(a) 
All water meters furnished by the city shall remain at all times the property of the city and shall be maintained and repaired when rendered unserviceable through ordinary wear and tear. When replacements, repairs, or adjustments of any meter are rendered necessary by the act, neglect, or carelessness of the owner or occupant of any premises, any expenses caused to the waterworks thereby shall be charged against and collected from the owner of the premises and, if not paid, services shall be discontinued.
(b) 
All meters, curb cocks, valves, and meter boxes furnished by the city shall be the property of the city. All service pipes connected with the city waterworks, including those furnished at the expense of the consumers or property owners, shall remain under the direct control of the manager of the utilities department and it shall be unlawful for any person or persons other than those authorized by the manager to connect, disconnect, move, or tamper with any such meter, or to turn on or off water at the curb cock, valve, or meter, or to open, move, or tamper with any meter box. All meters and meter boxes shall remain the property of the city and may be removed at any time by the city.
(1996 Code, sec. 11.701; Ordinance adopting Code)
(a) 
It shall be unlawful for any person to injure, damage, or tamper with any water meter placed on any service pipe by the city or its authority, or for any person to make any connection with any service pipe without first having obtained a permit from the city or to change any service connection so as to avoid the registration of water used by such consumer, or to remove any meter placed by the city or to substitute any meter for the city’s meter.
(b) 
Any person who unlawfully, willfully, or maliciously injures, defaces, or destroys any reservoir, machinery, pipe, hydrants, or other fixtures belonging to the city waterworks or sewerage system or uses or takes from the city waterworks any water, except in accordance with the rules and regulations, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor.
(1996 Code, sec. 11.702)
An authorized representative or representatives of the city may, at any time, order the water cut off from any premises connected with the city mains for repairs, extensions, or other necessary purposes.
(1996 Code, sec. 11.704)
The refusal or neglect of the owner or occupant to equip and maintain the premises with service pipe connections, utilities, or fixtures of approved character and quality to prevent waste of water shall be sufficient grounds for the refusal of the manager of the utility office to connect the premises with the city water supply or to continue such connection after having given two (2) days’ written notice of intention to shut off water pending repairs because of water waste.
(1996 Code, sec. 11.707)
If, in the judgment of the manager of the utility office, the placing of an approved check valve on the property side of a water meter serving any consumer is considered necessary for the safety of the water system, such approved check valve shall be immediately installed at the expense of the consumer, after due notice in writing shall have been given to the consumer by the manager.
(1996 Code, sec. 11.709)
No person other than a plumber licensed and operating under the plumbing ordinance of the city shall connect any water service on the property or outlet side of the meter box. Whenever such plumber may use the water for testing the pipes or fixing fixtures, he shall in every instance, before leaving the premises, see that the curb cock is left in the position he found it when he first opened the meter box, and it shall be the duty of such plumber to notify the manager of the utility office in every instance where he finds or has reason to believe that any meter, meter box, or other waterworks equipment has been improperly tampered with. Such plumber shall in no event disconnect a meter or any fitting in the meter box, nor shall he change the level or location of such meter or meter box. Before leaving the premises, it shall be his duty to see that the meter box cover is securely in place and locked. Failure to comply with these instructions shall render such plumber subject to penalties provided for in this code.
(1996 Code, sec. 11.710)
A new sewer tap connecting the sewer line on private property with the city’s sanitary sewer main on public property shall be made at the owner’s expense when the sewer line on private property is replaced or when it is determined by the city engineer that the existing tap is defective. In no case shall a new sewer line connection be made to an old sewer tap. However, any sewer tap that was installed twelve (12) months or less prior to the replacement of the sewer line may be used if, in the opinion of the city engineer, it meets city specifications.
(a) 
Lines on public property.
It shall be the responsibility of the property owner to maintain in a healthful state and in working order the sewer line from the point of origin on private property to the point of juncture with the city sanitary sewer main on public property, hereinafter referred to as the “sewer tap.” Any sewer line and/or sewer tap that has become defective or is unsafe or hazardous is hereby declared a nuisance and shall be repaired or replaced to city specifications at the expense of the property owner.
(b) 
Lines on private property.
It shall be the responsibility of the property owner to maintain in a healthful state and in good repair and serviceable condition the sewer line on private property from the point of origin within a structure to the point of juncture at the property line. Any sewer line on private property which, in the opinion of the building official, is deemed to be defective and is unsafe and/or unsuitable for continued use or service is hereby declared a nuisance and shall be replaced at the property owner’s expense. Further, in the event fifty percent (50%) or more of a sewer line on private property is replaced, relayed, and/or relocated for any reason, the entire sewer line on private property and the sewer tap, as denoted in subsection (a) above, shall be replaced at the property owner’s expense.
