Chapter 13.16
WATER SERVICES
Sections:
13.16.010 Utility rates, fees and charges.
13.16.020 Additional conditions of service.
13.16.030 Multiple water services.
13.16.040 Bulk and temporary water sales.
13.16.050 Liability.
13.16.060 Prohibited acts.
13.16.010 Utility rates, fees and charges.
A. Rates for the installation of water meters, connection fees and monthly user charges are set forth in Chapter 13.24.
B. The customer provides and pays for all expenses required to install the necessary water pipe, valves, fittings to connect his property to the North Pole Utility water distribution system at the point of connection designated by the utility supervisor or his designated representative. Water meters are installed by the city under the conditions outlined in Chapter 13.24. (Ord. 82 8 §3.A, 1982)
13.16.020 Additional conditions of service.
A. All residential, commercial, educational, industrial and governmental users shall be metered. Water meters may be installed at any time deemed necessary by North Pole Utility in accordance with the requirements of the utility. Installation must conform to the utility standards of construction. (Ord. 01-13, §2(part), 2001)
B. The city may refuse to permit any person to connect to a water main or to be served directly or indirectly by water from North Pole Utility, and may refuse to accept a water main for operation and maintenance purposes unless the main was constructed and installed pursuant to a written agreement with the city or the city can otherwise assure itself that the main was constructed and installed in compliance with the applicable requirements and specifications of the North Pole Utility.
C. North Pole Utility will maintain and repair all mains that have been accepted for maintenance and operation by the utility but will not be responsible for maintaining the customer’s service connection or for damage to the service connection caused by freezing that results from negligence or a willful act on the part of the customer. (Ord. 08-25 §2 (part), 2008)
D. The customer’s service, from point of connection to the City main or the customer’s building plumbing shall be kept in repair by the owner or occupant of the premises, who shall be responsible for all breaks in the line and for any damages resulting incidentally therefrom, other than those caused by acts of the North Pole Utility. The City shall not be responsible for damages in service lines freezing resulting from the shut down of a customer’s service for a delinquent account. In the case of a frozen water service, the customer shall be responsible for thawing the service line from the main to the building unless the freezing condition can subsequently be demonstrated to have been the result of a malfunction of the city’s utility system beyond the control of the customer. (Ord. 00-16 §2(part), 2000); (Ord. 08-25 §2 (part), 2008)
1. Exposing a customer service line break and/or disconnecting service in the event of a service line break. In the event of a customer service line break resulting from freezing or other causes, the North Pole utility shall disconnect as quickly as is feasible the service to the broken service line to protect public health and safety and to limit damage to public and private property. (Ord. 08-25 §2 (part), 2008)
2. Responsibility for expenses for exposing a customer service line break and/or disconnecting service and the repair of customer water service line breaks. In the event of a customer water service line break not resulting from negligence or a willful act on the part of the customer, as determined by the North pole utility in its sole discretion, the North pole utility may share up to fifty percent (50%) of the costs associated with repairing the break in the utility right-of-way and adjacent properties affected by the repair. The North pole utility shall not be responsible for any of the expenses associated with repairing a customer water service line on the customer’s property other than if the break is caused by a freezing condition and/or other causes that can by a preponderance of the evidence subsequently be demonstrated to have been the result of a malfunction of the North Pole Utility. (Ord. 08-25 §2 (part), 2008)
E. All persons, prior to receiving service from the North Pole Utility, shall provide a separate shutoff valve inside the building or structure for which service is being requested. The valve shall be located on the service line entering the building, ahead of any branch lines, where it is readily accessible in the event of emergency.
F. The customer service line wherein the point of connection is in excess of fifty feet of the city main water line shall have installed an approved circulation pump system. A circulation pump may also be required in any event where freeze up has occurred, regardless of the distance of the main from the point of connection. (Ord. 85 4 §1, 1985; Ord. 82 8 §3.B, 1982)
G. Installation of water conncection and water supply line.
1. All water connections shall be installed and mains tapped by a contractor licensed by the state. As a prerequisite to commencing any work on the utility, the contractor shall furnish:
a. Contractor’s license (State of Alaska)
b. Proof of Workman’s Compensation Insurance, if required by law;
c. A bond in the amount of $5,000 (five thousand dollars);
d. Other proof of capability to perform such work as required by the public works director.
