This article details regulations regarding the use of City water and the City's rights and responsibilities regarding the furnishing of water.
[Amended 4-17-2019 by Order No. FY 19-125]
All water supplied by the City for any purpose, except for specifically designated standby fire services, shall be drawn from a metered service.
A consumer of water through a metered service may use it for his/her own purposes, but will not be permitted to supply the premises of another person, except in special emergencies and then only with the approval of the City.
Other than authorized employees of the City, no person whatsoever, without express written consent, shall open, operate, or close any water gate, valve, or corporation attached to water mains, or service pipes. No person, except authorized employees of the Department of Public Works or firemen at a fire, shall open, close, or operate any fire hydrants within the City. Violations of this section shall be subject to a minimum fine of $250 for each incident as set forth in Article XII, Penalties.
No contractor or any other person shall be allowed to use City water for building, construction, or private purposes without first obtaining permission from the City. The connection must be fitted with a suitable backflow prevention device. Any such temporary water service will be subject to the usual charges for installation and operation of the temporary water service. Water usage will be metered and will be charged for at the prevailing water rates.
All water passing through a meter must be paid for, whether used or wasted. Owners must properly maintain their water pipes and plumbing fixtures. No abatements to water bills will be granted for leaked or wasted water.
The owner is hereby cautioned of the need to provide for expansion of heated waters within the interior plumbing system. The owner shall install and maintain an expansion tank or suitable toilet ballcock to provide for expansion as required.
No cross-connection, either temporary or permanent, between a piping system containing City of Greenfield water and any other piping system will be permitted unless fitted with a suitable backflow prevention device(s) that has been approved by the City.
All new water service connections, including residential, shall be fitted with proper backflow prevention protection before water is supplied. Protection shall be provided to the last flowing tap on the premises.
A.
Backflow prevention devices. In all cases, the installation, testing, and maintenance of backflow prevention devices shall be in accordance to the City's Cross-Connection Control Program and the Drinking Water Regulations of Massachusetts, 310 CMR 22.22.
B.
Specification and testing of backflow prevention devices. The Director or his/her designee shall evaluate the need for and type of backflow prevention device(s) required through survey of the water user's premises. Devices shall be installed by the owner at the owner's expense. Testable devices shall be tested by the City two times per year at the owner's expense. The Mayor shall annually set the fee for testing services.
C.
Access to backflow prevention devices. Authorized employees of the City shall have access to backflow prevention devices for inspection and testing. The property owner shall maintain the area around the device so that it is free from rubbish or other materials which may obstruct access by City employees.
Where, in the opinion of the Director, a cross-connection represents a serious and imminent danger to the public health, the City reserves the right to immediately terminate and physically sever the water service in question from the City system. In other cases, after serving a seventy-two-hour notice, the City reserves the right to terminate a water service to any premises if, in the opinion of the Director, a cross-connection into the City's potable system exists, and the owner fails to install, maintain, test a device, or compensate the City for testing fees.
The City will furnish water for standby fire protection service at no cost. All lines and associated equipment from the discharge side of the gate valve used for this purpose shall be installed, maintained, and repaired entirely at the owner's expense. Repair or replacement of fire lines from the gate valve to the building is also the responsibility of the owner and shall be performed by the owner at the owner's expense. Installations must be inspected and approved by the Department of Public Works and Fire Department. Fire service lines shall not be used for supplying of water for any other purposes and must be so arranged that easy inspection can be made by the City.
A.
No taps on fire lines. No taps shall be made to or drawn from unmetered fire lines except for the purposes of testing the fire system or fighting fire. Use of unmetered water from fire services for purposes other than above shall result in a minimum fine of $1,000, as set forth in Article XII.
B.
Backflow protection on fire lines. All new fire service lines shall be fitted with testable backflow prevention devices approved by the City. The City may require such devices on existing fire service lines where, in the opinion of the Director, they are necessary to protect the City's potable water system. The owner shall be responsible for all costs of installation, maintenance, repair, and testing of the devices.
C.
Notification of work on fire lines. No person shall shut off fire line services supplying automatic sprinkler systems without notifying the Fire Department and the Department of Public Works. No work may be done on any fire line without permission of the Department of Public Works.
D.
Notification of fire line testing. No water shall be drawn from fire line services for tests or repairs without notifying the Department of Public Works.
In-ground irrigation systems are allowed on the public water system; however, no separate services or metering is allowed for these systems.
A.
Moisture-sensing devices required. All automatic lawn watering systems must be equipped with some type of moisture-sensing device that will prevent the system from starting automatically when not needed.
B.
Backflow prevention device required. All automatic lawn watering systems must be installed with a City-approved backflow prevention device. Said device will be inspected initially by the Plumbing Inspector and may be inspected periodically thereafter by the City.
C.
Notification of installation. Any person who now has installed, or who intends to install, an automatic lawn watering system in the future must notify the Department of Public Works of the existence of said system or of his/her intention to install a new system prior to the actual installation. All systems, those currently in existence as well as any installed in the future, must comply with all regulations adopted on this date.
D.
Nonconformance. Any in-ground irrigation system not in conformance with the above criteria may be disconnected from the public water supply system.
The City reserves the right to refuse water service to any real estate or location, where, in the opinion of the Director, proper and adequate service cannot be provided under conditions then existing, or where the extension of such water service would be detrimental to the existing water system.