Only persons employed by the city and approved by the city engineer shall install sewer taps and work on any part of the city sanitary sewer system on public property. However, a licensed plumber registered with the city may connect a sewer line at the property line providing the new or replaced sewer line and double cleanout at the property line is approved by the plumbing inspector.
(Ordinance 17/018 adopted 6/6/17)
(a) 
A double cleanout fitting shall be installed at the owner’s expense both at the rear of the structure from which the sewer system originates and also at the property line on private property on all new or replacement sewer lines. Further, in sewer line lengths of one hundred feet (100') or over, an additional cleanout fitting shall be installed at the midpoint of the line. However, cleanout fittings need not be spaced closer than thirty feet (30') apart, and where only one (1) double cleanout fitting is required, such fitting shall be located at the property line.
(b) 
When installing a double cleanout fitting, it shall be the responsibility of the building contractor or the plumbing contractor to ascertain the grade of the adjacent area before making the installation so that the top of the fitting, including the cap, when installed, will be flush with the surrounding area. Only screw-type close-out plugs may be used in the fittings, and under no circumstances will it be permissible to reduce the height of the fitting by cutting off the top, nor shall it be permissible to use a jim-cap or other close-out device other than a screw-in type plug. Further, in installations where the fitting is located in a driveway, patio, or other concrete surface, the cleanout fitting must be positioned in such a manner that the cleanout plug will be countersunk below the surface and the cleanout plug must be made of brass. Cleanout fittings that are hit or run over by trucks must be excavated to assess any damage to the sewer line, and in the event the sewer line has been forced out of line, the fitting and affected portion of the sewer line will have to be reset to prevent leakage and to provide the required fall of the line.
(1996 Code, sec. 11.715)
(a) 
The city council may, by resolution, declare that an emergency exists which imperils the water supply of the city and the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens thereof, and the declaration of such an emergency and the publication of such declaration in any newspaper of local circulation shall immediately invoke the provisions of this section and continue their effect until the emergency is declared to be averted.
(b) 
Upon declaration of the existence of any emergency under this section, the city council may prohibit the use of water to any extent deemed necessary to preserve an adequate supply of water for human consumption and sanitation, including the prohibition of the use of water for sprinkling of lawns, shrubbery, and gardens, flushing of business areas, washing of vehicles, or any other use which, in light of the then-existing water supply, may imperil the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of the city, and not excluding the prohibition of the use of the public water supply for industrial purposes, if the emergency is such that such prohibition is necessary.
(c) 
The city council or any of its members, or any authorized agent of the city council, is herewith empowered, upon declaration of an emergency under this section, to investigate the use of water from the city water supply in any premises, whether residential, commercial, or industrial, in order to ascertain the use and necessity for water consumption and to prevent waste.
(d) 
Any person violating the provisions of this section or failing to comply with this section to the extent prescribed by the city council in its declaration of the existence of an emergency shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor.
(1996 Code, sec. 11.717)
(a) 
It shall be the responsibility of any plumber or any other person or agency employing an internal rotary cutter or router, commonly referred to as a roto-rooter, or equivalent, to purge, ream out, or cut out any blockage or obstacle in any sewer line to reimburse the city for any cost or damages to the city’s plastic sewer lines resulting from the operation of such cutters or routers. It shall also be the responsibility of the plumber or any other person or agency employing the use of such devices to first determine the length or linear distance of the point of entry of such cutter into the sewer line to the point of juncture with the city plastic sewer line and to limit the length of cable inserted in the sewer line to drive the rotary cutter to this amount so as to prevent the rotary cutter from entering into the city main.
(b) 
Any plumber or any other person or agency failing to observe such precautions or failing to reimburse the city for damages to the city’s plastic sewer line resulting from the use of rotary cutters shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be liable to a fine as provided for in section 1.01.009 of this code, and each day such violation shall be permitted to exist shall constitute a separate offense. The payment of a fine shall not relieve a plumber or any other person or agency from the responsibility or obligation for payment of damages or repair cost to city plastic sewer lines resulting from the use by the plumber and others of rotary cutters to purge or remove obstacles in any sewer line.
(1996 Code, sec. 11.718)
(a) 
The purpose of the city cross-connection control program is to protect the public potable water supply from the possibility of contamination or pollution which might result from the physical cross-connection between the water service and any other source of supply by isolating, within the customer’s internal distribution system, such contaminants or pollutants which could backflow or backsiphon into the public water system.
