[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees
of the Village of East Rochester 2-9-1983 by L.L. No. 2-1983 as
Ch. 184 of the 1983 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
This chapter shall constitute and be known as
the "Water Use Rules" of the Town/Village of East Rochester and shall
be considered a part of all contracts for the supply and use of water
between the town/village and water users.
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
- APPROVED
- Accepted for use in connection with water services by the Superintendent.
- DEPARTMENT
- The Water Department of the Village of East Rochester.
- INSPECTOR
- An inspector from the Water Department, having such authority as may be conferred upon him by the Superintendent.
- OWNER
- A person, firm or corporation owning property, taking or desiring to take water from the mains owned by the Village of East Rochester.
- PLUMBER
- A licensed plumber or other person carrying on business as a plumber who is approved by the Superintendent of Public Works.
- STREET MAIN
- A water main owned by the village and supplying or capable of supplying water to more than one consumer.
- SUPERINTENDENT
- The Superintendent of Public Works and/or Water Department foreman.
- WATER SERVICE
- The service pipe and all required appurtenances from the street main to the meter.
No water service shall be laid, enlarged, repaired
or discontinued without a permit from the Superintendent. Applications
for permits shall be made on forms furnished by said Superintendent,
shall be signed by the owner and shall designate the plumber who will
do the work. Permits will be issued to the plumbers designated in
the applications. Such plumbers shall be considered agents of the
owners during the progress of the work.
[Amended 6-15-1992 by L.L. No. 1-1992]
No water service shall be connected at the curb
valve to an existing water lateral or to the street main without a
permit from the Superintendent. The fee for such permit, to be collected
by the Clerk-Treasurer, shall be as determined from time to time by
resolution of the Village Board. Permits for the repair or replacement
of existing metered water services will be issued at the same rate.
A.
After receiving a permit for the laying, enlarging,
altering, repairing or discontinuing of any water service, and before
starting work, the plumber shall file a written notice with the Department
stating the location of the premises, the name of the owner, the number
of the permit, the time he wishes to start work on the service and
the time he expects to have the service ready for inspection. In general,
taps requested before 8:30 a.m. will be made on the morning the notice
is filed, and taps requested before 12:30 p.m. will be made on the
afternoon the notice is filed, but the Division may require notices
to be filed not less than eight working hours prior to the making
of the tap. No taps will be made when the temperature is lower than
10° below freezing.
B.
The plumber will, in all cases, be held responsible
for any damage that may result to a street main or water service from
any cause, including freezing, while the main or the service is uncovered,
under a permit from the Department. The plumber shall see that the
installation is inspected by the designated village representative
and that an inspection report is filed with and approved by the Superintendent.
Water will be turned on after the inspection
report has been approved by the Superintendent, the owner has filed
an application for the turning on of water and has paid all village
charges for work that may have been done or for materials that may
have been supplied by the village and the Department has installed
a water meter in accordance with such application. The curb cock controlling
any water service shall be turned off immediately after the water
service is inspected and tested and shall not be opened until service
is begun in accordance with this section.
Owners will be permitted to discontinue the
use of water from any service at any time, and the meter must be returned
to the Water Department immediately or a five-dollar charge will be
assessed. Furthermore, if the period of discontinuance exceeds three
months, no water rents will accrue during such period. Service will
be discontinued or resumed only on written application of the owner
to the Superintendent.
A.
Whenever service through a water service is discontinued
permanently, the tap in the main shall be closed, and the service
pipe shall be disconnected at the tap.
B.
Where the connection is machine-cut made, the tapping
valve at the main shall be closed and plugged and the stuffing box
gland thoroughly tightened. The service pipe shall be disconnected
at the tapping valve. The same rule shall apply where the connection
is made with a tee and valve.
C.
Notice of any intention to discontinue a service permanently
shall be communicated to the Superintendent, in writing, without delay,
and the work shall be done within 30 days from the time of such notice
and in a satisfactory manner. Before any backfilling is done, the
work shall be inspected by an inspector for the Division.
D.
All expense incident to the permanent discontinuance
of a water service shall be charged to the owner.
The village may shut off the supply through
the water mains of the village in cases of breaks or other emergencies.
When it is possible, notice of such shutoff will be given in advance,
but neither the village nor its officers or employees shall be liable
for any damage that may result to any person or premises because of
such shutoff, even when no notice is given.
