For the purpose of this chapter, and Chapter 14.12, certain words and phrases are defined and certain provisions will be construed as set forth in this section, unless it is apparent from the context that a different meaning is intended.
"Water department"
means the public works department.
"Within the city" or "within the city limits,"
means within the corporate limits of the city as they now exist, or may hereafter be made to exist, by subsequent exclusion or addition.
(Prior code §§ 7300—7303; Ord. 1970 § 1, 2000; Ord. 2190 § 4, 2020)
Before water can be served from the city water mains to any person or for any premises such person or the owner or occupant of such premises shall make a written application for such service upon a form provided by the city at the office of the water department. The information, required in all instances where application is made for water, shall include the name and address of the applicant, description of the lot, block, tract or other place where water service is desired, name of the street upon which said property fronts and the official house number assigned to the premises for which water is desired, together with the applicant's status as owner or lessee and such other information as shall serve to establish credit standing.
(Prior code § 7304)
Where a premises served with one meter is occupied by two or more independent consumers under one ownership, the owner shall be required to sign the application for service, thereby being responsible for all bills connected with water service at the said premises.
(Prior code § 7305)
No person shall open any street hydrant or stop cock or gate valve, or meddle with any street service, water connection or any water meter connected to any service pipe connected with the water mains or water pipes of the city, or turn on or off water mains or water pipes of the city, or tap, break or injure any water mains or water pipes of the city, laid in any street, avenue or alley, or other public place, or any reservoir of the city, or tap any water service pipe between the point of connection with the street and the meter, placed on said pipe, or take or draw water from the mains, pipes or hydrants of the city, without paying the established rental thereof, or in any way trespass upon the public property of the city water department without permission first being obtained from the public works director, or designee.
(Prior code § 7307; Ord. 1970 § 2, 2000; Ord. 2190 § 6, 2020)
No person shall tap, open or connect with any fixture or water main or pipe which forms any part of the system of the water works of the city without first notifying and obtaining permission from the public works director, or designee. No permit shall be given to any person whose indebtedness to the city for water or damage to fire hydrants, meters, pipes or fixtures is delinquent.
(Prior code § 7308; Ord. 1970 § 2, 2000; Ord. 2190 § 6, 2020)
Fire hydrants are provided for use in extinguishing fires, flushing mains and emergency uses, and shall be opened and used only by the water and fire departments of the city, or by such person as is authorized to do so by the public works director, or designee.
(Prior code § 7309; Ord. 2190 § 6, 2020)
All persons using water through fire hydrants or other hydrants owned or controlled by the city, shall be required to get a permit to do so from the public works director, or designee, who shall give no such permit to any person who has violated any of the provisions of this chapter or Chapter 14.12, or whose indebtedness to the city for water used or damage to hydrants, meters, pipes or fixtures is delinquent.
(Prior code § 7310; Ord. 2190 § 6, 2020)
It is unlawful for any consumer to supply water to any person other than the occupants of the premises of such consumer, provided that such consumer may supply water to such persons for the use in the performance of any contract for the improvement of any street or other public place after having given notice and received permission from the water department, and no such permission can be given to any person whose indebtedness to the city for water or damage to fire hydrants, meters, pipes or fixtures is delinquent, or who has on one or more occasions taken water from the distributing system of the city, or from the pipes of consumers connected with the distributing system of the city without receiving permission as provided herein. It is unlawful for any consumer to allow, maintain, or permit leaks or waste of water. When a consumer's interior water pipes, those water pipes on the customer's side of the water meter, leak to an extent that water is being wasted and the customer does not repair said leaks, the water department may give the customer thirty days' notice to make such repairs to eliminate said wastage of water. If said repairs are not completed within the thirty days' notice, the water service to the property may be shut off. To have water service restored after such a shutoff, it will be necessary for the customer to furnish proof of said repairs, apply for service to be reinstated, and pay a reconnection fee established by city council resolution.
(Prior code § 7311; Ord. 1784 § 1, 1989; Ord. 2072 § 3, 2009)
(a) 
Multiple Parcels. It is unlawful for water to be served to two or more parcels of property separately owned through a common service pipe, unless there is no main contiguous to said premises from which service may be had, and further unless the consumer first in order of service from the main provides a written guarantee to pay water rates for all parcels of property so served. The public works director, or designee, must give thirty days' notice in writing to all consumers served through such service before enforcing this chapter or Chapter 14.12 by discontinuing water service in accordance with this code and Public Utilities Code Section 10001, et seq.