(b) 
The program will promote the elimination or control of the existing cross-connections, actual or potential, between the potable water system and the nonpotable systems.
(c) 
The program will provide for the maintenance of a continuing program of cross-connection control which will effectively prevent the contamination or pollution of all potable water systems by cross-connection.
(1996 Code, sec. 11.703(a))
The authority for such program is the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 and the various statutes and codes of the state which require that the water purveyor has the primary responsibility for preventing water from unapproved sources or from any other substances from entering the public potable water system. Further authority is the code and ordinances of the city together with the rules and regulations adopted by the water department.
(1996 Code, sec. 11.703(b))
The public works director shall be responsible for the protection of the public potable water distribution system of the city. The director shall protect the system from contamination or pollution due to the backflow or backsiphonage of contaminants or pollutants through the water service connection. If, under the codes and ordinances of the city, an approved backflow device is required at the city’s water service connection to any customer’s premises, the director or his designated representative shall give notice in writing to the customer to install an approved backflow prevention device at each service connection to his premises. The customer shall, within ninety (90) days, install such approved device or devices at his own expense, and failure or refusal on the part of the customer to install said device or devices within ninety (90) days shall constitute grounds for discontinuance of water service to the premises until such device or devices have been properly installed.
(1996 Code, sec. 11.703(c))
It shall be unlawful and an offense for any customer or consumer of water in the city to maintain any physical cross-connection between the water service received from the city and any other source of water or water supply.
(1996 Code, sec. 11.703(d))
Air gap.
A physical separation sufficient to prevent backflow between the free-flowing discharge end of the potable water system and any other system. It is physically defined as a distance equal to twice the diameter of the supply side pipe diameter, but never less than one (1) inch.
Approved.
Accepted by the public works director as meeting an applicable specification stated or cited in this division or as suitable for the proposed use.
Atmospheric vacuum breaker.
A device which prevents backsiphonage by creating an atmospheric vent when there is either a negative pressure or subatmospheric pressure in a water system.
Auxiliary water supply.
Any water supply on or available to the premises other than the city’s approved public potable water supply.
Backflow.
The flow of water or other liquids, mixtures or substances under positive or reduced pressure in the distribution pipes of the potable water supply from any source other than its intended source.
Backflow preventer.
A device or means designed to prevent backflow or backsiphonage. Most commonly categorized as air gap, reduced pressure principle device, double check valve assembly, pressure vacuum breaker, atmospheric vacuum breaker, hose bibb vacuum breaker, residential dual check, double check with intermediate atmospheric vent, and barometric loop.
Backpressure.
A condition in which the owner’s system pressure is greater than the supplier’s system pressure.
Backsiphonage.
The flow of water or other liquids, mixtures or substances into the distribution pipes of a potable water supply system from any source other than its intended source caused by the sudden reduction of pressure in the potable water supply system.
Barometric loop.
A fabricated piping arrangement rising at least thirty-five (35) feet at its topmost point above the highest fixture it supplies. It is utilized in water supply systems to protect against backsiphonage.
Commission.
The state commission on environmental quality.
Containment.
A method of backflow prevention which requires a backflow prevention device at the water service entrance.
Contaminant.
A substance that will impair the quality of the water to a degree that it creates a serious health hazard to the public leading to poisoning or the spread of disease.
Cross-connection.
Any actual or potential connection between the public water supply and a source of contamination or pollution.
Department.
The city park water department.
Municipal services director.
The director in charge of the department of public works or his designated representative.
Double check valve assembly.
An assembly of two (2) independently operating spring-loaded check valves with tightly closing shut-off valves on each side of the check valves, plus properly located test cocks for the testing of each check valve.
Double check valve with intermediate atmosphere vent.
A device having two (2) spring-loaded check valves separated by an atmospheric vent chamber.
Fixture isolation.
A method of backflow prevention in which a backflow preventer is located to correct a cross-connection at an in-plant location rather than at a water service entrance.
Hose bibb vacuum breaker.
A device which is permanently attached to a hose bibb and which acts as an atmospheric vacuum breaker.
Owner.
Any person who has legal title to, or a license to operate or inhabit, a property upon which a cross-connection inspection is to be made or upon which a cross-connection is present.
Permit.
A document issued by the department which allows the use of a backflow preventer.
Person.
Any individual, partnership, company, public or private corporation, political subdivision or agency of the state, or any department, agency or instrumentality of the United States, or any other legal entity.
Pollutant.
