All buildings within the City limits, served with water for any purpose, shall be connected with the City water service. It is unlawful for any owner of such premises to fail to cause such connection to be made unless, in the opinion of the Public Works Director or authorized representative, it is impractical to connect to the City water system. No building shall be connected to any water supply source other than the City water system without a valid permit issued by the Public Works Director.
(Prior code § 23C-7-1)
A. 
It is hereby found by the City Council that the prospective development of the City by construction of residential, commercial and manufacturing structures and buildings and the occupancy thereof, will cause the City to incur costs estimated to be $195,086,000.00 to provide the necessary water treatment facilities, pipelines, and sources of surface water to serve such new development. It is further found that equity and proper fiscal management of the City require that such additional water system improvements as caused by such future development be financed in part by those persons constructing and using such buildings. Based on the foregoing, any applicant for new water service shall pay a water capacity charge to the City at the time of application. These charges may be adopted by ordinance or by resolution.
B. 
The charge imposed pursuant to subsection A is intended to comprise a "capacity charge" within the meaning of Government Code Section 66013 as it exists as of the date of adoption of this ordinance. All revenue derived from this capacity charge shall be held and maintained in compliance with subsections (c) and (d) of Section 66013 as they may be amended, and in accordance with other applicable law.
C. 
In addition to the water capacity charge described in subsection A, prior to connection to the City water system each person making such request shall pay a water connection charge for initial connection of his or her premises to the City water system. The amount of the charge shall be fixed by resolution of the City Council which, among other things, may take into account administrative expense and the cost of installing various water taps, service pipes, meters and shutoff valves and provide for varying charges in accordance with the relative right, difficulty or cost to connect.
(Prior code § 23C-7-3)
The City Council shall fix by ordinance or resolution the rates for use of the City water system and the ordinance or resolution, among other things, shall take into account the quantity of water used and the cost of maintaining City water facilities to deliver the water. In addition, rates may differ between users inside of the City limits and users outside of the City limits so long as such rates are reasonable. The City Manager or designee, may establish and administer a program to provide financial assistance in paying water bills to customers. The customer eligibility criteria, program funding and structure, and other aspects of the program shall be determined by the City Manager or designee.
(Prior code § 23C-7-4)
Standby water service for fire protection or domestic use only may be obtained if approved by the City Engineer or designated representative. Rates for standby service shall be fixed by agreement.
(Prior code § 23C-7-5)
Charges for the actual cost of water taps, meters, installation, and the like, shall be levied for water service to any building or construction project. The amount of such charges shall be fixed by resolution of the City Council and payment thereof shall be made prior to issuance of a building permit or delivery of the water, whichever first occurs. In the alternative to the above charges, the City may require that water consumed be measured and paid for at meter rates. The cost of placing and removing temporary connections and meters shall be paid for by the owner or contractor. Notwithstanding the foregoing, however, water obtained from a fire hydrant for purposes of jetting trenches or street construction shall not be subject to the requirement of a building permit or payment of a fee therefor when used within a City-owned right-of-way.
(Prior code § 23C-7-6)
Whenever any City water is furnished to the premises, but the water is not connected to the dwelling, store or shop on the premises, the same rates shall be charged as if the water were connected directly to the dwelling, store, or shop on the premises.
(Prior code § 23C-7-7)
The City Council may direct the City Manager or designated representative to make charges for water other than, or different from the established rates, in the event that special circumstances make special charges reasonable and fair.
(Prior code § 23C-7-8)
The City Engineer or designated representative may require any water user to give under oath such information as is necessary to determine the proper water rates for such water user. Should such water user refuse to give such information under oath, the City Engineer or designated representative shall fix the rates to be charged such water user, subject to modification by the City Council on application of such water user.
(Prior code § 23C-7-9)
A. 
Unauthorized Connections or Use of Water—Damage to City Facilities.
1. 
It is unlawful for any person to attach or cause attachment of a service pipe or other device to a City water main, fire hydrant, service line, valve, or the like, or to allow attachment of another service pipe or other device to one's own City authorized service pipe without first obtaining permission to do so from the Public Works Director or designated representative, and no connection shall be made between the City water system and any part of a sewer system without first providing the safeguards required by the State Health and Safety Code.
2. 
Whenever, for any cause, the Public Works Director or designated representative shall shut off any hydrant or pipe carrying or discharging water from the works of the City, it is unlawful for any person to open such hydrant or pipe or to turn on or use any water from such hydrant or water pipe without first obtaining written permission from the Public Works Director or designated representative or, if required, a fire hydrant permit.
3. 
No person shall use, divert, receive, or take City water by any means without paying the full and lawful City charges for such water, or by tampering with City property or facilities, such as by removing a lock or plug that has been placed on a customer's service or meter or unauthorized use, or by tampering with a service connection or bypassing a meter, or by making an unauthorized connection to any City facilities or any public fire hydrant.
4. 
