[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Otego as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 11-8-2004 by L.L. No. 1-2004]
A. 
Rates for water passing through a water main shall, commencing October 14, 2002, be as set forth from time to time by resolution of the Board of Trustees.
B. 
Bulk quantities of water.
(1) 
Bulk quantities of water used to fill swimming pools or other large containers will be billed as set forth from time to time by resolution of the Board of Trustees.
(2) 
Arrangements to acquire bulk quantities of water must be made with the Department of Public Works.
C. 
Water rates are for each six-month period commencing October 14, 2002. Water rentals shall be due May 1 and November 1 of each year. Bills will contain advance rentals of service charge for the preceding six months as set forth from time to time by resolution of the Board of Trustees. Rentals remaining unpaid over 30 days after the due date are payable with a penalty of 10% of the gross bill for each month or fraction thereof following such 30 days.
(1) 
The Village Board of Trustees reserves the right to disconnect water service at the main in the event that bills are not paid after 60 days from the last due date.
(2) 
In the event that such action is deemed advisable, the Village Board of Trustees shall so advise the owner of record of this contemplated action by registered mail. If payment in full, plus accrued penalties, is not received within 15 days of the mailing of such notice the water may be turned off.
(3) 
No property will be reconnected to the water main until all water rents and charges against said properties shall have been paid.
D. 
A dwelling occupied by one person or family shall be considered one consumer. In multiple dwellings, each dwelling unit shall be deemed a separate consumer. A business use of water shall be deemed a separate consumer whether operated upon or in conjunction with a residential use, a dwelling or otherwise. Each house and trailer is deemed a separate consumer. In the event that more than one consumer, as so defined, consumes water through one meter, the basic rental or service charge shall be multiplied by the number of dwelling units and or consumers and shall entitle each unit or consumer up to 25,000 gallons per six-month billing period (see Subsection A for rates). The property owner is responsible for all water rents, fees, fines, penalties and other charges of all consumers on his property. High water meter readings due to leaks are the responsibility of the property owner. The metered water will be billed as consumed water.
E. 
Apportionment of rentals shall be made by the Village Clerk upon periods less than six months for each calendar month from the date of water service turnoff. If notice is given and service shut down before the 15th of the month, there will be no charge for that month. If notice is given after the 15th, the termination date is considered to be the first day of the following month.
F. 
All taps to water mains, meter connections, settings, resetting, repairs, removals or disconnection of meters and turning off of water at curb boxes shall be done by the Village Board of Trustees or its agents or employees only.
G. 
New water installations; fee.
(1) 
New water installations within Village limits will be considered upon formal written application to the Village Board of Trustees. Upon receipt of the application, the Village may, for a fee as set forth from time to time by resolution of the Board of Trustees, tap the main, provide the curb box and the necessary fittings to the curb box. All excavation will be the responsibility of the property owner. All work must be supervised and approved by the Department of Public Works Superintendent. A certificate of insurance is required and must be filed at the Village Office prior to any excavation (see § 184-3).
(2) 
There will be no charge for shutting off water or turning on water at the curb box at the request of the homeowner.
H. 
Meters shall be installed by Department of Public Works personnel except for meters larger than 3/4 inch, which shall be installed by a licensed plumber to Village specifications. Those water users who have a water meter of one inch or larger must have a spare meter on hand that they can install within 24 hours. All installations and repairs to meters larger than 3/4 inch shall be at the cost of the property owner. All installations and repairs to a water service from water mains to consumers, including tap, curb box and connection over 3/4 inch, shall be at the sole cost to the consumer.
I. 
Property owners shall be liable and will be issued bills for water services, rents, penalties, fees and charges for any and all water consumed and water services on their properties. Any past due rentals, fees, charges and penalties shall be levied upon the premises involved as a tax assessment as provided by law.
J. 
Any property owner who is a prospective water consumer outside of the Otego Village limits may submit a written application to the Village Board of Trustees for water tap service on a main presently existing. At the discretion of the Village Board of Trustees and for a fee as set forth from time to time by resolution of the Board of Trustees, the Village may tap the main, provide the curb box and the necessary fittings to the curb box. All excavation will be the responsibility of the property owner. The installation from the water main to the consumer shall be the responsibility of the property owner. All work must be supervised and approved by the Department of Public Works Superintendent. A certificate of insurance must be filed at the Village Office prior to any excavation (see § 184-3).
K. 
A separate tap and service shall be installed for each building located on a street in which there is a Village water main. No consumers will be allowed to supply water to other persons or premises.
A. 
All plumbing work of any nature, to any building within the Village of Otego, must conform to the existing code.
B. 
All service connections to the Village of Otego public water system, up to and including the valves test tee, backflow protector and meter, must conform to the existing code.
C. 
