[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of the City of Prescott
as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Assessments — See Ch.
15.
Building construction — See Ch.
259.
Fires and fire prevention — See Ch.
303.
Health and sanitation — See Ch.
329.
Housing standards— See Ch.
341.
Property maintenance — See Ch.
443.
Stormwater management — See Ch.
500.
Streets and sidewalks — See Ch.
506.
Subdivision of land — See Ch.
510.
Wellhead protection — See Ch.
570.
Zoning legislation — See Part III.
[Adopted as Title 9, Ch. 1, Art. B of the former City Code]
All persons now receiving a water supply from the City of Prescott
Water Utility, or who may hereafter make application therefor, shall
be considered as having agreed to be bound by the rules and regulations
as filed with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin.
A. Application for water service shall be made, in writing, on a form
furnished by the Water Utility. The application will contain the legal
description of the property to be served, name of the owner, the exact
use to be made of the service, and the size of the supply pipe and
meter desired. (Note particularly any special refrigeration, fire
protection, and/or air-conditioning water-consuming appliances.)
B. Service will be furnished only if:
(1) Premises have a frontage on a properly platted street or public strip
in which a cast iron or other long-life water main has been laid,
or where property owner has agreed to and complied with the provisions
of the Utility's filed main extension rule;
(2) Property owner has installed or agrees to install a service pipe
form the curbline to the point of use, and laid not less than seven
feet below the surface of an established or proposed grade, and according
to Utility's specification; and
(3) Premises have adequate piping beyond metering point.
C. The owner of a multiunit dwelling has the option of being served
by individual metered water service to each unit. The owner, by selecting
this option, is required to provide interior plumbing and meter settings
to enable individual metered service to each unit and individual disconnection
without affecting service to the other units. Each meter and meter
connection will be a separate Water Utility customer for the purpose
of the filed rules and regulations.
D. No division of the water service of any lot or parcel of land shall
be made for the extension and independent meterage of the supply to
an adjoining lot or parcel of land. No division of a water supply
service shall be made at the curb for separate supplies therefor for
two or more separate premises having frontage on any street or public
service strip whether owned by the same or different parties.
E. The Utility is hereby empowered to withhold approval of any application
wherein full information of the purpose of such supply is not clearly
indicated and set forth by the applicant property owner.
A. The minimum service contract period shall be one year unless otherwise
specified by special contract or in the applicable rate schedule.
Where the Utility service has been disconnected at the customer's
request prior to expiration of his minimum contract period, a reconnection
charge shall be made, payable in advance, when the customer requests
reconnection of service. (See Schedule R-1 for applicable rate.) The minimum contract period is renewed with each reconnection.
B. A reconnection charge shall also be required from consumers whose
services are disconnected (shut off at curb stop) because of nonpayment
of bills when due (not including disconnection for failure to comply
with deposit or guarantee rules). (See Schedule R-1 for applicable
rate.)
C. A consumer shall be considered as the same consumer, provided the
reconnection is requested for the same location by any member of the
same family, or, if a place of business, by any partner or employee
of the same business.
An applicant for temporary water supply on a metered basis shall
make and maintain a monetary deposit for each meter installed as security
for payment for use of water and for such other charges which may
arise from the use of the supply. A charge shall be made for setting
the valve and furnishing and setting the meter. (See Schedule D-1
for applicable rate.)
A. When water is requested for construction purposes, or for filling
tanks or other such uses, an application therefor shall be made to
the Utility, in writing, upon application provided for that purpose
in the Utility's office, giving a statement of the amount of
construction work to be done, or the size of the tank to be filled,
etc. Payment for the water for construction shall be made in advance
at the scheduled rates. The service pipe must be installed inside
the building from where the water must be drawn. No connection with
the service pipe at the curb shall be made without special permission
from the Utility.
B. In no case will any employee of the Utility turn on water for construction
work unless the contractor first presents a permit. Upon completion
of the construction work, the contractor must return the original
permit to the Utility, together with a statement of the actual amount
of construction work performed.
