| Water Meters |
| Water Rates |
| Extension of Water Mains and Service |
| Source Water Protection Evaluation |
WATER SERVICE SYSTEM
90.01 DEFINITIONS. The following terms are defined for use in the chapters in this Code of Ordinances pertaining to the Water Service System:
1. "Combined service account" means a customer service account for the provision of two or more utility services.
2. "Customer" means, in addition to any person receiving water service from the City, the owner of the property served, and as between such parties the duties, responsibilities, liabilities and obligations hereinafter imposed shall be joint and several.
3. "Superintendent" means the Superintendent of the City water system or any duly authorized assistant, agent or representative.
4. "Water main" means a water supply pipe provided for public or community use.
5. "Water service pipe" means the pipe from the water main to the building served.
6. "Water system" or "water works" means all public facilities for securing, collecting, storing, pumping, metering, treating, billing and distributing water.
90.02 SUPERINTENDENT'S DUTIES. The water department shall be operated under the direction of the Water Superintendent, appointed by and responsible to the City Administrator. The Superintendent shall supervise the detailed operations of the water system and enforce all regulations pertaining to water services in the City in accordance with this chapter. This chapter shall apply to all replacements of existing water service pipes as well as to new ones. The Superintendent shall make such rules, not in conflict with the provisions of this chapter, as may be needed for the operation of the water system, subject to the approval of the Council. In the event of an emergency, the Superintendent may make temporary rules for the protection of the system until due consideration by the Council may be had.
(Code of Iowa, Sec. 372.13[4])
90.03 MANDATORY CONNECTIONS. All residences and business establishments within the City limits intended or used for human habitation, occupancy or use shall be connected to the public water system, if it is reasonably available and if the building is not furnished with pure and wholesome water from some other source.
90.04 ABANDONED CONNECTIONS. When an existing water service is abandoned or a service is renewed with a new tap in the main, all abandoned connections with the mains shall be turned off by the property owner at the corporation cock and made absolutely watertight and physically disconnected from the City water main. If the property owner neglects or refuses to complete these actions, the City shall cause said work to be done and bill the cost of said work to the property owner.
90.05 COMPLIANCE WITH PLUMBING CODE. The installation of any water service pipe and any connection with the water system shall comply with all pertinent and applicable provisions, whether regulatory, procedural or enforcement provisions, of the Uniform Plumbing Code.
90.06 PLUMBER REQUIRED. All installations of water service pipes shall be made by a plumber approved by the City. The Superintendent shall have the power to suspend the approval of any plumber for violation of any of the provisions of this chapter. A suspension, unless revoked, shall continue until the next regular meeting of the City Council. The Superintendent shall notify the plumber immediately by personal written notice of the suspension, the reasons for the suspension and the time and place of the Council meeting at which the plumber will be granted a hearing. At this Council meeting the Superintendent shall make a written report to the Council stating the reasons for the suspension, and the Council, after fair hearing, shall affirm or revoke the suspension or take any further action that is necessary and proper.
90.07 EXCAVATIONS. All trench work, excavation and backfilling required in installation of a water service pipe shall be performed in accordance with applicable excavation provisions as provided for installation of building sewers and/or the provisions of Chapter 135.
90.08 TAPPING MAINS. All taps into water mains shall be made by the City and in accord with the following:
(Code of Iowa, Sec. 377. 13[4)
1. Independent Services. No more than one house, building or premises shall be supplied from one tap unless special written permission is obtained from the Superintendent and unless provision is made so that each house, building or premises may be shut off independently of the other.
2. Corporation Cock. A brass corporation cock, of the pattern and weight approved by the Superintendent, shall be inserted in every tap in the main. The corporation cock in the main shall in no case be smaller than one size smaller than the service pipe.
90.09 INSTALLATION OF WATER SERVICE PIPE. Water service pipes from the main to the curb box shall be type K copper tubing. If nonmetallic pipe is utilized from the curb box to the meter setting, a tracer wire shall also be installed to assist with future locates. Wire shall be 12-gauge stranded or solid wire. Pipes must be laid sufficiently waving, and to such depth, as to prevent rupture from settlement or freezing.
90.10 RESPONSIBILITY FOR WATER SERVICE PIPE. All costs and expenses incident to the installation and maintenance of the water service pipe from and including the corporation cock at the main to the building served shall be borne by the owner. The owner shall indemnify the City from any loss or damage that may directly or indirectly be occasioned by the installation or maintenance of said water service pipe.
