[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of
Warwick 10-29-1987 by Ord. No. 87-6 (Part
5:500 of the 1984 Warwick Township Code); amended in its entirety 4-13-1992
by Ord. No. 92-6. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
A.
This chapter shall be known as the "Warwick Township
Water Conservation Ordinance."
B.
This chapter of the Code of the Township of Warwick applies to all water facilities under the jurisdiction of the Board of Supervisors, as defined in Chapter 183, Water and Sewers, and private water companies permitted by the Board or any other governmental agency to provide services within Warwick Township. The Authority, as the Board's designee for constructing and or otherwise devising and/or sanctioning all such systems within the Township, shall be responsible for its implementation.
No water shall be provided for internal or external use to any residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, recreational, governmental or public building or structure of any kind which is constructed or remodeled and in which plumbing, water piping or water fixtures are to be installed, extended or altered in any way, and for which a construction permit is required to be obtained from Warwick Township (or would be required but for an exemption from a permit requirement for public or governmental agencies) unless the new, extended or altered plumbing, water piping and other water using fixtures therein conform to the requirements and standards of § 187-5 of this chapter. The provisions of this chapter shall apply to any such building or structure for which such a building permit is issued, or would otherwise be required to be issued but for exemption, on or after the date adopted.
Customers shall be encouraged not to permit any water furnished by the
Warwick Township Water and Sewer Authority to run to waste in any gutter or
other impervious surface.
Each resident or property owner of Warwick Township is urged to install
fixtures which will reduce the quantity of water required to flush toilets
and which will reduce the flow rates of showers and faucets.
A.
Water meters.
(1)
Water and/or sewer customers of the Warwick Township
Water and Sewer Authority shall have their water supply metered at the source
before any connection for internal or external use.
(2)
Meters shall be of a type and manufacture approved by
the Warwick Township Water and Sewer Authority and shall include a remote
digital read out.
(3)
The initial installation and cost of the meter shall
be at the customer's expense. The meter shall become the property of the Warwick
Township Water and Sewer Authority who will be responsible for any testing
and maintenance.
B.
Water closets operated by flush tanks. The water consumption
of water closets operated by flush tanks shall not exceed an average of 1.6
gallons per flush cycle over a range of test pressures from 20 to 80 pounds
per square inch gauge.[1] The fixture shall perform in accordance with the flushing test
requirements cited in ANSI/ASME A122.19.2 Vitreous China Plumbing Fixture
Standard.
[1]
Editor's Note: Current maximum water consumption figures are on file
and available for inspection in the Township Office.
C.
Water closets and urinals operated by flush valves.
(1)
Water closet water consumption shall not exceed an average
of 1.6 gallons per flush cycle over a range of test pressures from 20 to 80
psig.[2] The flush valve shall be adjusted according to the manufacturer's
specifications. The fixtures shall perform in accordance with the flushing
test requirements cited in the ANSI/ASME A122.19.2 Vitreous China Plumbing
Fixture Standard. This restriction shall not apply to blowout type water closets.
[2]
Editor's Note: Current maximum water consumption figures are on file
and available for inspection in the Township Office.
(2)
Urinal water consumption shall not exceed an average
of 1.5 gallons per flush cycle over a range of test pressures from 20 to 80
psig.[3] The flush valve shall be adjusted according to the manufacturer's
specifications. The fixtures shall perform in accordance with the flushing
test requirements cited in the ANSI/ASME A122.19.2 Vitreous China Plumbing
Fixtures Standard. This restriction shall not apply to blowout type urinals.
[3]
Editor's Note: Current maximum water consumption figures are on file
and available for inspection in the Township Office.
D.
Showerheads. Showerhead discharge rates shall not exceed
2.75 gallons of water per minute over a range of test pressures from 20 to
80 psig.[4] The fixture shall perform in accordance with the test requirements
cited in the ANSI/ASME A112.18.1 Finished and Rough Brass Plumbing Fixtures
Standard. This restriction shall not apply to safety or deluge showers.
[4]
Editor's Note: Current maximum water consumption figures are on file
and available for inspection in the Township Office.
E.
Sink faucets.
(1)
Kitchen sink faucet discharge rates shall not exceed
2.75 gallons of water per minute over a range of test pressures from 20 to
80 psig.[5] The fixture shall perform in accordance with the test requirements
cited in the ANSI/ASME A112.18.1 Finished and Rough Brass Plumbing Fixture
Fittings Standard.
[5]
Editor's Note: Current maximum water consumption figures are on file
and available for inspection in the Township Office.
(2)
Residential lavatory sink faucet discharge rates shall
not exceed 2.75 gallons of water per minute over a range of test pressures
from 20 to 80 psig.[6] The fixture shall perform in accordance with the test requirements
cited in the ANSI/ASME A112.18.1 Finished and Rough Brass Plumbing Fixture
Fittings Standard.