Water services may be either for the purpose
of supplying water for ordinary consumption or for the purpose of
supplying water for fire protection. Water services supplying water
for fire protection purposes are subject to all general provisions
of this chapter. Services for dwellings shall consist of a corporation
cock at the street main, a gooseneck, the service pipe, a curb cock
and box and a stopcock or valve inside the building.
Plans for proposed fire protection installations shall be filed with the application for the service. No permit will be issued where the size of service exceeds the size of the street main. Gate valves complying with § 184-18 shall be placed at the curb or at the street main, or at both such locations, as may be required by the Superintendent. A detector check, of a type approved by the National Board of Fire Underwriters, with a two-inch bypass and controlling valves shall be installed on the service. The village may install a meter on the bypass. No change shall be made in any particular from the plan of work as shown on the plans filed with the application without the written permission of the Superintendent.
Trenches for water services shall be made in
open cut unless tunneling is authorized by the Superintendent. Trenches
shall be wide enough throughout their entire lengths to permit proper
workmanship and proper inspection. Trenches shall be at least four
feet six inches deep at all points. When the finished grade of a street
has been determined, trenches shall be made of a sufficient depth
to allow four feet six inches covering over the top of the pipe below
the established grade. Bridges, barricades and signal lights shall
be maintained for the safety and convenience of the public. The inspector
may order such additional precautions taken in order to assure the
public safety as in his opinion seem necessary.
Connections for water services with the street
mains will, in all cases, be made by employees of the Department.
In general, all connections two inches in diameter or smaller shall
be made with brass screw taps, and all connections larger than two
inches in diameter shall be made with wet connections. When the street
main is six inches or more in diameter, all two-inch connections shall
be wet connections. The cost of all materials and all labor required
in making connections shall be a charge against the owner of the premises
for which the connections are made. In all connections larger than
two inches, the Department will, at the request of the owner or the
plumber, furnish an estimate of cost prior to installing the connection.
Charges for connections must be paid before water will be turned on.
The size of the connections shall be reviewed and approved in all
cases by the Department.
For water services smaller than two inches in
diameter, the pipe from the street main to the curb cock shall be
of copper. For all such services, the pipe from the curb cock to the
stopcock or valve inside the building wall shall be copper. For water
services two inches or larger in diameter, the pipe shall be of copper
or ductile iron.
Ductile iron pipe shall be standard bell and
spigot. All such pipe shall comply with standard specifications for
ductile iron water pipe and special castings of the American Water
Works Association.
Copper pipe used in water services shall be
seamless copper tubing having uniform thickness. Minimum thickness
allowed shall be Type K. Fittings for copper pipe shall be red brass
flared fittings especially adapted for copper pipe.
Caulked joints shall be used only in cases of
remedial work. Caulked joints shall be made of clean, untarred hemp
or jute and best quality soft lead. The hemp or jute shall be rammed
solidly into the annular space between the spigot and the hub. The
hot lead shall be run into the joint at one pouring and thoroughly
caulked in place. The lead in pipes eight inches or smaller in diameter
shall be 21/8 inches in depth and shall be flush with the end of the
spigot. No cold lead shall be used for caulking or for filling in.
All water services shall be equipped with a
valve at the curb and a valve just inside the building preceding the
meter. On services one inch or less in diameter, the valve at the
curb may be an approved inverted cone curb cock, and the valve inside
the building shall be of the cone or ball type. On services larger
than one inch in diameter, both valves shall be double-disc gate valves
of an approved type. Curb cocks must be of brass, must have a round
waterway and must be provided with a service box and cap. Curb cocks
may be secured from the Department at the waterworks shop or may be
furnished by the plumbers. When curb cocks are furnished by the plumbers,
they must first and in each case be taken to the waterworks shop for
examination and approval. Valves shall be brass bodies and shall be
of the double-disc gate type with nonrising stems and, when used outside
of buildings, shall be provided with valve boxes and covers. All cocks
and valves shall be able to withstand a test pressure of 300 pounds
per square inch. Valves at the curb shall be located not less than
one nor more than two feet inside the curbline, and valves inside
the building shall be located between the main and the meter and not
more than two feet from the point where the service enters the building.
Furthermore, there will be no iron fittings used with copper or plastic
on the upstream side of the meter.
Water services shall, wherever possible, be
laid in a straight line from the street main to the building and at
right angles to the street main. Where it is impossible to comply
with this provision, the plumber shall notify the Department and shall
secure the approval of the Superintendent for any change in the alignment
of the service. Water services shall be laid at a depth of not less
than four feet six inches to the top of the pipe. No more than one
parcel of taxable property may be served by any one water service.