(b) 
Hosing Down. To, among other things, comply with the city's national pollutant discharge elimination system ("NPDES") permit requirements, it is unlawful for any person to hose water or wash down any sidewalk, walkway, driveway, parking area or other paved surface, except as is required for the benefit of public health and safety.
(c) 
Lawn/Landscape Watering. To, among other things, comply with the City's NPDES permit requirements:
(1) 
It is unlawful for any person to water or cause to be watered any lawn or landscaping between the hours of ten a.m. and five p.m. of any one day.
(2) 
It is unlawful for any person to water or cause to be watered any lawn or landscaping more than once a day.
(3) 
It is unlawful for any person to water or cause to be watered any lawn or landscaping to such an extent that runoff into any adjoining street, parking lot or alley occurs due to incorrectly directed or maintained sprinklers or excessive watering.
(4) 
It is the duty of all persons to inspect all hoses, faucets and sprinkling systems for leaks, and to cause all leaks to be repaired as soon as is reasonably practicable.
(d) 
Indoor Plumbing and Fixtures. It is the duty of all persons to inspect all accessible indoor plumbing and faucets for leaks, and to cause all leaks to be repaired as soon as is reasonably practicable.
(e) 
Washing Vehicles. It is unlawful for any person to wash any motor vehicle, boat, trailer, or other type of mobile equipment unless such vehicle is washed: (1) at a commercial carwash; (2) using only reclaimed water; or (3) by using a hand-held bucket or a water-hose equipped with an automatic shutoff nozzle.
(f) 
Running Hose Prohibited. It is unlawful for any person to leave a water hose running while washing a vehicle or at any other time.
(g) 
Public Eating Places. It is unlawful for any restaurant, hotel, cafeteria, café, or other public place where food is sold or served to serve drinking water to any customer unless specifically requested to do so by such customer.
(h) 
Decorative Fountains. It is unlawful for any person to use water to clean, fill, or maintain levels in any decorative fountain, pond, lake, or other similar aesthetic structure unless such water flows through a recycling system.
(i) 
A written warning must be provided to persons upon the first violation of this section. Second and subsequent violations are infractions with a fine of twenty-five dollars per violation. The third or subsequent violation may be prosecuted as a misdemeanor.
(Prior code § 7333; Ord. 2072 § 4, 2009; Ord. 2190 § 6, 2020)
The water service line (upstream of the meter), meter, meter box and appurtenances, and the service line, bypass meter and meter box or vault on fire services, shall remain the property of the water department and shall be maintained, renewed and repaired by the water department when rendered unserviceable through fair wear and tear. Water services are the property of the water department up to and including the downstream meter coupling/flange for metered services and up to and including the flange past the back of curb, for fire services. Where replacements, repairs or adjustments of any meter or appurtenances are rendered necessary by the act, negligence or carelessness of the consumer, or any member of his or her family or person in his or her employ, any expense caused thereby shall be charged against and collected from the consumer or owner in the same manner as a water bill. Water meter(s) may not be removed without written consent of the public works director, or designee.
(Prior code § 7334; Ord. 1970 § 2, 2000; Ord. 2190 § 6, 2020)
No person shall install or use any physical connection between any private source of water supply and the city water supply; however, subject to the approval of the State Department of Health Services, the city may install and maintain emergency connections with other public utilities serving water for domestic use.
(Prior code § 7335; Ord. 1970 § 2, 2000)
All city water used on any premises served with a meter must pass through the meter, except in the case of a private fire service. No by-pass or connection around any meter shall be installed or used.
Consumers shall be held responsible, and charged for, all water passing through the meter or meters serving those consumers.