90.11 FAILURE TO MAINTAIN. When any portion of the water service pipe which is the responsibility of the property owner becomes defective or creates a nuisance and the owner fails to correct such nuisance the City may do so and assess the costs thereof to the property.
(Code of Iowa, Sec. 364.12[3a & h])
90.12 CURB STOP. There shall be installed within the public right-of-way a main shut-off valve on the water service pipe at the outer sidewalk line with a suitable lock of a pattern approved by the Superintendent. The shut-off valve shall be covered with a heavy metal cover having the letter "W" marked thereon, visible and even with the pavement or ground.
90.13 INTERIOR STOP. There shall be installed a shut-off valve on every service pipe inside the building as close to the entrance of the pipe within the building as possible and so located that the water can be shut off conveniently. Where one service pipe supplies more than one customer within the building, there shall be separate valves for each such customer so that service may be shut off for one without interfering with service to the others.
90.14 INSPECTION AND APPROVAL. All water service pipes and their connections to the water system must be inspected and approved in writing by the Superintendent before they are covered, and the Superintendent shall keep a record of such approvals. If the Superintendent refuses to approve the work, the plumber or property owner must proceed immediately to correct the work. Every person who uses or intends to use the municipal water system shall permit the Superintendent to enter the premises to inspect or make necessary alterations or repairs at all reasonable hours and on proof of authority.
90.1S COMPLETION BY THE CITY. Should any excavation be left open or only partly refilled for twenty-four (24) hours after the water service pipe is installed and connected with the water system, or should the work be improperly done, the City shall have the right to finish or correct the work, and the Council shall assess the costs to the property owner or the plumber. If the plumber is assessed, the plumber must pay the costs before receiving another permit. If the property owner is assessed, such assessment may be collected with and in the same manner as general property taxes.
(Code of Iowa, Sec. 364.12[3a & h])
90.16 SHUTTING OFF WATER SUPPLY. The Superintendent or an authorized assistant may shut off the supply of water to the customer without notice because of any substantial violation of this chapter or valid regulation or when the customer is found to be using water-consuming equipment in a manner adversely affecting the utility's system or its ability to serve others, such as cross-connections, back-siphonage, wastage to the extent of drastically reducing water pressure, or any other action so affecting the safety or proper operation of the system. The water supply shall not be restored until the customer has corrected the condition.
90.17 OPERATION OF CURB STOP. It is unlawful for any person except the Superintendent or a plumber to turn water on at the curb stop, and said plumber shall take no action contrary to the orders of the Superintendent and shall leave the water off or on, as directed by the Superintendent.
90.18 FIRE HYDRANTS. No person, unless specifically authorized by the Superintendent, shall open or attempt to draw water from any fire hydrant for any purpose whatsoever. No person shall obstruct in any way easy accessibility of a fire hydrant by placing material of any kind, fences or temporary structures, trenches or holes making it dangerous to fire fighters in connecting to the fire hydrant or impair the access of a fire hydrant in any way. It is unlawful for any person except members of the fire department and the water department to have in their possession a fire hydrant key, wrench or connections to use hydrants for the purpose of opening and closing hydrants.
90.19 BACKFLOW PREVENTION VALVE. A backflow prevention valve meeting City specifications may be installed on the customer's side of the water meter for each new service pipe and any service pipe which is repaired or replaced. There is no grandfather clause on anything related to cross-connection and/or backflow. All units must comply, regardless of age. The City has adopted the UPC and State codes, whichever is of higher degree on all codes that are related to but not limited to all that pertain to cross-connection and/or backflow. The owner, plumber or person working on a potable water service also needs to conform to all codes in effect including the following:
1. All services connected to the City water distribution system must do a hazard survey. After making a hazard survey, the owner of the service shall report to the City water department the degree of the hazard and shall give the address, type of back-flow prevention unit used, date of installation and initial tests done by a certified tester approved by the City. The owner shall provide a copy of the test to be filed by the City for dates to determine future tests and to have available for State and Federal government officials to check and also for citizens who may be interested in the test. Hazard charts are posted and available at City Hall and at the water department.
2. All tests done on any backflow device or assembly must be tested by a certified tester with a current license from the Iowa Department of Health or approved state department of another state and also by the City.
