[Adopted 8-15-2005 by Ord. No. 2005-06 as §§ 13.30 to 13.50 of the 2005 Code]
[Amended 11-17-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-05]
A. 
Common Council. The operation of the Water Utility and Water Department of the City shall be under the jurisdiction of the Common Council.
B. 
Duties of Council. The Common Council shall have entire charge and management of the waterworks system, together with the sanitary sewer and storm sewer, and shall supervise the same. The Council shall see that all officers and employees under its jurisdiction perform their duties and shall, from time to time, report and recommend any repairs, additions or improvements it deems necessary.
A. 
Reason for limiting extensions of service. The City hereby determines, pursuant to § 66.0813, Wis. Stats., that it is necessary to specifically limit the areas the Municipal Water and Sewer Utilities serves for the following reasons:
[Amended 11-17-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-05]
(1) 
To provide adequate fire protection for persons and property within the corporate limits of the City.
(2) 
To protect the public health and safety of the City's residents without placing an undue financial burden on the City taxpayers.
(3) 
To effectively coordinate Water and Sewer Utility operations with other municipal public works activities.
(4) 
To conserve and protect the available water supply.
B. 
Area to be served. Pursuant to § 66.0813, Wis. Stats., the City may provide water and sewer service to the following:
(1) 
All properties located within the corporate limits of the City.
(2) 
In unincorporated areas, those specific individual properties as the same exist as of the original enactment date of this provision (i.e. June 16, 2003) located in the following specific territories.
(a) 
Three Springs Subdivision: residential water service together with sanitary sewer service provided at 9514 Three Springs Road.
(b) 
Orchard Manor Nursing Home water service line: from the City limits on Highway 61 south to Orchard Manor Nursing Home, including Addison Acres Subdivision.
[Amended 11-17-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-05]
(c) 
County Highway K: from City limits at County Highway K to 10055 County Highway K, including properties on Borah Road, Pine Knob Road and Old Lane.
[Amended 11-17-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-05]
(d) 
County Highway A: from the intersection of Elm Street (County Highway A) and McKinley Street to 560 feet west of T.V. Lane, including T.V. Lane.[1]
[Amended 11-17-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-05]
(e) 
South Lancaster Township area: west of McKinley Street and south of County Highway A.
C. 
Limitation on division of use. No division or subdivision of any existing usage shall be allowed such that a present customer and/or user of the water and sewer services can add additional users onto its specific lateral or laterals serving its individual properties.
D. 
Right of further limitation reserved. The City reserves the right to further limit such area by subsequent action.
E. 
Certified copy. The Clerk/Treasurer shall transmit a certified copy of this section to the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin.
F. 
Rules governing extended service. Water and water service and sewer service provided to areas described in Subsection B above, but outside the corporate limits of the City, shall be subject to the rules and ordinances governing water and sewer customers inside the City, except that water and sewer shall be provided to applicants living outside the City limits only when such service can be provided without adversely affecting the service inside the City, and only when such service is approved by the Council. As a condition of providing such service, the City shall be granted, in writing, an appropriate easement for access to the property served for purposes of inspection and maintenance.
G. 
Application for extending service. Each application for water and water service and sewer service to be provided to areas other than those described in Subsection B above shall be subject to the action of the Council and shall include the applicant's agreement to annex to the City all properties to be provided water and water service and sewer service. Where the Council approves an extension to the distribution system, the Director of Public Works and/or City engineering firm shall approve the plans for the extensions and the applicant shall have the extensions installed at its own expense. Upon annexation, the water and sewer main distribution system and water and sewer service provided for under this subsection shall become the property of the City.
A. 
Application for service. Application for City water shall be made at the office of the City Clerk/Treasurer. Every applicant shall agree to comply with all rules and regulations of the Water Department. In case of any violation thereof by a consumer, the water supply furnished him may be discontinued.
B. 