(Prior code § 7336)
Any consumer may demand that the meter through which water is being furnished be examined and tested by the water department for the purpose of ascertaining whether or not it is registering correctly the amount of water which is being delivered through it. Such demand shall be made in writing to the water department, and shall be accompanied by a testing fee as established by city council resolution. Upon receipt of such demand, it shall be the duty of the water department to cause the meter to be examined and tested for the purpose of ascertaining whether or not it is registering correctly the water being delivered through it. If upon such examination and test the meter shall be found to register over three percent more water than actually passes through it, another meter will be substituted therefor and the testing fee shall be returned to the person making the application and the water bill for previous billing period adjusted in such a manner as the public works director, or designee may deem fair and just. The period covered by the billing adjustment shall not exceed the preceding six months. If the meter be found to register not over three percent fast, the testing fee shall be forfeited to the city and the water bill paid as rendered.
(Prior code § 7337; Ord. 1970 § 2, 2000; Ord. 2190 § 6, 2020)
No person shall draw water from the city's water mains into any steam boiler, hydraulic elevator, pressure (twenty-five pounds or more) pump or similar apparatus. The owner in such a case shall provide a tank of sufficient capacity to afford a supply for at least twelve hours, into which tank water direct from the city main shall empty in such a manner as to positively eliminate back siphonage and there shall be no cross connections.
(Prior code § 7338)
As an alternative to the foregoing section, the consumer may provide a service valve ahead of any steam boiler, hydraulic elevator or pressure pump, and any such service valve shall be approved by the public works director, or designee.
(Prior code § 7339; Ord. 2190 § 6, 2020)
Every person authorized to open fire hydrants shall be required to replace caps on the outlets when same are not in use. Failure to do so shall be deemed sufficient cause to prohibit further use of the hydrants and the refusal to grant subsequent permits for the use of such hydrants.
(Prior code § 7340)
There will be no quantity charge for water used through a private fire service for fighting accidental fires. Charges for fire service water obtained for any other use will be the quantity consumption rate as established by city council resolution, provided the city is notified of intended use in advance and there is a meter installed or other method of measurement approved. If advance approval of use is not obtained, double the current rate will be charged for water consumed for other uses than extinguishing accidental fires. If any person without advance approval shall use any fire service for other than fire purposes, the water department is also authorized to collect the sum of twenty-five dollars for each day of such use and to enforce this provision by cutting off all water from the property whereon such use occurred. When water is cut off by virtue of this provision, no further water shall be served to such property until the total sum for such use is paid; provided, that the city council may, upon application of any person aggrieved by the action of the water department hereunder, remit the charge or such part thereof, as may appear just and reasonable.
(Prior code § 7341; Ord. 1970 § 2, 2000)
Whenever any plumber or any other person connecting service pipe to the property side of a meter shall use the water for testing the pipes, he/she must leave the service box in as good condition as found, and shall leave the water shut off if found so, and shall notify the water department at the time the connection is made. Any damage caused by the carelessness of any plumber or other person to any part of the meter box or connection shall be charged to the party responsible, or the owner if no responsible party can be identified.
(Prior code § 7342; Ord. 1970 § 2, 2000)
Employees whose duty it is or may be to enter upon private premises to make inspection and examination of pipes, fixtures or attachments used in connection with the water supply, shall be provided with a badge or other credentials to identify them as authorized agents of the public works director, or designee.
(Prior code § 7343; Ord. 2190 § 6, 2020)
If the placing of an approved check valve or other device on the property side of the meter of any consumer is necessary for the safety and protection of the water system or appliances thereof, such approved check valve shall be immediately installed inside the property line by and at the expense of the consumer, at the order of the public works director, or designee.
(Prior code § 7344; Ord. 2190 § 6, 2020)
All water services shall be equipped with an adequate shut-off valve installed at the expense of the consumer, or owner, within thirty days of notice by the water department to install the same. This shut-off valve shall be located inside the property line and on the street side of any fixture including sprinklers. In a business zone the required shut-off valve may be located between the property line and the meter, but a minimum of four feet away from the meter and in a safe, adequate box approved by the public works director, or designee.
(Prior code § 7345; Ord. 2190 § 6, 2020)
Water meters shall be located not less than six feet from any tree or sewer connection pipe and not less than four feet from the apron of any driveway and not in any driveway.
(Prior code § 7346)
The water department shall have the right and power to turn off the water at any time in the mains and pipes of the water system without notice, in case of an emergency.
(Prior code § 7347)