3. All tests will be done using an approved form with three (3) copies, one for the City, one for the owner, and one for the tester.
4. All backflow prevention assemblies and devices will be installed so they are readily accessible as defined in the UPC 203.0 so to make testing without any interference and also height requirements as in the UPC 603.3.
5. All machinery and/or equipment that comes equipped with a backflow device in the unit must have the backflow device installed so it also is readily accessible. If it does not, a whole different unit must be installed as close as possible to the unit so as to make for a testable site. (This would apply to C02 fountains and other apparatus that may apply.)
6. Water softeners, reverse osmosis and other apparatus that may be a hazard of a cross-connection shall maintain a proper air gap when discharging to a drain.
7. Whenever a backflow device is used and closes a system where pressure changes could take place, an expansion or bladder device must be used to protect the system from water hammer or excessive pressure.
8. Booster Pump.
A. No person shall install or maintain a water service connection to any premises where a booster pump has been installed on a service line to or within such premises, unless the booster pump is equipped with a low pressure cut-off designed to shut off the booster pump when the pressure in the service line on the suction side of the pump drops below twenty (20) pounds per square inch gauge or less.
B. It is the duty of the water customer to maintain the low pressure cut-off device in working order.
9. Violations.
A. The water purveyor shall deny or discontinue, after notice to the customer thereof, the water service to any premises wherein:
(1) Any backflow prevention device required by this section which includes the UPC and State codes with automatic updates thereof, is not installed or maintained in a manner acceptable by the City.
(2) It is found that the backflow prevention device has been removed or bypassed.
(3) An unprotected cross-connection exists on the premises.
(4) A low pressure cut-off booster pump is not installed properly or maintained in working order.
(5) The Water Superintendent is denied entry to determine compliance with these regulations.
B. The Water Superintendent shall immediately deny or
discontinue, without notice to the customer thereof, the water service to any premises wherein a service cross-connection exists which constitutes an immediate threat to the safety of the public water system. The Water Superintendent shall notify the customer within twenty-four (24) hours of the denial or disconnection of service.
C. Water service to such premises shall not be restored until the customer has corrected or eliminated such conditions or defects in conformance with these regulations and to the satisfaction of the Water Superintendent.
90.20 DAMAGING WATER PROPERTY. It is unlawful to break, injure, mar or deface, interfere with or disturb any building, machinery, apparatus, fixtures, hydrants, attachments, or appurtenances of the water system or any public or private hydrant or water trough, or stop-cock box, meter, water supply or service pipe or any part thereof, or deposit anything in any stop-cock box, or commit any act tending to obstruct or impair the intended use of any of the above-mentioned property, without permission of the proper authorities or excepting cases herein or otherwise provided by ordinance.
90.21 OWNER RESPONSIBLE FOR PIPES AND FIXTURES. The water department will not be responsible for private water pipes and/or fixtures. All owners must, at their own expense, keep their service pipe from the point of connection with the City mains to their premises, and all other apparatus, in good working order, free from unmetered leaks and properly protected from frost and other danger. If leaks develop, the owner must at the owner's own expense repair the leak. Once a leak is identified by the City, written notice will be given to the property owner and the notice will provide the owner with a reasonable time within which to repair the service pipe. If in the opinion of the Superintendent the owner is negligent in repairing unmetered water leaks, the Superintendent may order the work performed at once and all costs of such work shall be charged to and paid by the owner. In the event of ongoing leakage in a service line, a daily charge set by Council resolution will be assessed for the usage of unmetered water. No claims shall be made against the City by reason of the breaking of any of the service pipes or apparatus or from any other damage that may result from shutting off water for repairing or any other purpose, or for any variation in pressure. No reduction will be made from regular rates because of leaking pipes or fixtures.
90.22 LIABILITY OF CITY. The City shall not be responsible for accidents resulting from insecure boilers or from variation in the water pressure, or the ram of the water from the mains, or from collapse from any cause whatever.
90.23 NONPUBLIC WATER WELLS PROHIBITED. No nonpublic well or water supply shall be installed where a public water supply system is reasonably accessible to the landowner. The determination of accessibility shall be made by the City Engineer. In the event the City Engineer determines the property is not accessible to a public water supply system, or if there is clear and convincing evidence that the accessible public water supply is inadequate to meet the needs of the landowner, then a variance from this prohibition may be obtained from the variance board if a well permit is obtained pursuant to State law or County ordinance.