C. Consumers shall not allow contractors, masons or other persons to
take water from their premises without first showing a permit from
the Utility. Any consumer failing to comply with this provision will
have water service discontinued.
[Amended 5-29-2012 by Ord. No. 08-12]
A. In cases where no other supply is available, permission may be granted
by the Utility to use a hydrant. No hydrant shall be used until it
is equipped with a sprinkling valve. In no case shall any valve be
moved except by a member of the Utility.
B. Before a valve is set, payment must be made for its setting and for
the water to be used at the scheduled rates. Where applicable, see
Schedule H-1 for deposits and charges. Upon completing use of the
hydrant, the customer must notify the Utility to that effect.
C. In the use of a hydrant supply, the hydrant valve will be set at
the proper opening by the Utility when the sprinkling valve is set,
and the flow of water must be regulated by means of the sprinkling
valve. If the water is to be used through iron pipe connections, all
such pipe installations shall have the swing joint to facilitate quick
disconnection from the fire hydrant.
[Amended 5-29-2012 by Ord. No. 08-12]
Any person who shall, without authority of the Utility, allow contractors, masons, or other unauthorized persons to take water from their premises, operate any valve connected with the street or supply mains, or open any fire hydrant connected with the distribution system, except for the purpose of extinguishing fire, or who shall wantonly damage or impair the same shall be subject to a fine as prescribed in §
1-4 of this Code per incident as provided by municipal ordinances. Permits for the use of hydrants apply only to such hydrants as are designated for the specific use.
All moneys deposited as security for payment of charges arising
from the use of temporary water supply on a metered basis, or for
the return of a sprinkling valve wheel or reducer, if the water is
used on an unmetered basis, will be refunded to the depositor on the
termination of the use of water, the payment of all charges levied
against the depositor, and the return of the wheel and reducer.
[Amended 1-23-2017 by Ord. No. 01-17]
A. No water
service shall be laid through any trench having cinders, rubbish,
rock or gravel fill, or any other material which may cause injury
to or disintegration of the service pipe, unless adequate means of
protection are provided by sand filling or such other insulation as
may be approved by the Utility. Service pipes passing through curb
or retaining walls shall be adequately safeguarded by provision of
a channel space or pipe casing, not less than twice the diameter of
the service connection. The space between the service pipe and channel
or pipe casino shall be filled and lightly caulked with an oakum,
mastic cement, or other resilient material, and made impervious to
moisture.
B. In backfilling
the pipe trench, the service pipe must be protected against injury
by carefully hand tamping the ground filling, free from hard lumps,
rocks, stones, or other injurious material, around and at least six
inches over the pipe.
C. All water
supplies shall be of undiminished size from the street main into the
point of meter placement. Beyond the meter outlet valve, the piping
shall be sized and proportioned to provide, on all floors, at all
times, an equitable distribution of water supply for the greatest
probable numbers of fixtures or appliances operating simultaneously.
D. If a nonconductive
supply line is used on the customer side of the curb stop, the Utility
will bear no responsibility for thawing the service.
E. If the
supply line is not installed to cover depth required by the Utility,
the Utility will bear no i:esponsibility for thawing the service.
[Amended 6-22-2015 by Ord. No. 05-15]
A. Where
the original service piping is installed for a new metered customer,
where existing service piping is changed for the customer's convenience,
or where a new meter is installed for an existing unmetered customer,
the owner of the premises at his/her expense shall provide a suitable
location and the proper connections for the meter. The meter setting
and associated plumbing shall comply with the Water Utility's
standards. The Water Utility should be consulted as to the type and
size of meter setting.
B. No permit
will be given to change from metered to flat rate service.
The water cannot be turned on for a consumer except by a duly
authorized employee of the Utility. When a plumber has completed a
job, he must leave the water turned off. This does not prevent the
plumber from testing the work.
A. Where the Utility is unable to read a meter after two successive
attempts, the fact will be plainly indicated on the bill, and either
an estimated bill will be computed, or the minimum charge applied.