A.
Water mains and services shall be laid at least 10
feet horizontally from any existing or proposed sewer. The distance
shall be measured edge to edge. In cases where it is not practical
to maintain a ten-foot separation, the Superintendent and/or Village
Engineer may allow deviation on a case-by-case basis if supported
by data from the design engineer. Such deviation may allow installation
of the water main closer to a sewer, provided that the water main
is laid in a separate trench or on an undisturbed earth shelf located
on one side of the sewer at such an elevation that the bottom of the
water main is at least 18 inches above the top of the sewer.
B.
Water mains or services crossing sewers shall be laid
to provide a minimum vertical distance of 18 inches between the outside
of the water main or service and the outside of the sewer. This shall
be the case where the water main is either above or below the sewer.
At crossings, one full length of water pipe shall be located so both
joints will be as far from the sewer as possible. Special structural
support for the water and sewer pipes may be required.
A.
There shall be no connection between the potable supply
system and any pipes, pumps, hydrants or tanks whereby unsafe water
or other contaminating materials may be discharged or drawn into the
potable supply system. Neither steam condensate nor cooling water
from engine jackets or other heat-exchange devices shall be returned
to the potable supply.
B.
Interconnections for potable supply and nonpotable
supply shall be approved by the Superintendent and/or Village Engineer,
provided that the proper backflow prevention device is installed at
the junction point of the two supplies.
Whenever a water service is laid or repaired
and before any backfilling is done, the service shall be inspected
and tested by an inspector from the Department. The water service
shall be subjected to full water pressure for 10 minutes, during which
time it shall show no signs of leakage.
A.
As soon as a water service has been inspected and
accepted by the inspector, the trench shall be backfilled. The backfill
around the pipe and to a height of 12 inches above the top of the
pipe shall be placed by hand with the remainder of the trench filled
in layers not exceeding nine inches in thickness. All backfill material
shall be free from large stones, frozen lumps and/or organic material.
The backfill shall also be thoroughly compacted.
B.
If the backfilling in a trench settles, the Superintendent
may either notify the owner to make repairs immediately and, upon
his failure to do so, may cause repairs to be made by the village,
or in case of emergency, he may cause repairs to be made in the first
instance without notice. When repairs are made by the village, the
cost of such repairs shall be charged against the owner and will be
billed along with the next water billing and subject to regular billing
penalties.
C.
If a trench or other excavation in a public street
is left open or incompletely backfilled or if rubbish or surplus material
is not removed within 24 hours, the Superintendent may cause the work
to be done without notice. The cost of such work shall be charged
against the owner.
Where borings have been permitted, the void
between the water pipe and steel sleeve pipe shall be filled with
clean sand thoroughly rammed or washed into place. All such filling
shall be done only when the Superintendent or his representative is
present to inspect the work and see that it is done to his satisfaction.
The street surface over each trench must be
restored to its original condition as evidenced by the adjoining surface.
In replacing pavements over trenches, the standard specifications
prescribed by the Superintendent of Public Works of the village shall
govern and apply. The existing pavement shall be removed at the edges
of the trench for a sufficient distance to give the replaced portion
a bearing of at least six inches on undisturbed subbase. Such other
precautions shall be taken as are necessary to thoroughly bond the
new work to the old.
Owners that have leaky or defective water services
between the curb cock and meter shall have it repaired within a forty-eight-hour
time period upon notification to do so. When such repairs are not
made as required by the Water Department of the village, the defective
or leaky water service will be discontinued and will not be resumed
until the repairs have been completed. Frozen water services shall
be thawed at the expense of the owners.
The entire cost of installing water services
from the street main to the meter and the cost of restoring the street
surface over each trench shall be borne by the owners. The entire
cost of maintaining and repairing water services from the curb cock
to the meter shall be borne by the owner. The maintaining and repairing
of water services from the street main to and including the curb cock
will be provided by the village.
All water services except those supplying water
only for fire protection shall be metered. Meters will be furnished
and installed by the Department. No more than one meter may be installed
on any one water service. The charges for furnishing and installing
meters, payable at the time applications are filed, are the current
meter prices plus a nominal fee as set from time to time by resolution
of the Board of Trustees as a minimum handling charge.
