connection to a toilet or other plumbing fixture that provides regular use to prevent the water from becoming stagnant.
“Food processing establishment” means a commercial establishment in which food is manufactured or packaged for consumption.
“Food sales establishments” means retail and wholesale grocery stores, retail seafood stores, food processing establishments, bakeries, confectioneries, fruit, nut and vegetable stores and places of business and similar establishments, mobile or permanent, engaged in the sale of food primarily for consumption off premises.
“Food service establishments” means any nondomestic establishment that prepares and/or serves meals, lunches, short orders, sandwiches, frozen desserts, or other edible products and/or is required to have a food business permit issued by Cowlitz County department of health. This term includes restaurants, cafeterias, short order cafes, luncheonettes, taverns, lunchrooms, places which manufacture retail sandwiches, soda fountains, institutional cafeterias, catering and home-based food establishments, food vending vehicles, and operations connected therewith; and similar facilities by whatever name called.
“Health and sanitation” means and includes use of water for: human consumption; bathing; personal hygiene; cooking; washing dishes and cooking equipment; cleaning equipment or surfaces for purposes of protecting human health; flushing toilets; medical, dental or veterinary procedures; sanitizing medical equipment and facilities, including clinics, hospitals, doctors’ offices, dentists’ offices and veterinary offices; and/or watering pets or livestock.
“Health hazard” means any condition, device, or practice in a water supply system and/or its operation that creates or may create a danger to the health and well-being of a customer.
“Health officer” means the health officer of the Cowlitz County health department, or an authorized representative.
“High health cross-connection hazard” means a cross-connection that could impair the quality of potable water and create an actual public health hazard through poisoning or spread of disease by sewage, industrial liquids, or waste.
“Improved roadways, alleyways, easements, and utility corridors” means roadways, alleyways, easements, or utility corridors with a surface constructed to city standards with either concrete or hot mix asphalt; or city-maintained gravel alleys.
“In-premises protection” means a method of protecting the health of customers served by the customer’s potable water system, located within the property lines of the customer’s premises by the installation of an approved air gap or backflow prevention assembly at the point of hazard, which is generally a plumbing fixture.
“Inspection fee” is a fee assessed when the city provides inspection services for the water line tap. The fee is set periodically through a resolution of the city council.
“Landlord” means a person who owns or holds real property and leases it to others. It may also refer to the owner or the landlord’s agent.
“Latecomer agreement” means a written agreement between the city and one or more developers providing for partial reimbursement of the cost of construction of water system improvements as authorized by Chapter 14.18 LMC.
“LMC” means the city of Longview Municipal Code, as it currently exists and as amended from time to time.
“Local administrative authority” means the local official, board, department, or agency authorized to administer and enforce the provisions of the Uniform Plumbing Code as adopted under Chapter 19.27 RCW (WAC 51-46-0603).
“Local improvement district” means a type of district established by ordinance pursuant to Chapter 14.08 LMC for the purpose of assisting property owners within a defined geographical area in financing capital improvements by the levying of a special assessment.
“Low health cross-connection hazard” means a cross-connection that could cause an impairment of the quality of potable water to a degree that does not create a hazard to the public health but does adversely and unreasonably affect the aesthetic qualities of such potable water for domestic use.
“Manager” means the city manager of the city of Longview.
“Meter set-in fee” is a fee for a small service water meter (up to and including two-inch meters). For this fee the customer gets a water meter installed and their account is set up. The fee is set periodically through a resolution of the city council.
“Monthly base charge” means the minimum charge for water service. The fee is set periodically through a resolution of the city council.
“Multiple family (multifamily) dwelling” means a building or portion thereof designed or used as a residence by two or more families and containing two or more dwelling units. This also includes ADUs that share water and sewer service from service connections for the primary residence.
“Person” means any natural person, firm, association, joint venture, joint stock company, partnership, organization, club, company, private or public corporation, business trust, political subdivision of the state of Washington or the United States, or any instrumentality thereof.
“Plumbing hazard” means a cross-connection in a customer’s potable water system that may permit back-siphonage in the event of a negative pressure in the supply line.
“Potable water” means water that has been disinfected and otherwise treated to meet all federal and state drinking water laws and regulations as set forth by the Safe Drinking Water Act and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
“Premises” means a continuous tract of land, building or groups of adjacent buildings under a single ownership or control with respect to water or sewer service and responsibility for payment therefor. Subdivisions of such use or responsibility shall constitute a division into separate premises as defined here.
“Premises isolation” means a method of protecting a public water system by installation of approved air gaps or approved backflow prevention assemblies at or near the service connection or alternative location acceptable to the city to isolate the customer’s water system from the city’s public water system.
“Property owner” means any individual, company, partnership, joint venture, corporation, association, society, or group that owns or has a contractual interest in the subject property or has been authorized by the owner to act on his/her behalf, including but not limited to an agent, contractor, applicant, or developer.
“Public water system” means as defined and referenced under WAC 246-290-020.
“Purchased source” means water a purveyor purchases from a public water system not under the control of the city for distribution to the city’s customers.
“Purveyor” means an agency, subdivision of the state, municipal corporation, firm, company, mutual or cooperative association, institution, partnership, person, or other entity owning or operating a public water system. “Purveyor” also means the authorized agents of such entities.
“RCW” means the Revised Code of Washington, as it currently exists and as amended from time to time.
“Record drawing” means a final record drawing of the actual installation of the structures, materials and equipment as defined in the Engineering Special Provisions and Standard Drawings.
“Redevelopment” means a site that is already substantially developed which is modified as defined by LMC Title 19.
