[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Council of the Town of East Hampton 1-12-1993
(Ord. No. 4.09). Amendments noted where applicable.]
This chapter establishes the procedures for making connections to the
public water system in the Town of East Hampton. It also regulates the use
of the public water system. The purpose of this chapter is to:
A.
Inform the public as to the technical and administrative
procedures to be followed in obtaining connection to the East Hampton public
water system;
B.
Authorize and empower the East Hampton Water Pollution
Control Authority to operate and manage the public water system on behalf
of the Town of East Hampton;
C.
Ensure compliance with C.G.S. § 16-262m and
with §§ 16-262m-1 through 16-262m-9, inclusive, of the Connecticut
State Regulations;
D.
Ensure compliance with all orders of the Connecticut
Department of Environmental Protection and the Connecticut Department of Health
Services relating to the operation of water systems, and the use of water
in the Town of East Hampton.
The following words and phrases used in this chapter shall have the
following meanings unless the context requires otherwise:
Any person regularly offering to the general public services of his
employees or himself in the field of plumbing, piping, heating, piping and
cooling, who possesses a valid license to perform plumbing and piping work,
issued under Chapter 393 of the Connecticut General Statutes, as amended.
Any person, firm, corporation, company, association, governmental
unit or lessee who, by terms of a written lease, is responsible for the water
bill, or owner of property furnished water service by the East Hampton Public
Water System
The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection.[1]
The Connecticut Department of Health Services.
The East Hampton Director of Health.
The installation, repair, replacement, alteration or maintenance
of water and associated fixtures, all water systems for human usage, and shall
include lateral storm lines from the buildings to the mains, swimming pools
and pumping equipment.
The service pipe from the water main to the building in which water
is used for commercial, industrial and human consumption purposes.
The Town of East Hampton, a municipal corporation.
The East Hampton Water Pollution Control Authority.
A.
Owners of all houses, buildings, or properties used for
human occupancy, employment, commercial, business, manufacturing, recreation
or other purposes shall comply with all orders of the Health office, DEP and/or
DHS relative to usage of water for such purposes.
B.
Whenever the public interest so requires, the WPCA reserves
the right to curtail or suspend entirely the use of water for nonessential
purposes. Such limitation of use shall be without liability on the part of
the WPCA.
A.
The owners of all houses, buildings, or properties used
for human occupancy, employment, commercial, business, manufacturing, recreation
or other purposes served by a private well may continue to use and operate
such well, provided no contrary order has been issued by the Health officer,
the DEP or the DHS.
B.
The issuance of water supply well permits shall be in
accordance with § 19-13-B51m of the Connecticut Public Health Code,
as amended.
A.
The Town may license as a contractor to perform plumbing and piping work any person who possesses a valid license issued under Chapter 393 of the Connecticut General Statutes, as amended, who shall have applied to it on forms to be provided for that purpose and who shall have furnished the surety bond and insurance required by § 299-6 hereof.
B.
The following may construct, repair, alter or remove
any service pipe or water line connected to the East Hampton Water System,
subject to supervision and approval by the WPCA:
(1)
Regular forces of a contractor employed by the Town operating
under orders of the WPCA and in the performance of work for the Town.
(2)
Regular forces of the Town and/or the State Highway Division,
Department of Transportation, operating under and subject to a permit for
the particular job to be issued by the WPCA, and while engaged in the regular
work and operations of the Town, or State Highway Division, Department of
Transportation.
(3)
Regular forces of any public utility corporation authorized
by state law to construct, maintain and operate pipes or ducts within public
highways within the Town, while engaged in work incidental to the regular
structures of said utility company and operating under and subject to the
conditions of a permit for the particular job issued by the WPCA.
C.