The Village of Otego accepts ownership and responsibility of all service lines from the tap connection at the main up to and including the curb box.
A. 
The Department of Public Works will furnish the required tap(s) for 3/4 inch only. Over 3/4 inch taps will be furnished by the owner or contractor.
B. 
Over 3/4 inch tap materials will be supplied and installed by the property owner or contractor at the supervision of the Department of Public Works according to specifications.
C. 
The entire water service, including valves, etc., from water main tap to building, must be installed under the supervision of the Department of Public Works Superintendent. This is at the expense of the property owner. Such expenses include necessary permits for street opening, excavation, material and labor of service installation, repavement of street and certificate of insurance.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: The permit applications are on file in the Village offices.
D. 
Services are to be laid at a minimum depth of four feet in relation to established or proposed grades.
E. 
Services are to be one piece from water main tap to curb box and one piece from curb box to premises unless the distance is so great as to make such impractical. In such cases, a connection approved by the Department of Public Works must be used. All appropriate fittings must be flare or compression connections.
F. 
The portion of the service from the main to curb gate must be connected to the curb gate and properly placed in an open trench before the Department of Public Works will install the tap. All curb gates must be placed in the Village or Town right-of-way.
G. 
Proper provisions for expansion, as per specifications of the Department of Public Works, must be provided for in all service pipes. No combination stop-and-waste valve or cock shall be installed in water supply piping (New York State Uniform Code Building Construction § 902.7a).
H. 
Immediately following the tapping of the main, the Department of Public Works Superintendent will connect the service to the tap and make a pressure test of a minimum duration of 10 minutes so as to check for leaks. Prior to backfilling and in the presence of the Department of Public Works Superintendent or his authorized representative, the homeowner will do a ten-minute pressure test from the curb box to the shutoff valve.
I. 
The trench must be backfilled and the road repaired to preexisting conditions, supervised by the Department of Public Works Superintendent in accordance with the terms of any street opening permits as issued.[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: The permit applications are on file in the Village offices.
A. 
Sprinkler services must meet certain minimum specifications and design, which will be approved by a certified engineer.
B. 
It is the responsibility of the plumber or sprinkler system licensee to contact a plumbing inspector. This may be done at any time before final completion.
C. 
Final inspection shall be performed by a licensed professional engineer or registered architect who stamped the design. The licensee shall be required to certify, in writing, that the installation has been done in accordance with the approved design. The architect or professional engineer shall submit written certification to the Department of Public Works.
Outdoor meter pits may be installed in special cases on written approval of the Village Board of Trustees. Such meter pits must be constructed in accordance with Department of Public Works specifications at the expense of the property owner.
The use of water from the public water supply for the production of power, in any type of apparatus, is strictly forbidden.
A. 
All services from the building to the curb box must be properly maintained by the property owner, at his expense.
B. 
Curb gates must be protected from damage by the property owner, kept free of dirt, refuse, snow, ice, etc., at all times. When changes are made by the property owner in the yard grade, curb boxes must be realigned to the new grade level. Only the Village of Otego Department of Public Works shall operate curb stops.
C. 
If a property owner fails to make necessary repairs to a privately owned leaking water service pipe after due notice has been filed with such property owner by the Village of Otego Department of Public Works/Village Board of Trustees, the Department of Public Works reserves the right to shut off the water service to such property.
D. 
The thawing and/or repair of frozen water services is the responsibility of the property owner.
A. 
Normal repair, maintenance and replacement of Village-owned water meters will be done by the Department of Public Works at its expense.
B. 
Willful or negligent damage and or damage to water meters due to freezing, slush, ice, fire, hot water, and other damage, which cannot be attributed to normal operational wear and tear, will be billed to the property owner.
C. 
Normal repair, maintenance and replacement of privately owned meters will be done at the owner's expense. The Department of Public Works reserves the right to inspect the work done on such meters.
D. 
Owners of private meters as defined in § 184-1H must purchase or contract to obtain within 24 hours a replacement meter or shutoff service during repair or replacement of a broken meter.
A. 
All water meters may be tested periodically.
B. 
Special tests may be made by the Department of Public Works at the request of the property owner or on its own initiative where indicated.
C. 
If a property owner disputes the accuracy of a meter, the meter will be sent to a New York State Public Service Commission approved testing company. If the meter test indicates inaccuracy which exceeds 2%, the Department of Public Works will pay testing charges and adjust the water rent for that period involved. If the meter is accurate within 2%, the property owner shall pay the testing charges, courier charges and any other charges incurred by the Village, in addition to the metered water charge.
A. 
In the event of the failure of a water meter to register accurately, water consumption will be billed in accordance with previous usage, determined by prior bills to the premises in question.
B. 
If prior bills are not available, average water consumption for comparable premises will be used as a basis for estimated usage and billing purposes.