A foreign substance that, if permitted to get into the public water system, will degrade its quality so as to constitute a moderate hazard, or impair the usefulness or quality of the water to a degree which does not create an actual hazard to the public health but which does adversely and unreasonably effect such water for domestic use.
Pressure vacuum breaker.
A device containing one (1) or two (2) independently operated spring-loaded check valves and an independently operated spring-loaded air inlet valve located on the discharge side of the check or checks. The device includes tightly closing shut-off valves on each side of the check valves and properly located each side of the check valves [sic] and containing properly located test cocks for the testing of the check valves.
Reduced pressure principle backflow preventer.
An assembly consisting of two (2) independently operating approved check valves with an automatically operating differential relief valve located between the two (2) check valves, tightly closing shut-off valves on each side of the check valves, plus properly located test cocks for the testing of the check valves and the relief valve.
Residential dual check.
An assembly of two (2) spring-loaded, independently operating check valves without tightly closing shut-off valves and test cocks. It is generally employed immediately downstream of the water meter to act as a containment device.
Water service entrance.
That point in the owner’s water system beyond the sanitary control of the city, generally considered to be the outlet end of the water meter and always before any unprotected branch.
(1996 Code, sec. 11.703(e))
(a) 
The municipal services director is vested with the authority and responsibility for the implementation of the cross-connection control program and for the enforcement of the provisions of this division.
(b) 
The department will operate a cross-connection control program, to include the keeping of necessary records which fulfill the requirements of the city council’s regulations and are approved by the city council.
(c) 
The owner of property suspected to have an illicit connection or cross connection (“connection”) to the city’s public water supply system or to the sanitary or storm sewer system is maintaining a public nuisance and shall allow the property to be inspected by a duly authorized city inspector upon due notice and at a reasonable time. If there is a permitted connection present, the owner shall follow all ordinances and regulations of the city with regard thereto. If the city’s inspector determines that there is an illicit connection present on the property:
(1) 
The inspector shall prepare and hand deliver or mail to the owner by certified mail, return receipt requested, a written notice to remove or remedy the illicit connection within fifteen (15) days from the date of the notice;
(2) 
If the owner fails to comply with the notice, the department will inform the owner by letter that the water service to the owner’s premises will be terminated within five (5) days of the date of the letter, provided such time may be extended as provided in section 13.04.067(d);
(3) 
In the alternative, if the owner fails to correct the illicit connection within the time permitted by the inspector, the city or its contractor may go on the premises, do the work or make the improvements necessary to correct the illicit connection and eliminate the public nuisance, pay for the work done or improvements made and charge the expenses to the owner of the property. If, after due notice, the charges are not paid by the owner, notice shall be given in writing to the owner and all lien holders of record that a statement of expenses will be prepared in a form of lien claim allowing it to be recorded in the real property records of the county, signed by the director of public works on behalf of the city and filed if the expenses are not paid in full within ten (10) days after the date of the notice. The filing of the statement of expenses and the lien for collection of the expenses shall be handled in the same manner as provided in sections 6.05.004 and 6.05.005 of this code.
(d) 
If the department requires that the public supply be protected by containment, the owner shall be responsible for water quality beyond the outlet end of the containment device and should utilize fixture outlet protection for that purpose.
(e) 
The owner may utilize public health officials or personnel from the department, or their designated representatives, to assist him in the survey of his facilities and to assist him in the selection of proper fixture outlet devices, and the proper installation of these devices.
(1996 Code, sec. 11.703(f); Ordinance 11/13 adopted 7/19/11)
(a) 
On new installations, the department will provide on-site evaluation and/or inspection of plans in order to determine the type of backflow preventer, if any, that will be required, will issue a permit, and perform inspection and testing. In any case, a minimum of a dual check valve will be required in any new construction.
(b) 
For premises existing prior to the start of this program, the department will perform evaluations and inspections of plans and/or premises and inform the owner by letter of any corrective action deemed necessary, the method of achieving the correction, and the time allowed for the correction to be made. Ninety (90) days will be allowed for the correction; however, this time period may be shortened depending upon the degree of hazard involved and the history of the device(s) in question.
(c) 
The department will not allow any cross-connection to remain unless it is protected by an approved backflow preventer for which a permit has been issued and which will be regularly tested to insure satisfactory operation.
(d) 
The department shall inform the owner by letter of any failure to comply, by the time of the first reinspection. The department will allow an additional fifteen (15) days for the correction. In the event the owner fails to comply with the necessary correction by the time of the second reinspection, the department will inform the owner by letter that the water service to the owner’s premises will be terminated within a period not to exceed five (5) days from the date such letter is sent to the owner. In the event that the owner informs the department of extenuating circumstances as to why the correction has not been made, a time extension may be granted by the department, but in no case will such extension exceed an additional thirty (30) days.