The WPCA may, in any case where the quantity or expense
of work by Town forces incidental to the construction, repair or inspection
of any service pipe connection warrants such a requirement, require that the
owner of property concerned or the contractor shall reimburse the Town for
the cost of services of Town employees engaged in work or inspections incidental
to said water service connection. The WPCA or its designated representatives
may make a suitable provision for such reimbursement a condition precedent
to the issuance of any permit for construction, alteration or repair of such
service pipe connection, subject to such directions as the WPCA may issue.
D.
Service pipes are to be installed by persons licensed
by the Town to do such work; such licensed persons shall be retained by the
property owner and paid by the property owner, unless specified otherwise
by the WPCA. All such installations between the distribution main and the
meter setting shall be laid in a manner prescribed by the WPCA and subject
to inspection, before backfilling, by a representative of the WPCA.
E.
Such service pipes shall be of Type K copper tubing or
other approved pipe, at least one inch and not more than two inches inside
diameter. All pipe shall be laid so as to have at least 4 1/2 feet of
cover and shall not be laid in a trench with other pipes or conduits except
as allowed by the State Public Health Code. Service pipes shall be laid at
least 10 feet away from any septic tank leaching field.
F.
Plumbers shall furnish and install an approved stop and
waste cock or shut-off valve on the service pipe immediately after its entry
into the building, except in cases where special permission is given by the
WPCA to install the same elsewhere. Said cock or valve shall be of the same
nominal size as the service pipe.
G.
Plumbers shall install a meter, approved by the WPCA,
in a horizontal position in the house piping immediately after the main shut
off and as near to where the service pipe enters the buildings as practicable.
H.
When no suitable place inside the building is available
or the service pipe exceeds 150 feet in length, the WPCA may require that
the meter be set near the street shutoff with suitable valve in a meter pit.
Pit and cover shall be owned, installed and maintained by the customer. Pit
construction and location shall be approved by the WPCA.
I.
All services shall be equipped by the owner of the property
with an approved valve or stop cock immediately after the meter setting on
the house side, to act as a back valve and prevent the house piping from emptying
while the meter is being changed or during other work on the water service
pipe.
J.
The installation of either a combined fire and domestic
service or a separate fire service connection will not be permitted.
K.
Before the approval of the installation of service pipe
larger than one inch in diameter, a form listing the water requirements of
the property to be supplied shall be filed with the WPCA so that the proper
size of meter may be determined.
A.
A person intending to connect a service pipe from a building
on his property to the public water system shall first apply for and obtain
a permit from the WPCA in the manner set forth in this section. Upon approval
of the application and plan, a permit shall be issued to have the work performed
by the stated contractor. In the event the premises changes ownership before
the work is completed, or if another contractor is chosen to perform or finish
the work, the original permit becomes void, and a new permit must be obtained
by the new parties in interest. A permit and inspection fee as set from time
to time by the WPCA shall be paid to the Town at the time that the application
is filed. The WPCA may increase or decrease such fee from time to time based
upon its administrative and inspection costs in issuing such a permit.[1]
B.
Every application for a permit shall be made in writing
on forms to be provided by the WPCA for that purpose and shall be signed by
the owner of the premises to be served and by the contractor. The application
shall state the name and business address of the contractor (in the case of
partnerships and trade names, both the name under which the firm does business
and the names of all individual members of the firm), the location and ownership
of the property to be served by the service pipe connection in question, the
post office address of the property owner, a brief description of the work
to be done, and shall contain an agreement that the permittee will do the
work in accordance with the requirements of Town ordinances, regulations and
permits as the same may apply to the particular location or work and will
indemnify and save harmless the Town and others from damages, loss, claims,
etc. arising out of work performed pursuant to such permit. The permit application
shall be supplemented by any plans, specifications or other information considered
reasonably necessary by the WPCA. The WPCA shall require as a prerequisite
to the issuance of any permit that it be furnished evidence that (1) any and
all permits to open public streets, public or private grounds or property
have been or will be issued; (2) the agent of the applicant is properly authorized
to signed the application in question.
C.
Any permit, in whole or in part, may be suspended, canceled
or terminated by the WPCA on written notice to the permittee for violation
of the conditions thereof or the violation of the requirements of this chapter.