Meters shall be located within two feet of the
building or vault wall near the point where the service enters the
building or vault. Plumbers shall provide for the insertion of the
meter by a filling-in piece with couplings or flared unions at both
ends. Approved stopcocks or valves shall be located on the service
within one foot of the meter on both sides of the meter. When the
service is 1 1/2 inches or larger in diameter, a bypass, with
a diameter not smaller than half the diameter of the service pipe,
shall be installed. The bypass shall be fitted with a controlling
valve capable of being sealed.
Under special conditions meters may, with the
approval of the Superintendent, be located in watertight, frostproof
meter pits or meter boxes. For meters one inch or smaller in size,
pits shall not be less than two feet six inches wide by three feet
six inches long by four feet deep and shall be provided with covers
permitting the entire pit to be uncovered by one man. For meters larger
than one inch in size, pits shall be of sufficient size to permit
access to all portions of the meter and connections and shall be provided
with covers not less than two feet square or, if circular, not less
than two feet six inches in diameter. Covers shall be fitted with
handles and shall not be too heavy for one man to open. Built-in ladders
shall be provided in all pits deeper than four feet. Where meter boxes
are used, they shall be of an approved type. Meter pits shall consist
of concrete and shall be watertight in nature.
Meters must not be interfered with or removed
by any person except an authorized employee of the Department. Seals
placed on meters, valves or other fittings shall not be tampered with
or broken. If a seal is broken, the meter will be removed, tested
and replaced at the expense of the owner.
The owner shall be responsible for the safeguarding
of the meter. The cost of repairing or replacing of any meter which
is damaged from any cause except normal use will be charged to the
owner. If so required by the Department, the meter shall be housed
at the expense of the owner. When service is temporarily discontinued,
the village will, when requested, remove, store and reset the meter
at a charge as set from time to time by resolution of the Board of
Trustees.
Builders will be furnished meters at rates equal
to the current cost of such meters. The meters for residence construction
shall be installed on and removed from the water services to premises
on which the builder is constructing, repairing or remodeling a residence
at the minimum residential water rate fee for a billing period. Meters
for commercial or industrial construction shall be charged a minimum
ten-dollar fee for installation and removal for each meter used. The
water used shall be charged at the prevailing water rates at the time.
The builders' meters shall be stored without expense to the builder
by the Water Department.
Steam boilers supplied with water through water
services from the street mains must be equipped with a safety valve,
a vacuum valve or other approved safety device to prevent damage should
the water be shut off. Hot-water boilers, hereafter installed, shall
be equipped with suitable safety or vacuum valves.
[Amended 3-8-1999 by L.L. No. 1-1999]
The Superintendent or any employee of the Department,
when designated by the Superintendent, may, at any reasonable time,
upon presentation of suitable identification identifying him/her as
a Department employee, enter the premises of any water user for the
purpose of examining the pipes and fixtures or for ascertaining the
quantity of water used and the manner of its use.
[Amended 3-8-1999 by L.L. No. 1-1999]
Hydrants or valves shall not be opened, closed
or interfered with in any way by unauthorized persons, nor shall they
be obstructed in any manner. Hydrants may be used to supply water
in connection with the construction or repair of local or municipal
improvements. Permits for such use shall be secured from the Superintendent.
Water from hydrants shall be taken only through devices approved by
the Department and which shall include backflow prevention devices.
Those devices will be attached and removed and the main valve of the
hydrant will be opened and closed by employees of the Department.
A deposit as set from time to time by resolution of the Board of Trustees
will be required for each hydrant used, the deposit being made when
the permit is granted. This deposit, less a service charge as set
from time to time by resolution of the Board of Trustees and less
the cost of any repairs necessary to the hydrant because of its use
under the permit, will be returned when the main valve is closed and
the hydrant is reported in good condition by the inspector.
A.
All sections of this chapter shall apply to water
users whose property is not within the corporate line limits, except
that fees for permits and charges for water rates shall be double
the prevailing village fees and rates at that time.
B.
There shall be a control valve on all mains and services
outside the town/village located on the corporate line. The village
will maintain the right to discontinue service to any private main
or service whenever an emergency or undesirable condition arises.
All expenses and maintenance on private mains and services shall be
home by the owner of said private line.
C.
Under this section "private mains and/or services"
shall mean all lines located outside the town/village limits and/or
not serving any town/village residents, in any manner.
Any person who shall violate any of the provisions
of this chapter shall, upon conviction, be subject to a fine of not
more than $250 or to imprisonment for a term of not more than 15 days,
or to both such fine and imprisonment.