[6]
Editor's Note: Current maximum water consumption figures are on file
and available for inspection in the Township Office.
(3)
Nonresidential lavatory faucets shall be either self-closing
or metering faucets as described below:
(a)
Self-closing faucets shall not exceed an average discharge
rate of 0.5 gallons of water per minute between the pressure of 20 to 30 psig[7] when tested in accordance with the discharge test procedure cited
in ANSI/ASME A112.18.1 Finished and Rough Brass Plumbing Fixture Fittings
Standard.
[7]
Editor's Note: Current maximum water consumption figures are on file
and available for inspection in the Township Office.
F.
Pressure-reducing valves. Where the service water pressure
to a building is expected to exceed 60 psig, a water pressure reducing valve
with strainer shall be installed just downstream of the building's main valve,
so as to be accessible. The valve shall provide for pressure adjustment with
the range of 50 to 60 psig. The valve shall conform to the requirements of
product standard ASSE 1003 Performance Requirements for Water Pressure Reducing
Valves. Exemptions to this subsection are service lines to sill cocks, outside
hydrants, and main supply risers to buildings where pressure from mains does
not exceed 60 psig at the fixture branches or at individual fixtures.
Any person(s) may apply to Warwick Township for an exception to the
terms of this chapter, which may be granted by the Board of Supervisors upon
proof that some other device, system or procedure will save as much or more
water as those set forth herein or that those set forth herein cannot be complied
with without undue hardship.
A.
All water facilities under the jurisdiction of the Warwick
Township Board of Supervisors shall have a Water Resources Management Plan.
Such plans shall be submitted to and approved by the Warwick Township Water
and Sewer Authority as the Board's designee. The same plan as may be required
by the Bureau of Water Resources Management, PADEP, shall be used to satisfy
the requirements of this chapter.
B.
The Water Resources Management Plan shall include, but
is not limited to, the following:
(1)
Leakage monitoring program. A program to monitor all
water supply facilities, including storage and distribution systems in each
service area, shall be developed and implemented.
(2)
Water conservation program. A continuous program to encourage
water conservation in all types of use within the area served by the water
facility shall be developed and implemented. Such conservation programs shall
be based on the appropriate sections of this chapter.
(3)
Drought and other water supply emergency plan. In order
to conserve the supply of water in times of dry periods or other interruptions
of the water supply, a plan shall be developed for each water facility for
implementation by the Authority as the Board's designee. Such emergency plans
shall be based on this chapter and shall identify the appropriate "Trigger
Points" for each of three stages of emergency as follows:
(a)
Stage I: watch.
[1]
This stage shall call for the voluntary restriction on
nonessential use of water such as odd/even lawn watering schedules based on
street address and limiting the watering of gardens, trees and shrubs to after
8:00 p.m. and before 7:00 a.m. The Authority shall make available water saving
kits and appropriate literature, including lists identifying plumbing fixtures
that have been designed for water conservation.
[2]
Fire hydrant testing and waterline flushing will be deferred
except as necessary for public health and safety.
(b)
Stage II: warning. This stage shall implement mandatory
restrictions on the nonessential use of water so that it will be prohibited
to water lawns, wash cars (except for commercial establishments that recycle
water), streets, driveways, walkways or other outside usages, except that
watering gardens, trees and shrubs after 8:00 p.m. and before 7:00 a.m. will
be permitted.
(c)
Stage III: emergency. This stage shall implement water
rationing so that the use of water shall be restricted solely to domestic
consumption for residential and commercial users. No outside use of water
shall be permitted.
(4)
Implementation of the water supply emergency plan. To
implement any stage of a water supply emergency plan, the Authority as the
Board's designee shall cause notice of the fact to be published in a newspaper
of general circulation in the Township. Such notice shall identify the stage
of emergency and the applicable water demand reduction measures. Water use
restriction may be applied to all or part of a service area as may be necessary.
A.
The Board of Supervisors may, from time to time, modify,
add to remove or otherwise amend the standards and restrictions herein.
B.
As actual operating experience with each water facility increases, it may be necessary for the Authority to adjust the water emergency stage trigger points required per § 187-7. Such adjustments shall be made by revision to the applicable Water Resources Management Plan and are not considered as an amendment to this chapter.
A.
Any person, partnership, association, firm or corporation
violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall, upon summary conviction
before a District Justice, be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than $100
nor more than $300, plus the cost of prosecution. In default of payment of
said fine, said person or principals of said partnership, association, firm
or corporation shall be sentenced to undergo imprisonment in the Bucks County
Prison for a period not exceeding 30 days. Each day that a violation continues
after written notification shall constitute a separate violation of this chapter.
B.
In addition, the Authority, upon 10 days' written notice,
may discontinue service to the customer in violation.