Records. The City Clerk/Treasurer shall keep all papers and records pertaining to the management of the water works. The records shall contain the names of all patrons serviced by meters, a description of premises supplied, collections made and such other items as the Council may, from time to time, require. The City Clerk/Treasurer shall see that the provisions of all contracts by or with the City relating to the waterworks are complied with, and shall credit all accounts and claims and submit the same to the Common Council with adequate explanations.
C. 
Water waste and fixture maintenance. Consumers shall prevent unnecessary waste of water and shall keep their sprinklers, pipes, hydrants, faucets, valves, hose and all apparatus in good condition at their own expense, excepting ordinary meter maintenance that shall be furnished by the City. Water at washbasins, water closets, urinals, baths or any other place shall not be left running for any purpose. The City reserves the right to shut off the water supply for any violation hereof. During alarms of fire or while fires are in progress, the use of fountains, lawn and street sprinklers, etc., is prohibited.
D. 
Service pipe and fixture installation. All plumbing work, appurtenances and fixtures shall be installed in the manner required by the City Engineer and shall be subject to his inspection and approval. No work underground shall be covered up until examined by him or his authorized representative. All service piping shall be installed in accordance with § PSC 185.52, Wis. Adm. Code, construction standards.
E. 
Fires and fire hydrants.
(1) 
Connections for fire purposes. Proprietors of factories, lumber yards, halls, stores, elevators, warehouses, hotels or public buildings, being regular consumers for City water, who desire to lay large pipes with hydrants and hose coupling to be used in case of fire, shall be permitted to connect with the street mains at their own expense, upon application to the City Engineer and under his supervision, and shall be allowed the use of the water for fire purposes only, free of charge. All such pipes must be provided with a suitable valve, sealed by the City Engineer, and a stop and waste cock attached at the bottom of the pipes on the inside of the building. If the seal is broken for the extinguishment of fire, the party shall immediately give notice to the City Engineer and, if the seal shall have been broken for any other use, the person so doing shall be in violation of this section and subject to a penalty as provided in this Municipal Code. No standpipe will be allowed upon premises where the water is taken for other than fire purposes.
(2) 
Use of hydrants. No person authorized to open hydrants shall delegate his authority to another or permit any unauthorized person to take the wrenches or tools from him or from any fire engine or hose house where the same may be kept, except for purposes strictly connected with the Fire Department.
F. 
Damage to waterworks property. No person shall deface, mark or in any way damage or meddle with the fire hydrants, valves, gates, standpipe or other appurtenances or buildings of the waterworks of the City or attempt to work or operate without authority any of such hydrants, valves, gates or appurtenances.
A. 
Consumers attaching to a main of the Water Utility of the City shall pay a connection charge per schedule PSC CZ-1 rate (latest edition) for the connection of 3/4 inch or one inch pipe to such main. In addition, the consumer shall pay the full cost of the extension from the curb stop to the building connected.
[Amended 11-17-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-05]
B. 
The Water Utility of the City shall extend water mains to a new customer or consumer in accordance with the following charges and the following conditions:
[Amended 11-17-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-05]
(1) 
When an extension main is required by the prospective customer, the consumer shall make an application for such an extension in writing to the Common Council by filing such an application with the City Clerk/Treasurer.
(2) 
After the filing of such an application, the Council shall first determine if fire protection service is needed in this particular area. If fire protection service is needed, the Council shall next determine the size of the main and the logical location of the next fire hydrant. Where a fire hydrant is required, no extension shall be made for a distance less than to the next fire hydrant. If no general fire protection is needed, the Council shall determine the minimum size and type of water pipe.
(3) 
Where pipe of six inches or larger is used for fire protection and general service, the entire cost of the extension, including the fire hydrant and street intersections, will be determined and 1/2 of the total cost allocated to general service. Where no fire protection is provided, the entire cost shall be allocated to general service.
(4) 
The consumer or consumers who request the extension shall pay the entire cost of the general service. If more than one consumer is involved, the general service share shall be divided among these consumers.
