City of Washington, MO Private Water Supply Systems

[R.O. 1992 § 700.380; Ord. No. 6702 § 1, 6-19-1989; Ord. No. 12-10987 § 1, 4-16-2012]

The construction of any private water supply system within the corporate limits of the City is hereby prohibited, unless the following requirements have first been met:

The City Council has given its prior written approval for the construction of such private water supply system. Except as provided in Section 700.380(B) below, such approval shall not be given if it is determined by the City Council as follows:

That the Public Works Department has the ability to serve the area to be served by the proposed private water supply system and the Public Works Department can so serve the area.

That such extension of the Public Works Department system is economically feasible.

That the extension of such Public Works Department system can be accomplished to meet the immediate needs of those to be served by the private water supply system.

Upon approval by the City Council any such private water supply system supplying potable water shall be constructed and operated according to the rules, regulations, and requirements of the Division of Health of the State of Missouri or any other State agency which has authority to set such regulations.

Such system shall not be placed into operation until the City has inspected and approved the completed system.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the City Council may only give its prior written approval for the construction of a private water supply system not meeting the requirements of Section 700.380(A)(1)(a) through (c) above, provided that such private water supply system complies with the following conditions:

That the proposed private water supply system will be used solely to:

Provide water to a premises on an "emergency backup" basis, herein defined to mean that situation where water in the required quantities is temporarily unavailable from the Public Works Department water lines; and

Provide water to a premises on a periodic, intermittent basis not to exceed eight percent (8%) of the actual annual or projected annual potable water usage or six hundred thousand (600,000) gallons per year, whichever is less, for the sole purpose of testing, repairing, cleaning, maintaining and replacing such private water supply system and its component parts; and

That:

Within twelve (12) hours after each use on an emergency backup basis as described in Subsection (B)(1)(a) above, the owner of the private water supply system will contact the Public Works Department to notify them of the owner's use of the private water supply system; and

At least twenty-four (24) hours prior to each intended use as described in Subsection (B)(1)(b) above, the owner of the private water supply system will contact the Public Works Department to notify them of the owner's intended use of the private water supply system with such notice to include the time and date of the intended use; and

That the proposed private water supply system is metered and such documentation is provided to the Public Works Department as it may require on not more than a monthly basis indicating what quantity of water was provided by the proposed private water supply system during the immediately preceding month, the dates that such private water supply system was used, and the efforts that were made by the owner of the private water supply system to contact the Public Works Department following use; and

Upon approval by the City Council, any such private water supply system shall be constructed and operated according to the rules, regulations, and requirements of the Division of Health of the State of Missouri or any other State agency which has authority to set such regulations; and

Such system shall not be placed into operation until the City has inspected and approved the completed system.

That the private water supply system shall be used solely to provide water for air conditioning or cooling purposes.

That the owner or operator of the private water supply system shall pay to the City an annual well permit fee in the amount of one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) payable each July 1.

Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, it shall be unlawful for the owner or operator of any private water supply system to use water in accordance with Subsection (B)(1) in excess of the limits set forth in that Subsection. For each gallon of water used in excess of those limits, the owner or operator shall be guilty of a violation of this Article and shall, in addition to any and all other penalties set forth herein, be punished by a fine of five hundred dollars ($500.00) per gallon in excess of the limits set forth in that Subsection.

For the purposes of this Article a "private water supply system" shall be defined as a system serving at least one (1) residence, property, apartment, or dwelling.