2. The party or parties installing the water supply line outside the street right of way need not meet the requirements of a bonded contractor as outlined above, but they shall make the city aware of their capabilities to perform such work. Those installing this portion of the water service line will, however, be required to meet the same material and workmanship qualifications outlined in the City of North Pole Standard of Construction Specifications. (Ord. 04-08 §2(part), 2004) (Ord. 08-25 §2 (part), 2008)
13.16.030 Multiple water services.
In buildings occupied by two or more water customers, the water service to each customer must be individually metered and adequately valved to permit disconnection of any customer without interrupting service to the other customers in the building. Existing services that do not meet these requirements will be disconnected, unless the owner of the building has:
A. Secured a contract arrangement with an approved contractor to modify the water service to meet these requirements; or
B. Has contracted to be the sole customer for the water service and has had a master water meter installed to meter all water used in the building; or
C. Has entered into an agreement with the North Pole Utility to guarantee payment of all water service into the building. (Ord. 82 8 §3.C, 1982)
13.16.040 Bulk and temporary water sales.
A. The sale of bulk potable water can be negotiated with the mayor or his designee. The water shall be available at the city water treatment plant or other designated point for loading into the customer’s container for either personal use or resale, and shall be based solely on the availability of water. (Ord. 00-16 §2(part), 2000)
B. Temporary contracts for short term water use may be negotiated by the mayor with notification to the City Council. (Ord. 00-16 §2(part), 2000); (Ord. 82 8 §3.D, 1982)
13.16.050 Liability.
A. The North Pole Utility shall not be held liable for damage by fire, flooding, freezing, or other causes resulting from defective piping, fixtures or appliances on the customer’s premises supplied with water from the North Pole Utility. (Ord. 00-16 §2(part), 2000)
B. Inspection of piping, fixtures and appliances shall not create any liability against the North Pole Utility or the employees thereof for damages to persons or property resulting from defective piping, fixtures or appliances on the premises. (Ord. 82 8 §3.E, 1982)
13.16.060 Prohibited acts.
A. No person without first obtaining a permit from the City of North Pole shall be allowed to make a connection to any facility of the North Pole Utility or to make alterations in any conduit, pipe or other fitting connecting directly therewith, or to connect pipes where they have been disconnected, or to turn water service on or off in any premises. No person other than an authorized employee of the North Pole Utility may turn on or turn off any water main of the North Pole Utility system.
B. No person other than an authorized employee of the North Pole Utility or a member of the fire department in connection with official duties may connect to, turn on, or turn off any fire hydrant located on the North Pole Utility system without first obtaining a contract from the city. Illicit connection to, turn-ons or turn-offs of any fire hydrant shall result in a fine of $1,000 (one thousand dollars) plus liability for the estimated value of any discharged water and liability for damage to all public or private property caused by the illicit connection to, turn-on or turn-off of a fire hydrant.
C. No person may allow a premises or facility which is served by the North Pole Utility to be connected to another water system, including a private well or other on-property facility, or to have service from another system readily available to the premises or facility in such a manner that the integrity of the North Pole Utility water service may be jeopardized. Notwithstanding the prohibitions of this section, standby service may be permitted by the North Pole Utility to customers, such as hospitals, clinics or government facilities, if it is determined that the failure of the water supply would be detrimental to the public health, welfare or security; provided, that such a customer must install at his own expense a backflow preventer of a type approved by the utility superintendent or his designated representative, prior to commencement of service.
D. In accordance with the latest adopted edition of the Uniform Plumbing Code, the North Pole Utility will not permit any cross-connection and will discontinue service to any persons or premises where a cross-connection exists. Service will not be restored until the cross-connection is eliminated. Customers using water from one or more sources in addition to receiving water from the North Pole Utility on the same premises shall maintain separate systems for each, and the North Pole Utility’s water supply facilities shall be separated from any and all other systems by an air gap of not less than one foot, or if in the ground, by not less than five feet.
E. No person may sell water furnished by the North Pole Utility unless the person holds a valid certificate of public necessity and convenience issued by the state Public Utilities Commission for retail sale of water and has executed a contract with the North Pole Utility for bulk sale of potable water.
F. No person may furnish or provide water with or without charge to another premises located in an area where a service connection could supply water from the North Pole Utility.
G. No person may waste water supplied by the North Pole Utility. In the event that water wasting is found to jeopardize the functioning of the North Pole Utility, the North Pole Utility may disconnect the service where water is being wasted. (Ord. 09-06 § 3, 2009; Ord. 08-25 §2 (part), 2008; Ord. 00-16 §2(part), 2000; Ord. 82-8 §3.F, 1982)