The difference shall be adjusted when the meter is again read, that
is, the bill for the succeeding quarter will be computed with the
gallons or cubic feet in each block of the rate-schedule doubled and
credit will be given on that bill for the amount of the minimum bill
paid the preceding month. Only in unusual cases or where approval
is obtained from the customer shall more than three consecutive estimated
bills be rendered where bills are rendered monthly, and there shall
be not more than two consecutive estimated bills where the billing
period is two months or more.
B. If the meter is damaged (see §
563-27, Surreptitious use of water) or fails to operate, the bill will be based on the average use during the past year unless there is some reason why the use is not normal. If the average use cannot be properly employed, the bill will be estimated by some equitable method.
See Ch. PSC 185, Wis. Adm. Code.
See Ch. PSC 185, Wis. Adm. Code.
[Amended 6-22-2015 by Ord. No. 06-15]
A. The customer
shall protect the stop box located near the property line. The stop
box shall be kept free from dirt and other obstructions and in correct
vertical alignment. Plantings, other than maintained lawn grass, and
other obstructions shall not be closer than five feet. The utility
shall not be liable for failure to locate the stop box or for not
having access to the curb stop valve in case of a leak or other need
for turning the water off on the owner's premises.
B. Residential stop boxes in paved sidewalks or driveways shall be protected
with a cast iron casting and cover provided by the property owner
and approved by the utility.
[Amended 6-22-2015 by Ord. No. 07-15]
Meters, wires and transmitters will be owned, furnished, and
installed by the Water Utility or a Utility-approved contractor and
are not to be disconnected or tampered with by the customer. All meters,
wires and transmitters shall be so located that they shall be protected
from obstructions and permit ready access thereto for reading, inspection,
and servicing, such location to be designated or approved by the Water
Utility. All piping within the building must be supplied by the owner.
Where additional meters are desired by the owner, the owner shall
pay for all piping and an additional amount sufficient to cover the
cost of maintenance and depreciation. Where applicable, see Schedule
Am-1 for rate.
A. Meters will be repaired by the Utility and the cost of such repairs
caused by ordinary wear and tear will be borne by the Utility.
B. Repair of any damage to a meter resulting from the carelessness of
the owner of the premises, owner's agent, or tenant, or from
the negligence of any one of them to properly secure and protect same,
including any damage that may result from allowing a water meter to
become frozen or to be injured from the presence of hot water or steam
in the meter, shall be paid for by the consumer or the owner of the
premises.
A. Where the property owner requests that a larger service lateral be
installed to replace an existing smaller diameter pipe, an allowance
of $15 will be made as a deduction in the cost, providing the new
service is to be installed in the same ditch as the existing service
pipe.
B. The service pipe from the main to and through the curb stop will
be maintained and kept in repair and when worn out, replaced at the
expense of the Utility. The property owner shall maintain the service
pipe, form the curb stop to the point of use.
C. If a consumer fails to repair a leaking or broken service pipe from
curb to point of metering or use within such time as may appear reasonable
to the Utility after notification has been served on the consumer
by the Utility, the water will be shut off and will not be turned
on again until the repairs have been completed.
See Ch. PSC 185, Wis. Adm. Code.
[Amended 6-22-2015 by Ord. No. 08-15]
During reasonable hours any officer or authorized employee or
hired contractor of the Utility shall have the right of access to
the premises supplied with service, for the purpose of installation,
maintenance, thawing and inspection or for the enforcement of the
Utility's rules and regulations. Whenever appropriate, the Utility
will make a systematic inspection of all unmetered water taps for
the purpose of checking waste and unnecessary use of water.
See Ch. PSC 185, Wis. Adm. Code.
See Ch. PSC 185, Wis. Adm. Code.
See Ch. PSC 185, Wis. Adm. Code.
See Ch. PSC 185, Wis. Adm. Code.