D.
The contractor will carry the following insurance coverage
with an insurance company licensed in the State of Connecticut and approved
by the WPCA. The insurance company/ies must have at least an A rating by A.M.
Best Company. All policies will provide a thirty-day notice of cancellation
to the office of the WPCA.
(1)
The following coverage and limits will be provided:
(b)
Comprehensive commercial liability.
[1]
Limits of liability:
[a]
Bodily injury, general aggregate limit of $1,000,000
(other than products/completed operations): $1,000,000.
[b]
Products/completed operations: $1,000,000.
[c]
Personal and advertising injury: $1,000,000.
[d]
Each occurrence: $1,000,000.
[e]
Fire damage limit: $50,000.
[f]
Medical expenses: $5,000.
[2]
Coverage:
[a]
Premises/independent contractors.
[b]
Contractual/completed operations/products.
[c]
Contractual liability will be broad form.
[d]
XCU (explosion/collapse/underground utilities).
[e]
Comprehensive broad-form liability endorsement or equivalent,
including broad-form property damage.
[f]
Liability.
[3]
The WPCA shall be added as a named insured to the contractor's
policies and so stated in certificates.
(2)
Contractor agrees that it will indemnify and hold harmless
the Town and its respective officers, agents and employees from any loss,
costs, damages, expenses, judgments and liability of whatsoever kind or nature
howsoever the same may be caused resulting directly or indirectly from any
act or omission of the contractor, any subcontractor, anyone directly or indirectly
employed by any of them or anyone for whose acts any of them may be liable
resulting in bodily injury, including sickness and death, personal injury
or damage to property directly or indirectly, including the loss of use resulting
therefrom as permitted by law.
(3)
The stipulation of minimum amounts of all such insurance
or the acceptance by the WPCA of certificates indicating these limits of coverage
in no way limits the liability of the applicant for any such amounts.
(4)
The applicant, his agents and/or contractor shall not
engage in any blasting activities in the furtherance of their work within
the Town unless specific written authorization has been granted by the Town.
(5)
The WPCA, from time to time, may increase or decrease the limits of liability above, and may, from time to time, add or delete categories of insurance called for in this Subsection D based upon its determination of the types and extent of risks to which the Town is exposed during the installation, repair and replacement of service pipes.
(6)
Certificates of insurance will be presented to the WPCA
for its approval prior to the contractor or his subcontractors commencing
any work whatsoever. Work shall not be continued after expiration of any of
the above forms of insurance until the same have been renewed. If the WPCA
or its designated representative so requires, original policies or certified
copies thereof shall be submitted in lieu of certificates.
E.
Every person making application for a permit shall file
with the WPCA a satisfactory bond of a surety company authorized to transact
such business in the State of Connecticut in a form provided by and satisfactory
to the WPCA or its designated representative. The bond shall be in an amount
of not less than $5,000 to be determined by the WPCA or its designated representative,
conditioned that the applicant substantially and properly perform all work
to be done under the permits issued to him in a workmanlike manner and upon
his using proper materials; that the applicant shall reimburse the Town for
any injury or damage to any water line or other property of said Town or by
reason of any violation by the applicant or his agents or employees of any
requirement of this chapter; that the applicant shall restore the portion
of any street or public place in which the applicant may have made an excavation
incidental to work under said license to as good a condition as it was prior
to said work, and also shall keep said street or public place in like good
condition to the satisfaction of the proper public officer in charge thereof
for a period of not less than one year after said restoration; that the applicant
shall reimburse the Town or the state for the expense of repairs to such street
or public place made necessary by reason of the excavation made by the applicant;
and that the applicant shall comply in all respects with the rules, regulations,
laws, ordinances, etc. relative to work in such streets or public places and
with the terms of the permits which may be issued to the applicant.
A.