(5) 
After making the determination as to the length, location and size of pipe used in the extension and prior to the time of making the charge to the consumer or consumers, the Council shall determine the benefits to be received by any parcel intended to be served by the extension. Before making a determination as to benefits received, the Council shall first divide the area intended to be served into logical building lots. The Council may consider the recommendations of the landowner in determining the building lots if the landowner, as a part of his application, accompanies the application with a proposed division of the land into lots for sale or use.
(a) 
In determining the amount to be paid by the original consumers, if more than one consumer is involved, the division of the charge shall be made by considering each building lot owned by one of the original applicants as a separate consumer. Such payments are to be considered contributions to construction and, after the original contribution, in any future connection by a consumer other than a lot owned by a party making a previous contribution, such consumer shall be required to pay to the City his pro rata share of the lot or lots owned by the new attaching consumer in the entire general service extension cost as if the consumer had been one of the original contributors. When the City receives a future contribution it shall, after receiving the money, pay the money to the previous contributors by paying to each of the previous contributing lots as a separate contributor. It is hereby provided that the right to reimbursement shall follow the land and not the contributor, with the reimbursement to go to the person who is the owner of the receiving lot at the time of the reimbursement.
(b) 
If a contributor owns more than one lot at the time of contribution, he shall be required to designate one of the lots as the lot entitled to contribution, and the owner of such a lot, at the time of any contribution, shall receive the reimbursement for all of the lots owned by the original contributor at the time of the original contribution. Such lot designation shall be filed with the City Clerk/Treasurer and may be filed in the office of the Register of Deeds for Grant County. The owner of such designated lot may, by filing a corrective designation, change the designation to another lot owned by him as long as such new lot is one of the lots to be served by the extension.
(c) 
The total amount of reimbursement that any contributor may receive shall be the total payment made by him less the benefits conferred upon the lot or lots owned by him at the time of his contribution.
(d) 
In addition to the charge made as above provided to each lot, each connecting consumer shall pay the full cost of the lateral from the main to his building.
C. 
This section shall not apply to extensions that are made to newly platted subdivisions containing 20 lots or more. For all such extensions, the Council shall make a determination of the amount to be paid by the owner of the lots by the procedure set forth in § 60.0703, Wis. Stats.
D. 
The City Clerk/Treasurer shall establish the necessary forms for administration of this section and set up necessary records within his office so that an examiner can ascertain the status of any parcel of land included within any such extension.
E. 
No reimbursement of contributions for cost of general service shall be made after 10 years have expired from the date of the payment of the first contribution for construction of the particular main in question. Anyone connecting to a main partially constructed by contributions from consumers after the expiration of such 10 years shall pay the specified charges for attaching to an existing main as set forth herein.
A. 
Type of pipe; assessment of cost. All water service pipes extending from the water main to a meter shall be of a quality conforming to the standards and regulations of the City Water Department. All water service pipes through the curb stop shall be laid and repaired by the City.
B. 
New water services. All tapping of mains shall be done by the City. The charge for this service shall be in accordance with schedule PSC CZ-1 (latest edition), which is incorporated herein by reference, or the City's actual costs.
A. 
Water meter installations. All water furnished by the City shall be accurately metered by the use of water meters which shall be furnished by the City. Each water meter shall be installed and connected under the direction of the City Water Department and in accordance with its rules and regulations and in accordance with PSC Rules Schedule X-1.5.
B. 
Inspection of meters, pipe and fixtures. All water meters and fixtures, service pipes, appliances and appurtenances on private premises connected with the City water system shall be open to inspection by the proper officials and employees of the City at all reasonable hours. Leaky service pipes leading to a meter shall be repaired by the consumer upon notice from the proper City authorities, and if the necessary repairs are not made promptly, the water supply to the meter shall be discontinued until the repairs shall be made.
C. 