A. See Ch. PSC 185, Wis. Adm. Code.
B. The form of disconnection notice to be used is as follows:
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DISCONNECTION NOTICE
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Dear Customer:
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The bill enclosed with this notice includes your current charge
for Utility service and your previous unpaid balance.
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You have eight days to pay the Utility service arrears
or your service is subject to disconnection.
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If you fail to pay the service arrears, or fail to contact us
within the eight days allowed to make reasonable deferred payment
arrangement, or other suitable arrangement, we will proceed with disconnection
action.
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To avoid the inconvenience of service interruption and an additional
charge of (amount) for reconnection, we urge you to pay the
full arrears IMMEDIATELY AT ONE OF OUR OFFICES.
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If you have entered into a Deferred Payment Agreement with us
and have failed to make the deferred payments you agreed to, your
service will be subject to disconnection unless you pay the entire
amount due within eight days.
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If you have a reason for delaying the payment, call us and explain
the situation.
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PLEASE CALL THIS TELEPHONE NUMBER, (Appropriate telephone
number), IMMEDIATELY IF:
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1.
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You dispute the notice of delinquent account.
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2.
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You have a question about your Utility service arrears.
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3.
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You are unable to pay the full amount of the bill and are willing
to enter into a deferred payment agreement with us.
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4.
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There are any circumstances you think should be taken into consideration
before service is discontinued.
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5.
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Any resident is seriously ill.
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Illness Provision
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If there is an existing medical emergency in your home and you
furnish the Utility with a statement signed by either a licensed Wisconsin
physician, or a public health official, we will delay disconnection
of service up to 21 days. The statement must identify the medical
emergency and specify the period of time during which disconnection
will aggravate the existing emergency.
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Deferred Payment Agreements
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If you are a residential customer and, for some reason, you
are unable to pay the full amount of the Utility service arrears on
your bill, you may contact the Utility to discuss arrangements to
pay the arrears over an extended period of time.
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This time payment agreement will require:
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1.
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Payment of a reasonable amount at the time the agreement is
made.
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2.
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Payment of the remainder of the outstanding balance in monthly
installments over a reasonable length of time.
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3.
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Payment of all future Utility service bills in full by the due
date.
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In any situation, where you are unable to resolve the billing
disputes or disputes about the grounds for proposed disconnection
through contacts with our Utility, you may make an appeal to the Wisconsin
Public Service Commission, Madison, Wisconsin.
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An amount owed by the customer may be levied as a tax as provided
in § 66.0809, Wis. Stats.
A. When the Utility has reasonable evidence that a consumer is obtaining
his supply of water, in whole or in part, by means of devices or methods
used to stop or interfere with the proper metering of the Utility
service being delivered to his equipment, the Utility reserves the
right to estimate and present immediately a bill to service unmetered
as a result of such interference, and such bill shall be payable subject
to a twenty-four hours' disconnection of service. When the Utility
shall have disconnected the consumer for any such reason, the Utility
will reconnect the consumer upon the following conditions:
(1) The consumer will be required to deposit with the Utility an amount
sufficient to guarantee the payment of the consumer's bills for
Utility service to the Utility.
(2) The consumer will be required to pay the Utility for any and all
damage on equipment on the consumer's premises due to such stoppage
or interference with its metering.
(3) The consumer must further agree to comply with reasonable requirements
to protect the Utility against further losses.
B. Sections 98.26 and 943.20, Wis. Stats., as relating to water service,
are hereby adopted and made a part of these rules.
When premises are to be vacated, the Utility shall be notified,
in writing, at once, so that it may remove the meter and shut off
the supply at the curb cock. The owner of the premises shall be liable
to prosecution for any damage to the property of the Water Utility
by reason of failure to notify the Utility of vacancy.
The Utility reserves the right to shut off the water in the
mains temporarily, to make repairs, alterations or additions to the
plant or system. When the circumstances will permit of sufficient
delay, the company will give notification, by newspaper publication
or otherwise, of the discontinuance of the supply. No rebate will
be allowed to consumers for such temporary suspension of supply.
