A. 
No street, sidewalk or other public ground shall be opened for the purpose of laying or accessing any water main or service pipe unless a permit has been obtained from the Town of Bethlehem Highway Superintendent, unless such work is to be done under contract with the Town Board or is performed by the Department. No excavation in Town rights-of-way may be left open overnight without prior written permission of the Highway Superintendent.
B. 
No permit shall be granted to any person other than a plumber or contractor licensed by the Town to open up a street, sidewalk or other public ground for the purpose of laying, installing or repairing water pipes or fixtures. No plumber or contractor shall allow his or her name to be used by any other person or party, either for the purpose of obtaining permits or doing any work in connection with the water mains or service pipes.
C. 
Excavating within county- or state-owned roadways or rights-of-way require approval from the proper regulating entity prior to commencement.
A. 
No person, corporation, owner or consumer shall make any connection or opening into a public water main, except upon authorization of the Commissioner.
B. 
All taps and connections to the main shall be made by the Department for sizes 3/4 inch, one inch, 1 1/2 inches and two inches. The fee for the meter, tapping of the water main, and for the extension of the service pipe to the applicant's and/or customer's property line, not to extend 20 feet from the edge of the pavement, shall be paid at the time of filing of the application, such fees as shall be as established by the Town Board.
C. 
A tap that is to be completed by a developer for a proposed development, or any other tap to be completed by somebody other than the Department, shall be approved in advance by the Commissioner and completed under the supervision of the Department. A tapping observation fee will be assessed to the owner/applicant for this service and must be paid prior to commencement of the tap. The fee shall be in accordance with the fee schedule as established by the Town Board.
D. 
No tapping shall be done before April 1 or after November 1 unless prior written permission is obtained from the Department.
A. 
No water service will be installed before April 1 or after November 1 unless specifically authorized, in writing, by the Department.
B. 
Before commencing any work in connection with the Department or the water supply lines of the Water District, each plumber wishing to engage in such work must file with the Department and the Town proof of insurance which lists the Town of Bethlehem as an additional insured for the work.
C. 
Water services will be laid by the Department, or by an approved plumber or contractor, from the water main to and including the curb stop and curb box. Owners of vacant lots must demonstrate by commencing construction that they intend to use water. No service shall be laid to vacant lots except as part of the developer's work in an approved subdivision, or an approved commercial site plan, extending off of a water main installation by the developer. All lines installed, but not intended for immediate use, shall be capped and sealed until ready for immediate use by the consumer.
D. 
There shall be no tap, provision for tap, plugged tee or other such fitting in the service pipe between the water main and the meter inside the building. Any yard hydrant, fountain, sprinkler system or hose must be connected on the building side of the meter.
E. 
All residential buildings served by the Department must have a separate service line unless special permission is granted by the Department. Commercial and industrial properties with multiple buildings may be served with a single water service that contains a master meter for the entire property. The master meter shall be of a type and make as approved by the Department.
F. 
Permission will not be granted to supply more than one residential owner from a single tap.
G. 
If multiple residences are proposed for a single lot (e.g., apartments, condos, etc.), the owner shall provide a master meter that the Department will read for billing purposes. The owner will be responsible for separating out water usage to his or her tenants. The master meter shall be of a type and make as approved by the Department.
H. 
All service lines and water lines shall be required to be laid in such a manner as to be no less than five feet below the finish grade, unless approved, in writing, by the Department. Vertical and horizontal alignment in relation to any sewer or other parallel pipe shall conform to Health Department and Town standards.
I. 
All service lines shall be of materials approved for use by the Department and outlined in the Town standard specifications. A copy of the Town's standard specifications can be obtained at the Department or found on the Town website. The Department reserves the right in all cases to stipulate the size and type of service lines to be used.
J. 
All water service pipe shall be continuous pipe with no joints, unless special permission is granted by the Department.
K. 
Taps and connections shall be 3/4 inch and shall be carried full size from the water main to the meter. Water services in excess of 100 feet in length must be one-inch diameter or larger. Larger services will be permitted upon application made to the Department, where need for such service is established and where water main size is adequate. Fees for taps and connections shall be set by the Commissioner and approved by the Town Board.
L. 
The Department requires an inspection of all work performed before any trench is closed; if such trench is closed, the applicant and/or customer may be made to uncover the lines for inspection by an authorized inspector to check depth of the lines before water service is turned on.
M. 
No person, except Department personnel, shall operate water main valves, corporation stops or curb stops, unless granted permission to do so by the Department.
N. 
At the expense of the applicant and/or customer, each applicant and/or customer shall install from the curb box to the meter on the premises a service line and service connections, all to be approved by the Department. Every service line must have a stopcock, or valve for large diameter water services, of an approved type at the property line or easement line and be provided with an iron curb box and cover. This stopcock or valve may not be used by the customer for turning on or shutting off the water supply but is for the exclusive use of the Department. The curb box shall not be installed in driveways, parking lots, or sidewalks, unless approved by the Commissioner.