Meter not to be obstructed. All ordinary meter maintenance shall be furnished by the City, and the owner of any building or premises where a meter is located shall see that the meter is kept free from obstruction and is conveniently accessible at all times for purposes of reading, inspection or repairing. The water supply shall be discontinued from any meter not so kept and shall not be resumed until this section is complied with and the cost of discontinuing and resuming the water supply is paid.
D. 
Unauthorized connection or tampering. No person, unless properly authorized by the Public Works Director, shall connect, remove or otherwise disturb any water meter or break the seal thereof.
[Amended 11-17-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-05]
[Added 11-17-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-05[1]]
Rates shall be the current rates set by the Public Service Commission and on file at the City offices.
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed the following original sections: § 13.36, Rates for metered water, § 13.37, Unmetered water, § 13.38, Reconnection of water service, and § 13.39, Cost of water for public purposes.
The Water Utility is authorized and directed to provide the means and to proceed with the introduction of approximately one to 1.5 parts of fluoride to every million parts of water being distributed in the water supply system of the City.
A. 
Defined. A cross-connection shall be defined as any physical connection or arrangement between two otherwise separate systems, one of which contains potable water from the City water system and the other water from a private source, water of unknown or questionable safety, or steam, gases or chemicals, whereby there may be a flow from one system to the other, the direction of flow depending on the pressure differential between the two systems.
B. 
Prohibited. No person shall establish or permit to be established or maintain or permit to be maintained any cross-connection. No interconnection shall be established whereby potable water from a private, auxiliary or emergency water supply other than the regular public water supply of the City may enter the supply or distribution system of the City, unless such private, auxiliary or emergency water supply and the method of connection and use of such supply shall have been approved by the Utility and by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources under § NR 811.07, Wis. Adm. Code.
C. 
Inspections. The Utility shall cause inspections to be made of all properties served by the public water system where cross-connection with the public water system is deemed possible. The frequency of inspections and reinspections based on potential health hazards involved shall be as established by the Utility and as approved by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
D. 
Right of entry. Upon presentation of credentials, the representative of the Utility shall have the right to request entry at any reasonable time to examine any property served by a connection to the public water system of the City for cross-connections. If entry is refused, such representative shall obtain a special inspection warrant under § 66.0119, Wis. Stats. On request the owner, lessee or occupant of any property so served shall furnish to the inspection agency any pertinent information regarding the piping system or systems on such property.
E. 
Discontinuance. The Utility is hereby authorized and directed to discontinue water service to any property wherein any connection in violation of this section exists and to take such other precautionary measures deemed necessary to eliminate any danger of contamination of the public water system. Water service shall be discontinued only after reasonable notice and opportunity for hearing under Ch. 68, Wis. Stats., except as provided in Subsection F of this section. Water service to such property shall not be restored until the cross-connection has been eliminated in compliance with this section.
F. 
Emergency discontinuance. If it is determined by the Utility that a cross-connection or an emergency endangers public health, safety or welfare and requires immediate action, and a written finding to that effect is filed with the City Clerk/Treasurer and delivered to the customer's premises, service may be immediately discontinued. The customer shall have an opportunity for hearing under Ch. 68, Wis. Stats., within 10 days of such emergency discontinuance.
G. 
State Code. The City adopts by reference the State Plumbing Code, Ch. SPS 382, Wis. Adm. Code. This section does not supersede the State Plumbing Code and the City Plumbing Code but is supplementary to them.
A. 
Purpose. The purpose of this section is to prevent contamination of groundwater and to protect public health, safety and welfare by assuring that unused, unsafe or noncomplying wells or wells which may serve as conduits for contamination or wells which may be illegally cross-connected to the municipal water system are properly abandoned.
B. 
Applicability. This section applies to all wells located on premises served by the City of Lancaster, Wisconsin, municipal water system.
C. 
Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
MUNICIPAL WATER SYSTEM
A system for the provision to the public of piped water for human consumption, when such system has at least 15 service connections or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents, owned or operated by a city, village, county, town, town sanitary district, utility district or public institution, or a privately owned water utility serving any of the above.