It shall be the duty of the Utility to see that all open ditches
for artery mains, hydrants, and service pipes are properly guarded
to prevent accident to any person or vehicle, and at night there shall
be displayed amber signal light in such manner as will, so far as
possible, insure the safety of the public.
Contractors must ascertain for themselves the existence and
location of all service pipes. Where they are removed, cut or damaged
during trench construction, the contractor must at his own expense
cause them to be replaced or repaired at once. Contractors must not
shut off the water service pipe to any consumer for a period exceeding
six hours.
A. Devices in general. The owner or occupant of every premises receiving
water supply shall apply and maintain suitable means of protection
of the premises supply, and all appliances thereof, against damage
arising in any manner from the use of the water supply, variation
of water pressure, or any interruption of water supply. Particularly,
such owner or occupant must protect water-cooled compressors for refrigeration
systems by means of high-pressure safety cutout devices. There shall
likewise be provided means for the prevention of the transmission
of water ram or noise of operation of any valve or appliance through
the piping of their own or adjacent premises.
B. Relief valves. On all closed systems (i.e., systems having a check
valve, pressure regulator, or reducing valve, water filter or softener)
an effective pressure relief valve shall be installed either in the
top tapping or the upper side tapping of the hot water tank, or on
the hot water distributing pipe connection at the tank. No stop valve
shall be placed between the hot water tank and the relief valve or
on the drain pipe. (See applicable City plumbing codes).
C. Air chambers. An air chamber or approved shock absorber shall be
installed at the terminus of each riser, fixture branch, or hydraulic
elevator main for the prevention of undue water hammer. The air chamber
shall have a diameter not less than that of the pipe it serves and
a length not less than 15 diameters of said supply pipe. Where possible,
the air chamber should be provided at its base with a valve and drain
cock for water drainage and replenishment of air.
A. Definition. 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 of Prescott water
system, and the other, water from a private source, water of unknown
or questionable safety, or steam, gases, or chemicals, whereby upon
loss of pressure or any pressure condition, there may be a flow from
one system to the other.
B. Cross-connections prohibited. No person, firm or corporation 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 said municipality, 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 in accordance
with § NR 811.09(2), Wis. Adm. Code.
C. Inspections. It shall be the duty of the City of Prescott Water Utility
to 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
City of Prescott Water Utility and as approved by the Wisconsin Department
of Natural Resources.
D. Right to inspect. Upon presentation of credentials, the representative
of the City of Prescott Water 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. Discontinuation of service. The City of Prescott Water Utility is hereby authorized and directed to discontinue water service to any property wherein any connection in violation of this article 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. Water service to such property shall not be restored until the cross-connection(s) has been eliminated in compliance with the provisions of this article.
F. Immediate discontinuation. If it is determined by the Prescott Water
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 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 adopted. The City adopts by reference the State Plumbing
Code of Wisconsin being Chs. SPS 381 to 387, Wis. Adm. Code.
H. Section not to supersede other ordinances. This section does not
supersede the State Plumbing Code and any City plumbing ordinances
but is supplementary to them.
Water and sewer mains will be extended for new customers on
the following basis:
A. Where the cost of the extension is to immediately be collected through
assessment by the City against the abutting property, the procedure
set forth under § 66.0703 of the Wisconsin Statutes will
apply, and no additional customer contribution to the Utility will
be required.
B. Where the municipality is unwilling or unable to make a special assessment,
the extension will be made on a customer-financed basis as follows:
(1) The applicant will advance as a contribution in aid of construction, the total amount equivalent to that which would have been assessed for all property under Subsection
A.
(2) Part of the contribution required in Subsection
B(1) will be refundable. When additional customers are connected to the extended main within 20 years of the date of completion, contributions in aid of construction will be collected equal to the amount, which would have been assessed under Subsection
A for the abutting property being served. This amount will be refunded to the original contributors. In no case will the contributions received from additional customers exceed the proportionate amount, which would have been required under Subsection
A nor will it exceed the total assessable cost of the original extension.