Each violation of this subsection A shall be a misdemeanor and shall be subject to the remedies described in Section 13.16.120. The City shall also calculate the damages and costs incurred by the City on a time and materials basis and send a bill to the customer who violated these provisions or, if the offender is not a customer of record, an invoice for payment of the damages and costs. All costs relating to the City's repair or correction to City facilities, processing and handling of the violation(s), and investigation and enforcement thereof, shall be borne by the responsible party. Such charges may include, but are not limited to, service call charges, water charges, and disconnection or reconnection fees. The City may enforce payment of any unpaid amounts through any available legal means, which may include, but not be limited to, placement with an authorized collection agency, transfer of delinquent balances to other active accounts, requiring full payment before establishing future accounts with the City, termination of water service to the account, and/or filing a lien for unpaid amounts.
B. 
Obstructing Access to Water Facilities. No person shall place upon or about any fire hydrant, water gate, or curb-stock or stopcock connected with the City's water system, any building material or other obstruction that prevents free access to same.
C. 
Water Waste Violations. No person shall commit water waste, as defined in Section 13.32.030.
D. 
Violations of Water Shortage Stages. No person shall violate the water shortage stages and restrictions as detailed in Section 13.32.040.
(Prior code § 23C-7-10; Ord. 1671 § 1, 2021)
It is unlawful for any user and/or person to violate or fail to comply with any of the requirements of this chapter. Causing, permitting, aiding, abetting, or concealing a violation of any provision of this chapter shall constitute a violation of this chapter. A violation of the provisions of this chapter shall occur irrespective of the negligence or intent of the violator. Violations of this chapter shall be punishable either alternatively or consecutively, by civil or criminal prosecution or both.
(Prior code § 23C-7-10.1)
A. 
The Public Works Director, or designee, shall administer, implement, and enforce the provisions of this chapter.
B. 
In lieu of any remedies the City may have, and at the City's sole discretion, the City may determine a violation of this chapter to be a nuisance, which shall be enforced pursuant to Chapter 9.20, resulting in a notice to abate or an administrative citation. Pursuant to Chapter 9.20, fines imposed for an administrative citation shall be: (1) $100.00 for a first violation; (2) $200.00 for a second violation of the same provision within one year; and (3) $500.00 for each additional violation of the same provision within one year.
Notwithstanding the above, for a violation of subdivisions (1), (2), or (3) of subsection A of Section 13.16.100, fines imposed for an administrative citation shall be: (1) $1,000 for a first violation; (2) $2,000 for a second violation of the same provision within one year; and (3) $3,000 for each additional violation of the same provision within one year.
C. 
Any person who has not abated the nuisance within the time prescribed by the City, failed to appeal the notice to abate in accordance with Section 13.16.130, or failed to appeal an administrative citation in accordance with Section 9.20.070, and in addition to any remedies the City may have, the City may take any or all of the following additional enforcement actions:
1. 
Terminating water service or installing a flow-restriction device or other water conservation device at such person's premises at that person's expense;
2. 
Requiring a commercial, industrial, or institutional user who does not currently have a separate landscape meter to install a landscape meter at the sole cost and expense of the user;
3. 
Recording the violations on the property title provided the water customer is the property owner;
4. 
Placing liens on the property to recover any costs incurred by the City of Woodland provided the water customer is the property owner;
5. 
Issuing a criminal citation charged as either an infraction or misdemeanor; and/or
6. 
Charging a deposit equal to two times the amount of the average water use to reestablish service.
(Prior code § 23C-7-10.2; Ord. 1671 § 2, 2021)
Any person receiving a notice to abate as set forth above shall have the right to appeal the notice, and to have a hearing, as set forth in Section 9.04.070. The Public Works Director may appoint the hearing officer.
(Prior code § 23C-7-10.3)
The remedies provided in this chapter are cumulative and are in addition to all other remedies provided by law. The enumeration of remedies stated in this chapter shall not preclude the application of any other remedies not specifically enumerated.
(Prior code § 23C-7-10.5)
Each consumer shall install a shutoff valve in his or her service pipe downstream from the City's service connection shutoff valve so that repairs can be made to the consumer's water system without calling the City to shut off water service.
(Prior code § 23C-7-11)
All persons who open, grade, regrade, fill, excavate or work on a street shall give 10 days' written notice to the City Engineer to cause removal or displacement of any water mains, pipes, fittings, meters or other water-works materials which may interfere with such street work, and on failure to so furnish such notice, any damage resulting from such failure shall be charged against the person responsible.
(Prior code § 23C-7-12)
The supply of City water may be discontinued at any time without notice to the water user, when required by the necessities of the service of the Water Department or of any other department of the City government, and the City shall in no way be liable for damage resulting from such discontinuance.
(Prior code § 23C-7-13)
It is unlawful for any person to interfere or seek to interfere with any inspection by the City Engineer or designated representative of any fixture or water using or distributing device to which City water is connected; provided, that before entering occupied dwellings or premises for the purpose of making an inspection, the consent of the occupant thereof shall be secured or 24 hours' written notice of the intention to so enter and inspect shall be served upon the occupant by the City Engineer or designated representative.
(Prior code § 23C-7-14)