[Amended 11-17-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-05]
NONCOMPLYING
A well or pump installation which does not comply with the provisions of Ch. NR 812, Wisconsin Administrative Code, in effect at the time the well was constructed, a contamination source was installed, the pump was installed or work was done on either the well or pump installation.
PUMP INSTALLATION
The pump and related equipment used for withdrawing water from a well, including the discharge piping, the underground connections, pitless adapters, pressure tanks, pits, sampling faucets and well seals or caps.
UNSAFE
A well or pump installation which produces water which is bacteriologically contaminated or contaminated with substances in exceedence of the standards of Ch. NR 109 or 140, Wisconsin Administrative Code, or for which a health advisory has been issued by the Department of Natural Resources.
UNUSED
A well or pump installation which is not in use or does not have a functional pumping system.
WELL
An excavation or opening into the ground made by digging, boring, drilling, driving, or other methods for the purpose of obtaining groundwater for consumption or other use.
WELL ABANDONMENT
The filling and sealing of a well according to the provisions of Ch. NR 812, Wisconsin Administrative Code.
D. 
Abandonment required. All wells located on premises served by the municipal water system shall be abandoned in accordance with the terms of this section and Ch. NR 812, Wisconsin Administrative Code, by September 1, 1992, or no later than one year from the date of connection to the municipal water system, whichever occurs last, unless a well operation permit has been obtained by the well owner from the City of Lancaster.
E. 
Well operation permit. The City of Lancaster Common Council may grant a permit to a private well owner to operate a well for a period not to exceed five years providing the conditions of this section are met. An owner may request renewal of a well operation permit by submitting information verifying that the conditions of this section are met. The City of Lancaster, or its agent, may conduct inspections or have water quality tests conducted at the applicant's expense to obtain or verify information necessary for consideration of a permit application or renewal. Permit applications and renewals shall be made on forms provided by the Clerk/Treasurer. The following conditions must be met for issuance or renewal of a well operation permit:
(1) 
The well and pump installation meet or are upgraded to meet the requirements of Ch. NR 812, Wisconsin Administrative Code;
(2) 
The well construction and pump installation have a history of producing bacteriologically safe water as evidenced by at least two samplings taken a minimum of two weeks apart. No exception to this condition may be made for unsafe wells, unless the Department of Natural Resources approves, in writing, the continued use of the well;
(3) 
There are no cross-connections between the well and pump installation and the municipal water system; and
(4) 
The proposed use of the well and pump installation can be justified as being necessary in addition to water provided by the municipal water system.
F. 
Abandonment procedures.
(1) 
All wells abandoned under the jurisdiction of this section or rule shall be abandoned according to the procedures and methods of Ch. NR 812, Wisconsin Administrative Code. All debris, pump, piping, unsealed liners and any other obstructions which may interfere with sealing operations shall be removed prior to abandonment.
(2) 
The owner of the well, or the owner's agent, shall notify the Clerk/Treasurer at least 48 hours prior to commencement of any well abandonment activities. The abandonment of the well shall be observed by the City Engineer for the City of Lancaster, or its agents.
(3) 
An abandonment report form, supplied by the Department of Natural Resources, shall be submitted by the well owner to the Clerk/Treasurer and the Department of Natural Resources within 10 days of the completion of the well abandonment.
G. 
Penalties. Any well owner violating any provision of this section shall, upon conviction, be subject to a penalty as provided in § 355-30. Each day of violation is a separate offense. If any person fails to comply with this section for more than 10 days after receiving written notice of the violation, the municipality may impose a penalty and cause the well abandonment to be performed and the expense to be assessed as a special tax against the property.
[Amended 11-17-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-05]
Except as otherwise provided, any person found to be in violation of any provision of this article shall be subject to a penalty as provided in § 1-4 of this Municipal Code.