C. When a new customer(s) is connected to an existing main, not financed
by customer contributions, it shall not be considered as a main extension
and no contribution may be collected from the customers. This provision
applies to mains installed after the effective date of this rule.
A. Purpose. The purpose of this article 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.
(1) All wells within the corporate limits of the City of Prescott which are in unusable condition, unsafe or which do not comply with Ch. NR 812, Wis. Adm. Code, or which may serve as conduits for groundwater contamination, shall be abandoned in accordance with this article by December 31, 1990 (or within one year after connection to the municipal system becomes available), unless a well operation permit has been granted pursuant to Subsection
C below.
(2) Premises where municipal water service is not available are exempt
from this article.
(3) Where feasible, noncomplying wells and pump installations may be
upgraded to comply with Ch. NR 812, Wis. Adm. Code. A private well
may be temporarily abandoned under provisions of Ch. NR 812, Wis.
Adm. Code. A well constructed for potable use may not be considered
a nonpotable well to avoid the applicability of this article.
(4) If water from a private well is known to produce water which exceeds
a Department of Natural Resources (DNR) health advisory, a primary
standard in Ch. NR 809, Wis. Adm. Code, or an enforcement standard
in Ch. NR 140, Wis. Adm. Code, a well operation permit shall not be
issued without approval of the Department of Natural Resources.
(5) All illegal cross-connection exists where a private well is connected
to a plumbing system which is also connected to the municipal system.
Chs. SPS 382 and NR 811, Wis. Adm. Code, prohibit such connections.
C. Well operation permits. A permit may be granted to a well owner to
operate a private well for a period not to exceed five years. At the
end of a permit period, the well owner may apply for a renewal of
a permit upon submittal of updated information necessary for a permit
application. The City of Prescott 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. Permit
applications shall be made on forms provided by the Clerk. The following
requirements must be met before a well operation permit is issued:
[Amended 5-29-2012 by Ord. No. 08-12]
(1) The well has a functional pumping system and its use can be justified
in addition to water provided by the public water system.
(2) The well has a history of producing bacteriological safe water and
presently produces bacteriological safe water as demonstrated by providing
a copy of the results of a water sample analyzed at a state certified
laboratory within three months preceding the request for well operation
permit or permit renewal.
(3) The well and pump installation meets the requirements of Ch. NR 812,
Wis. Adm. Code, as certified by a Department of Natural Resources
licensed well driller or pump installer or by Department of Natural
Resources staff evaluation.
(4) No physical connection exists between the piping of the public water
system and the private well.
D. Abandonment methods. Wells shall be abandoned according to the procedures
outlined in Ch. NR 112, Wis. Adm. Code. The pump and piping must be
removed and the well checked for obstructions prior to abandonment.
Any obstruction or liner must be removed, if possible. Filling with
unapproved materials or use of unacceptable procedures is prohibited.
E. Report and inspection. An Abandonment Report Form, Department of
Natural Resources No. 3300-5, is available at the Clerk's office
and must be submitted to the Clerk within 10 days of abandonment completion.
Forty-eight-hours' advance notice of well abandonment work must be
provided to the Clerk so the filling may be observed by a representative
of a municipality. The Clerk shall send a copy of Form 3300-5 to the
appropriate Department of Natural Resources district office within
10 days of receipt of the completed form.
F. Penalties. A person, firm or other well owner violating any provision of this article shall, upon conviction, be punished by forfeiture as prescribed in §
1-4, together with the cost of prosecution. Each day during which a violation exists shall be deemed and constitute a separate offense. If any person fails to comply with this article for more than 10 days after notice, in writing, the City may impose a penalty or may cause the abandonment to be done, and the expense thereof shall be assessed as a special tax against the property.
[Adopted 11-26-2012 by Ord. No. 15-12; amended 1-11-2016 by Ord. No.