“Regional public water supplier” means a water system that provides drinking water to one or more public water systems.
“Repair” means repair or major maintenance of a building water system, including, but not limited to, excavation and repair of damage to the building piping caused by external forces or failure of the pipe or pipe material.
“Resident” means an individual living in a dwelling unit served by a public water system.
“Residential structure” means a dwelling unit as defined in LMC Title 19 and includes, but is not limited to, single-family, multifamily, accessory dwelling unit, duplexes, or triplexes.
“Salvaged potable water” means water that has not been used but would normally be discharged to the wastewater system. For example, this includes water that is run while waiting for hot water to warm up at a sink, shower, or bathtub.
“Service connection” means a connection to a public water system designed to provide potable water to a single-family residence or other residential or nonresidential population.
“Service line” means the pipe, fittings and water meter connecting the main to the customer’s meter.
“Single-family dwelling” means a building designed or used for residence purposes by not more than one family and containing one dwelling unit only, including mobile homes when not located in a mobile home park and including condominium units subject to fee simple ownership, and excluding multiple-family dwellings, apartments, and motels. This also includes ADUs that take water and sewer service from service connections separate from the primary residence.
“Standard commercial water mains” means water mains constructed of ductile iron, or equivalent, eight inches in diameter.
“Standard construction costs” means the cost of the pipe for either the standard residential water mains or standard commercial water mains, whichever is to be installed, plus the total cost of all tees and junctions and the total cost of all installation and incidental work necessary to place the water pipe in service regardless of its size, excepting, however, the cost of fire hydrants and extensions thereto which shall be paid out of the revenues of the water utility.
“Standard residential water mains” means water mains constructed of ductile iron, or equivalent, six inches in diameter.
“Structure” means any improvement which is designed, intended, or suitable for human occupancy, employment, recreation, habitation, or other purpose.
“System hazard” means a threat to the physical properties of the public or the customer’s potable water system by a material not dangerous to health but aesthetically objectionable that would have a degrading effect on the quality of the potable water in the system.
“Unapproved auxiliary water supply” means a water supply (other than the city’s water supply) on or available to the customer’s premises that is either not approved for human consumption by the health agency having jurisdiction or is not otherwise acceptable to the city.
“Unimproved roadways, alleyways, easements, and utility corridors” means roadways, alleyways, easements, or utility corridors without a surface constructed to city standards with either concrete or hot mix asphalt.
“Unit” means any portion of a structure available, suitable, intended or otherwise used as a separate business office or separate suite of business offices, store, or other commercial establishment, except for individual storage spaces in a self-storage building, apartment, condominium, single-family dwelling, duplex, triplex, fourplex, trailer, or an accessory dwelling unit added to a single-family dwelling.
“Used water” means water that has left the control of the city, typically through a service connection meter or use from a city hydrant.
“User” means any person, firm, or any corporation who consumes or otherwise uses water from the city water system.
“Utility” means the water utility of the city of Longview.
“Utility service area” or “service area” means that geographic area defined by the city in the water system plan as the area served by the utility and as may be expanded through subsequent interlocal agreements, annexations, and special utility district assumptions.
“Waste” means discharge of potable water with no intended use, or loss of water ancillary to an intended use when such loss could be controlled with readily available technology or common practices associated with the use.
(a) Waste includes but is not limited to: (i) failure to repair a controllable leak, including a broken sprinkler head, a leaking valve or pipe, a broken pipe, or a leaking faucet; (ii) irrigation uses that allow water to run off a vegetated area and form a flow of water on an impervious surface for a distance of 50 feet or greater or to discharge to a storm drain or surface water body; (iii) irrigation uses that allow water to accumulate on an impervious surface to a depth of one-quarter inch or greater; (iv) running a garden hose longer than five minutes without putting the water to use.
(b) However, waste does not include the following:
(i) Flow resulting from temporary failures or malfunctions of water, plumbing or irrigation systems, where such failures are controlled or repaired as quickly as possible;
(ii) Flow resulting from firefighting or routine inspection of fire hydrants or from fire training activities;
(iii) Water applied as a dust control measure as required by local, state or federal laws or regulations or associated permits;
(iv) Water applied to abate spills of flammable or otherwise hazardous materials, where water is the appropriate control method;
(v) Water applied to prevent or abate health, safety or accident hazards when alternate methods are not readily available;
(vi) Flow resulting from routine inspection, repair or maintenance of the municipal water supply system;
(vii) Flow resulting from routine inspection or maintenance of irrigation systems;
(viii) Water used for construction or maintenance activities where the application of water is the standard methodology, and no other practical or economical alternative exists.
“Water” means any treated and potable water used in the city of Longview water system service area.
“Water main” means the pipe laid in a public right-of-way, street, alley, or easement owned by the city, and used or intended for the distribution of water to customers through service lines and may also be referred to as “main.”
“Water meter” means any device used for the measurement of water delivered to an individual location, customer, or user.
“Water service area” means the geographical area being served water by the city of Longview, including retail customers; and wholesale customers or owners, where a formal agreement is in place to serve treated water.
“Water shortage” is defined as the condition where the demand for potable water from the city of Longview treatment facilities and distribution systems exceeds the ability of the treatment facilities and distribution system to meet that demand, and the storage facilities are unable to refill within 24 hours to meet the demand for water.
“Water system” means the system of conduits, pumps, treatment facilities, and structures used for the purpose of production and conveying potable water from their source, treating in any manner, and conveying to users in the city and adjacent areas. (Ord. 3533 § 1, 2024).