A. 
Water is a natural resource and must be conserved.
B. 
Consumption of water may be controlled as deemed necessary by the Mayor or Village Board of Trustees.
C. 
All water services must be metered.
D. 
Lawn sprinkling is permitted, but may be controlled specifically as to time and amount when deemed necessary by the Village Board, or banned during periods of drought or near drought or at the discretion of the Mayor or Village Board of Trustees.
A. 
Water shall not be resold by any consumer to tenants or to any other persons.
B. 
Water may not be transferred for use off the premises for which water is supplied, for any reason whatsoever.
Tampering with or obstructing fire hydrants is specifically prohibited, and is subject to a fine and prosecution.
The Department of Public Works Superintendent or authorized Department of Public Works employees shall have full power to enter the premises of any consumer, at all reasonable hours, to read meters, examine fixtures, and to inspect the manner of using water, etc.
In the event that the Village Board of Trustees, the State Department of Health, the State Department of Environmental Conservation or other agencies shall deem it advisable, the Village Board is herewith authorized to take such measures as may be deemed necessary to protect the public water supply.
The Department of Public Works shall not be liable for any damage or loss of any kind, to property or persons, or business or loss of use of property, which may arise from, or be caused by any change of pressure.
A. 
It is understood and agreed that the Department of Public Works shall not be liable for any injury or damage which may result to any person or premises from shutting off of water from any main or service for any purpose whatever, even in cases where no notice is given.
B. 
In case premises are to be torn down or otherwise vacated and water service abandoned, the Department of Public Works must be notified by the property owner three business days in advance so that service may be disconnected at the main.
A. 
Appeals to the Village Board of Trustees for any water billing shall be made within 30 days of a current billing.
B. 
When a complaint is received, it shall be forwarded to the Village Clerk's office for distribution to the appropriate departments. The Village Clerk will acknowledge receipt of the complaint and inform the customer of the procedure to be followed.
C. 
The meter card and any other documentation shall be provided by the Department of Public Works to the Village Board of Trustees. The water meter may be removed and tested. After the results are reviewed by the Department of Public Works, the customer will be invited to a future meeting of the Village Board of Trustees.
D. 
The Village Board of Trustees will listen to the complaint, review all documentation and meter testing results, and will decide whether there is evidence that the meter was inaccurate at the time of the current billing.
E. 
If the meter is deemed inaccurate, the billing will be adjusted pursuant to § 184-11 of these rules and regulations of the Department of Public Works.
F. 
If the meter is deemed accurate, within 2%, the Village Board of Trustees will notify the customer that the water bill will remain as originally billed and must be paid. In addition to this, the owner shall pay the testing charges, courier charges and any other charges incurred by the Village.
The Department of Public Works will, on request, cooperate in taking or recording meter readings usually required in real estate transfers of ownership.
A. 
Only ductile iron pipe or a superior product, to be determined by the Village Board of Trustees, will be laid.
B. 
No mains less than six inches in diameter will be allowed, unless authorized by the Village Board of Trustees.
C. 
All main extensions outside of Village limits must be approved by the Village Board of Trustees.
A. 
The Department of Public Works shall keep such records pertaining to the use and the charges therefor as may be prescribed by the Village Board of Trustees.
B. 
The Department of Public Works shall receive and record all complaints concerning water.
C. 
The Department of Public Works shall issue licenses and permits as may be authorized by these regulations.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: The permit applications are on file in the Village offices.
A. 
New wells and new connections prohibited. No new water wells may be drilled in the Village of Otego, and no buildings, structures or uses not now served by an existing well may be connected to any existing well or connected to any other existing well.
B. 
All connections must be made to Village water mains.
Any person who tampers with or removes or destroys any water meter, seal, stand pipe, pump, water main, curb box or other property or who taps a water main, owned or furnished by the Village Board of Trustees of the Village of Otego, shall be guilty of a violation of this article and, upon conviction thereof, shall be subject to a fine of not less than $250 or imprisonment for not more than 15 days, or both.
[Adopted 5-9-2011]
The Village Board of the Village of Otego, for the reasons stated in this resolution,[1] hereby finds that there is a need for standardization of the fire hydrants and chemical feed equipment.
[1]
Editor's Note: Said reasons were stated in the preamble to this resolution the original of which is on file in the Village offices.
A. 
Fire hydrants purchased or installed shall meet or exceed all applicable requirements and tests of ANSI and the latest revision of AWWA Standard C-502.
B. 
Fire hydrants shall be rated for a working pressure of 250 pounds per square inch. Hydrants shall be of a true compression type, opening against pressure and closing with the pressure. The main valve seat shall be 5 1/4 inches in diameter and be reversible in design.
C. 