(e) 
If the department determines at any time that a serious threat to the public health exists, the water service may be terminated immediately.
(f) 
The department shall have on file a list of private contractors who are certified backflow device testers. All charges for these tests will be paid by the owner of the building or property.
(g) 
The department will begin initial premises inspections to determine the nature of existing or potential hazard during the calendar year 1991.
(1996 Code, sec. 11.703(g))
(a) 
The owner shall be responsible for the elimination or protection of all cross-connections on his premises.
(b) 
The owner, after having been informed by a letter from the department, shall, at his expense, install, maintain, and test, or have tested, any and all backflow preventers on his premises.
(c) 
The owner shall correct any malfunction of the backflow preventer which is revealed by periodic testing.
(d) 
The owner shall inform the department of any proposed or modified cross-connections and also any existing cross-connections of which the owner is aware but which have not been found by the department.
(e) 
The owner shall not install a bypass around any backflow preventer unless there is a backflow preventer of the same type on the bypass. Owners who cannot shut down operation for testing of the device(s) must supply additional devices necessary to allow testing to take place.
(f) 
The owner shall install backflow preventers in a manner approved by the department.
(g) 
The owner shall install only backflow preventers approved by the department.
(h) 
Any owner having a private well or other private water source must have a permit if the well or source is cross-connected to the department’s system. Permission to cross-connect may be denied by the department. The owner may be required to install a backflow preventer at the service entrance if a private water source is maintained even if it is not cross-connected to the department’s system.
(i) 
In the event the owner installs plumbing to provide potable water for domestic purposes which is on the department’s side of the backflow preventer, such plumbing must have its own backflow preventer.
(j) 
The owner shall be responsible for the payment of all fees for permits, annual or semi-annual device testing, retesting in the case that the device fails to operate correctly, and second reinstallations for noncompliance with department or city council requirements.
(1996 Code, sec. 11.703)
The department recognizes the threat to the public water system arising from cross-connections. All threats will be classified by degree of hazard and will require the installation of approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention devices or double check valves.
(1996 Code, sec. 11.703(i))
Any existing backflow preventer shall be allowed by the department to continue in service unless the degree of hazard is such as to supersede the effectiveness of the present backflow preventer or result in an unreasonable risk to the public health. Where the degree of hazard has increased, as in the case of a residential installation converting to a business establishment, any existing backflow preventer must be upgraded to a reduced pressure principle device, or a reduced pressure principle device must be installed in the event that no backflow device was present.
(1996 Code, sec. 11.703(j))
(a) 
All reduced pressure principle backflow devices and any backflow preventer protecting a fire sprinkler system shall be tested and inspected at least annually.
(b) 
All required device testing shall be performed at the owner’s expense by a tester licensed by the state and registered with the city.
(c) 
The owner shall submit test reports to the city or its designee in accordance with applicable state regulations. The filing fee for such test report shall be set by the city council in the city’s master fee schedule by appropriate resolution.
(d) 
Any backflow preventer which fails during a periodic test will be repaired or replaced by the owner. When repairs are necessary, upon completion of the repair the device will be retested at the owner’s expense to insure correct operation. High-hazard situations will not be allowed to continue unprotected if the backflow preventer fails the test and cannot be repaired immediately. In other situations, a compliance date of not more than thirty (30) days after the test date will be established. The owner is responsible for spare parts, repair tools, or a replacement device. Parallel installation of two (2) devices is an effective means of the owner insuring that uninterrupted water service [is available] during testing or repair of devices and is strongly recommended when the owner desires such continuity.
(e) 
Backflow prevention devices will be tested more frequently than specified in subsection (a) of this section in cases where there is a history of test failures and the department feels that, due to the degree of hazard involved, additional testing is warranted. Cost of the additional tests will be borne by the owner.
(1996 Code, sec. 11.703(k); Ordinance 18/013 adopted 3/6/18)
(a) 
Records.
The department will initiate and maintain the following:
(1) 
Master files on customer cross-connection tests and/or inspections.
(2) 
Copies of lists and summaries supplied to the city commission.
(b) 
Reports.
The department will submit the following to the city commission:
(1) 
Initial listing of low-hazard cross-connections.
(2) 
Initial listing of high-hazard cross-connections.
(3) 
Annual update lists of items (1) and (2) above.
(4) 
Annual summary of cross-connection inspections.
(1996 Code, sec. 11.703(l))