14-15]
The purpose of this article is to provide for a program for
protecting the public water system from contamination due to backflow
of contaminants through the water service connection into the public
water system as required by Chapters NR 810 and SPS 382, Wisconsin
Administrative Code.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
CROSS-CONNECTION
Any physical connection or arrangement between two otherwise
separate systems, one of which contains potable water from the City
of Prescott Municipal 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.
No person shall establish or maintain or permit to be established
or 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 be approved by the Water Utility and by the
Department of Natural Resources in accordance with Ch. NR 810.15,
Wis. Adm. Code. Approval of the department shall be obtained prior
to the interconnection.
The City water utility shall be responsible for the protection
of the public potable water source and distribution system from contamination
or pollution due to backflow of contaminants or pollutants. The utility
shall charge fees according to the utility's Cross Connection
Control Manual for maintaining a comprehensive cross connection control
protection plan.
The property owner shall be responsible for the protection of
the customer's potable water system. The responsibilities include
the elimination of or protection from all cross connections on his
or her premises. The owner shall, at his or her own expense, install,
maintain and test any and all backflow preventers on his or her premises
in compliance with the Department of Safety and Professional Services
Code SPS 382.21 requirements and the Utility's Cross Connection
Control Manual. The property owner shall have corrected any malfunction
revealed by periodic testing of any backflow preventer on his or her
premises. The property owner shall inform the Utility of any proposed
or modified cross connections and also any existing cross connections
that are not protected by an approved backflow prevention means.
It shall be the duty of the utility to cause surveys to be made
of all properties serviced by the utility where cross connections
with the public water supply and system is deemed possible. Residential
properties serviced by the utility shall be surveyed on a ten-year
interval. The utility may, but is not required to, perform the cross
connection survey of the customer's property. All nonresidential
properties serviced by the utility shall be surveyed on an interval
not exceeding two years. The frequency of required surveys and resurveys,
based upon the potential health hazards, may be shortened by the utility.
If, in the opinion of the utility, the utility is not able to perform
the survey, the property owner must, at his or her own expense, have
the water system piping surveyed by a utility-approved surveyor for
cross connections by a person who has been properly trained in accordance
with the American Society of Sanitary Engineers (ASSE) Standard No.
5120 as a cross connection control surveyor. The utility shall charge
fees as approved by the State of Wisconsin Public Service Commission
for on-premises follow-up visits by utility personnel or their designee
for reinspection due to customer noncompliance and for after-hour's
inspections or reinspections.
The utility is hereby authorized and directed to discontinue water service, or cause discontinued use of a private well in City limits, to any property wherein any connection in violation of this article exists, and to take such other precautionary measures deemed necessary to eliminate any damage of contamination of the potable water system. Water service shall be discontinued if the means of backflow prevention required by the utility is not installed, tested, maintained and/or repaired in compliance with this article, the Department of Safety and Professional Services Code SPS 382 through 384 and the utility's Cross Connection Control Manual, or if it is found that the means of backflow prevention required by this article has been removed or bypassed. Water service shall be discontinued only after reasonable notice and opportunity for hearing under Ch. 68, Wis. Stats. except as provided in §
563-44 of this article.
Water service to any property disconnected under provisions
of this article shall not be restored until the cross connection(s)
has been eliminated or a backflow prevention means approved by the
utility has been installed in compliance with the provisions of this
article. The utility shall charge fees as approved by the State of
Wisconsin Public Service Commission for the reconnection of the water
service.
If it is determined by the utility that a cross connection or
an emergency endangers public health, safety or welfare and requires
immediate action, service may be immediately discontinued. The owner,
lessee or occupant shall have an opportunity for hearing under Ch.
68, Wis. Stats., within 10 days of such emergency discontinuance.
Such hearing shall be before the City Public Works Committee and shall
conform to all existing due process requirements.
The City Public Works Committee adopts by reference the Wisconsin
Safety and Professional Services, being Ch. SPS 382 through 384, Wis.
Adm. Code. This article does not supersede the Wisconsin Uniform Plumbing
Code and/or the Plumbing Ordinance, but is supplementary to it.