Hydrants shall be a three-way design, having one 4-484 pumper connection and two two-and-one-half-inch NST hose nozzles. The pumper connection and hose nozzles shall thread directly into the barrel and shall be field replaceable. The operating nut shall be a one-piece design: one-and-one-half-inch pentagon in size and shape. The direction of opening shall be left (counterclockwise). The bonnet assembly shall be provided with an oil reservoir and lubrication system that automatically circulates lubricant to all stem threads and bearing surfaces each time the hydrant is operated.
D. 
Hydrants shall be of the traffic-model design, provided with a stainless steel, torque-diverting coupling and safety flange on the lower barrel. Hydrants shall be equipped with two drain valves which drain the barrel when the hydrant is closed. The bronze seat ring shall thread into a bronze drain ring.
E. 
Hydrants shall have a six-inch MJ shoe and be five feet zero inches bury, unless otherwise noted.
F. 
Hydrants shall be painted red.
G. 
Hydrants shall be provided through an authorized Mueller distributor, and the Water Department reserves the right to request certification of the ten-year factory warranty. Hydrants shall be Mueller Super Centurion 250, Model A-423.
H. 
The Water Department reserves the right to accept only those materials which are in full compliance with these specifications and deemed most advantageous to its interests.
A. 
The corporation valves shall be of the ball design in sizes from 3/4 inch to two inches. The corporation valves shall be tested and conform to all applicable standards, including ANSI/AWWA C-800. All corporation valves shall have a bi-directional pressure rating of 300 pounds per square inch. All corporation valves shall have a full, open, round flow way equal to the nominal pipe size of the valves' smallest inlet or outlet. The ball shall be coated with an FDA-approved PTFE coating.
B. 
All corporation valves shall have stems with dual o-ring seals to insure leak-tight operation and prevent infiltration. Valve stems which are retained with wires, pins or nuts are not acceptable. The valves shall have an AWWA tapered thread (CC) inlet and a compression inlet for copper tubing.
C. 
The ball corporation shall be Mueller B-25008 for copper tubing.
A. 
The curb valves shall be of the ball design in sizes from 3/4 inch to two inches. The curb valves shall be tested and shall conform to all applicable standards, including ANSI/AWWA C-800. All curb valves shall have a bi-directional pressure rating of 300 pounds per square inch. All curb valves shall have a full, open, round flow way equal to the nominal pipe size of the valves' smallest inlet or outlet. The ball shall be coated with an FDA-approved PTFE coating.
B. 
All curb valves shall have stems with dual o-ring seals to insure leak-tight operation and prevent infiltration. Valve stems which are retained with wires, pins or nuts are not acceptable. The valves shall have a compression inlet for copper tubing.
C. 
The ball curb shall be Mueller B-25209 for copper tubing.
A. 
The resilient wedge gate valves (three inches to 12 inches) shall fully comply with the latest revision of AWWA C-509 and shall be UL listed and FM approved. The valves shall be tested and certified to ANSI/NSF 61. The valve shall have a working pressure of 250 pounds per square inch gauge. Each valve shall be factory seat tested to 250 pounds per square inch gauge and shell tested to 500 pounds per square inch gauge.
B. 
The valve shall have a nonrising stem. The stem shall be of bronze rolled stock and shall have a forged thrust collar. Cast stems are not acceptable. The valve shall have an arrow cast on the operating nut showing opening direction. The direction shall be "OPEN LEFT" (counterclockwise).
C. 
The NRS valves shall be provided with a two-inch-square operating nut. The bolt that attaches the operating nut to the stem shall be recessed into the nut so as not to interfere with valve wrench operation. The design of the NRS valve stem shall be such that if excessive input torque is applied, stem failure shall occur above the stuffing box at such a point as to enable the operation of the valve with a pipe wrench.
D. 
The NRS valves shall have a stuffing box that is o-ring sealed. Two o-rings shall be placed above and o-ring below the thrust collar. The body and bonnet size shall also adhere to the minimum wall thickness set forth in Table 2, Section 4.3.1 of AWWA C-509. Reduced wall valves are not acceptable.
E. 
The valve disc and guide lugs must be fully (100%) encapsulated in rubber material. Guide caps of acetal bearing material shall be placed over solid guide lugs to prevent abrasion and to reduce operating torque. All valves shall have 304 stainless steel bolts and nuts for stuffing box and bonnet. The valves shall have internal and external ferrous surfaces coated with a fusion-bonded, thermosetting powder epoxy coating of 10 mils nominal thickness. The coating shall conform to AWWA C-550. Gate valves and fire hydrants shall be of the same manufacturer. Gate valves and tapping valves shall be Mueller A-2360 series.
F. 
The Water Department reserves the right to accept only those materials which are in full compliance with these specifications and deemed most advantageous to its interests.