Designated employees of the City may enter the premises of any water consumer to examine all plumbing, pipes, meters, and fixtures; the quantity of water used, the manner of its use; collection of water samples; and to determine compliance with § 415-59. Where the right to so examine is denied, the water may be shut off from said premises, and not turned on again until such examination is allowed.
A.
Right to restrict water use. The City, through its Mayor, may declare a State of Water Supply Conservation upon a determination that a shortage of water exists and conservation measures are appropriate to ensure an adequate supply of water to all water consumers. Public notice of a State of Water Supply Conservation shall be given under Subsection C of this section before it may be enforced.
B.
Restricted water uses. A declaration of a State of Water Supply Conservation shall include one or more of the following restrictions, conditions, or requirements limiting the use of water as necessary to protect the water supply. The applicable restrictions, conditions, or requirements shall be included in the public notice required under Subsection C.
(1)
Odd/Even day outdoor watering. Outdoor watering by water users with odd-numbered addresses is restricted to odd-numbered days. Outdoor watering by water users with even-numbered addresses is restricted to even-numbered days.
(2)
Outdoor water ban A. Only outdoor watering with a hand-held hose or sprinkling pail is allowed.
(3)
Outdoor water ban B. All outdoor watering and water usage is prohibited.
(4)
Car washing ban. All car washing except in commercial car washes is prohibited.
(5)
Filling swimming pools. Filling or "topping off" pools is prohibited.
(6)
Automatic sprinkler use. The use of automatic sprinkler systems is prohibited.
C.
Public notification of State of Water Supply Conservation. Notification of any provision, restriction, requirement or condition imposed by the City as part of a State of Water Supply Conservation shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation within the City, or by such other means reasonably calculated to reach and inform all users of water. Any restriction imposed under Subsection B shall not be effective until such notification is provided. Notification of the State of Water Supply Conservation shall also be simultaneously provided to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
D.
Termination of State of Water Supply Conservation. A State of Water Supply Conservation may be terminated by the Mayor upon a determination that the water supply shortage no longer exists. Public notification of the termination of the state shall be given in the same manner required by Subsection C.
E.
Violations and penalties. Any person violating Subsection B of this section shall be liable to the City in the amount of $50 for the first violation and $100 for each subsequent violation, which shall inure to the City for such uses as the Mayor may direct. Fines shall be recovered by indictment or on compliant before the District Court or by noncriminal disposition in accordance with MGL c. 40, § 21D. Each day of violation shall constitute a separate violation.
Except in cases of emergencies and serious and imminent public health concerns, a seventy-two-hour notice and posting of the City's intention to terminate water service will be served. No one shall be entitled to damages nor to have any portion of any payment refunded due to the termination of water service. Water service may be terminated for the following reasons:
A.
To allow for repairs to any main, service, or associated appendages.
B.
If an owner refuses to make repairs to water service or interior plumbing after being served notice to do so by the City.
E.
Wasting of water as determined by the Director.
F.
Nonpayment of water used or service and repair bills unpaid 90 days after they become due.
G.
Violation of any provision of these regulations.
H.
Any reason that, in the opinion of the Director, jeopardizes or potentially jeopardizes the quality or quantity of the City of Greenfield's water supply.
[Amended 10-16-2019 by Order No. FY 20-047; 9-21-2022 by Order No. FY 23-035]
No user shall be entitled to damages, or to have payment refunded, for any interruption of supply occasioned either by accident to any portion of the works, or by shutting off for the purpose of additions or repairs to the works, or by the stoppage or shortage of supply due to causes beyond the control of the City, such as excessive drought, excessive use of and waste of water by other users, or by leaks or defects in the pipes or appliances owned by him/her, or other users.
A.
City not liable for damage due to leaks. The City shall not be liable for any damage caused by a water leak due to any and all causes.
B.
City will not guarantee constant pressure. The City does not guarantee constant pressure nor uninterrupted service, nor does it assure the consumer either a full volume of water or the required pressure per square inch necessary to effectively operate hydraulic elevators, sprinkler systems, appliances, or any other usage, the same being subject to all the variable conditions that may take place in the use of water from the City mains.
C.
City not liable for dirty water. The City will not be responsible for damages caused by rusty and/or dirty water resulting from the opening or closing of any gate for repairs, the use of any hydrant, the breaking of any pipe, or any circumstances beyond the City's control.
D.
City not liable for problems after work performed. The City assumes no liability for conditions which exist in a consumer's pipes and cause trouble coincident to or following the repairs of any main pipe, service pipe, or meter.
As set forth in § 415-61 of this article, the City reserves the right at any time, without notice, to shut off the water in the mains for purposes of making repairs, extensions, or for other necessary purposes. Persons having boilers or other devices on their premises depending on the pressure in the pipes to keep them supplied with water are hereby cautioned against danger from these sources, and are required to provide, at their own expense, suitable safety devices to protect themselves against such danger. In any event, it is expressly stipulated that the City will not be liable for any damage resulting from water having been cut off, either through accident or necessity.
When it becomes necessary to shut off the water from any section of the City because of an accident or for the purpose of making changes or repairs, the Division will endeavor to give timely notice to as many of the consumers affected thereby as time and the character of the repairs or the accident will permit, and will, so far as practicable, use its best efforts to prevent inconvenience and damage arising from any such cause, but failure to give such notice will not render the City responsible or liable for any damages that may result from the shutting off of the water or any coincident conditions.
The City accepts no responsibility for work done by others on mains, services, plumbing, or associated appurtenances.