O. 
The service line and connections from the curb box to the meter shall at all times remain the sole property of the applicant and/or customer in whom title thereto shall vest.
P. 
No red or white lead will be permitted to be used on joints between the meter and the main.
A. 
The customer shall be required to maintain in perfect working order, at his or her own expense, all such service lines from the edge of the rights-of-way to the structure being served. The Department is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the curb box and curb stop and the water service line from the curb stop to the water main in the public right-of-way.
B. 
The customer shall maintain all fixtures within his or her property in such a condition to prevent the waste of water.
C. 
It shall be the duty and responsibility of the property owner to keep the curb box in good repair, aboveground and accessible at all times.
D. 
Water curb boxes or valves shall be turned off or on only by Department employees or by authorized plumbers who have obtained prior written permission from the Department.
E. 
The applicant, at his or her own expense, shall maintain and protect from freezing, and when necessary pay any and all charges for repair or replacement, such service line and service connections.
F. 
Should a leak occur in a service line between the structure being served and the curb stop, the owner shall forthwith cause the same to be repaired at his or her expense. Should the owner fail to make the repair after receiving written notice from the Department, the Department will cause the water service to be discontinued until such repair has been made. The Department also reserves the right to make the repair and bill the labor and materials costs to the customer if the customer does not respond in a timely manner.
G. 
In the event a meter freezes or service line freezes and is repaired or replaced by the Department, the property owner shall be charged for such repair or replacement.
H. 
In the event that the supply of water to any premises has been turned off at the direction of the Department, service shall only be returned with the prior written consent of the Department.
I. 
In the event that any building is razed, moved, or abandoned, it shall be the responsibility of the property owner or the authority that requires such razing, moving, or abandonment by virtue of public improvement to notify the Department to remove the water meter. The owner shall discontinue the water service by physically removing the service line connection at the curb box and replacing it with a brass plug or other approved method, said removal/replacement to be performed on prior notice to the Department and under the supervision of the Department and the customer and at the owner's expense. A service call fee, at a cost set by the Town Board, will be charged to the owner for the Department's observation of the work. A termination inspection permit is required prior to any termination being completed.
J. 
All curb stops, curb boxes, connections, and meters shall be subject to the control of the Department and shall be kept readily accessible to the Department or its authorized representatives at all times. It shall be the duty of the property owner and/or customer to maintain the accessibility of such curb boxes, curb stops, connections, and meters.
K. 
No person, except Department personnel or those acting with permission of the Commissioner, shall open or close any valve on the water main or water service or any cocks in any curb box or molest or interfere with the same in any manner.
L. 
Personnel of the Department, the Code Enforcement Officer, or other persons authorized by the Town Board may enter a building or upon premises where water is used from supply pipes connected to the street mains for purposes of examining such pipes and materials that have been installed. Access inside of buildings will be scheduled in advance with the building owner.
A. 
Pipes for automatic fire suppression in buildings, which fixtures only are intended for said use, may be connected to the water supply. All such connections and designs must receive prior written approval from the Department and any and all other agencies, departments, and government entities requiring such approvals. All costs relating to such systems shall be borne by the applicant, customer and/or property owner. The property owner in which such lines are in service shall maintain such lines for their entire length and shall be solely responsible for any damage which may be caused by a leak in such pipes.
B. 
Fire suppression systems shall be metered in order to accurately bill water used during routine system maintenance. If the systems are unmetered, a quarterly fee as determined by the Town Board shall be added to the quarterly water rent bill for the property.
Underground sprinkler systems shall be allowed under the following conditions:
A. 
An application for permission to install an underground sprinkler system shall be filed with the Town's Building Department.
B. 
The applicant must receive a written approval from the Building Department before installation begins.
C. 
All water used shall be metered and a double-check valve backflow preventer, which is approved for use by the New York State Health Department, is required for all lawn sprinkler systems to protect the Town water system.
D. 
Outdoor shutoff valves that allow Department personnel to manually shut off the automatic sprinklers in cases of emergency or watering violations must be in place and identified.
A. 
Regulations for the use of municipal water in swimming pools shall be as established by the Department as the restriction needs dictate.
B. 
There shall be no cross-connections between the piping system of a swimming pool and the Water District's water system. If water for the swimming pool is supplied from the Water District, the inlet or fill pipe shall be located at least six inches above the overflow level of the pool.
C. 
Pools having a water capacity in excess of 100 gallons should be filled or added to between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. when using water from the Water District system.
D. 
No pool shall be filled or added to at any time during the effectiveness of emergency water restrictions or measures, if using Water District water.