East Hampton water system water will not be supplied
to premises where the pipes used to convey or distribute said water are connected,
directly or indirectly, with any supplementary or secondary fire or other
water service system or supply so as to possible receive a water supply from
any source other than that furnished by the East Hampton water system; provided
the WPCA may allow such connection to be maintained if such other source or
supply shall be of safe, sanitary quality, and said interconnection is approved
by the DHS.
B.
The Town furnishes water and not pressure, and does not
guarantee a continuous supply. No responsibility will be assumed for any damages
to any apparatus in any house or building due to the shutting off of water
without notice, either for repairs on account of a break in the pipe lines
or for other necessary operations.
C.
While it is the intention to give notice, as far as possible,
in advance of any work which must be done that will necessitate interruption
of the supply, such notice is to be considered a courtesy only and not a requirement
on the part of the WPCA. In the case of a break in pipelines, water will be
shut off at any time without notice.
D.
Failure of the tenant or property owner to receive notice
of interruptions of service shall entail no responsibility on the part of
the Town, its officers or employees. Property owners must so regulate their
installations connected with the public water systems that damage will not
occur if water is shut off without notice.
E.
No person shall, without proper authorization from the
WPCA, tap the mains or distributing pipes, insert stop cocks therein, set
or remove meters on service pipes, interfere with water gates, or curb cocks
or change or operate any pipe or fixture on a water service pipe between the
outlet end of meter and the street main.
F.
No person shall, without proper authorization from the
WPCA, tap or make any connection with any street main or service or other
distributing pipe connected with the water system, or shall, without such
authorization, open any gate or valve connected with said system so as to
obtain water from said system or for the purpose of obtaining such water,
or shall, in any way or by any device, obtain the use of such water without
such authorization.
G.
No person shall insert, or cause or permit to be inserted
into any water pipe, which is a part of the supply or distribution system
of the WPCA, or which is directly or indirectly connected with said system,
any object, material or substance which may cause damage to said system or
stoppage or diminution of the flow of water therein.
H.
In the event that any customer shall use water at rates
of flow that cause noticeable pressure variations in the water system, the
WPCA may require that the customer control his flow rates or install equipment
to minimize such variations to an acceptable level.
I.
The WPCA or its designated representative shall have
reasonable access to customers' premises for the purpose of reading,
testing, repairing, installing or replacing meters and meter appurtenances;
inspecting plumbing connections, fixtures or pipes, or discontinuing service.
J.
The customer, at his own expense unless specified otherwise
by the WPCA, shall furnish, install, own and maintain the service pipe from
the curb stop to the interior of the building and shall assume ownership of
a WPCA-approved curb box, keeping the service pipe and box in good repair
and keeping the curb box readily accessible. If the curb box is not accessible
for WPCA use, the WPCA has the right to make it accessible and/or operable
and bill any cost to the customer.
K.
When there is a leak in any service pipe from the curb
box to the customer's premises and the owner cannot be readily found
or shall refuse to make immediate repairs, the WPCA shall have the right but
not the duty to make the necessary repairs and charge the customer for the
same.
L.
The WPCA shall from time to time establish standard requirements
or specifications to regulate the sizes, materials, methods and workmanship
to be used in the construction of water lines, service connections, hydrants,
valves, and other similar work and appurtenances thereto connected or intended
to be connected to the water system. Such standard requirements shall provide
minimum requirements as to size, depth, slope or rate of grade for such pipes,
shall regulate the kinds of pipe, fittings, methods of laying, jointing, materials
used, manner of connecting to preexisting water lines, and general considerations
as to location and other pertinent features. Any such requirements or specifications
as the same may from time to time be amended are hereby made a part of this
chapter.
M.
If the owner, agent, lessee, tenant or other person in
charge of any person shall violate any provision of this chapter affecting
said premises and shall fail to remove any violation and comply with any written
order of the WPCA pertaining hereto, then 10 days after such order shall have
been sent by mail, postage prepaid, to the last known address of such person,
the WPCA may discontinue water service to such premises.
