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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDIV II) CH 1 Water Service: Section 27 - Requirements and Limitations for Obtaining Water Service27-1 SECTION 27 REQUIREMENTS AND LIMITATIONS FOR OBTAINING WATER SERVICE 27.01 REQUIREMENT FOR WATER/SEWER PERMIT AND PAYMENT OF FEES, CHARGES, AND DEPOSITS A.Requirement for Water/Sewer Permits. Water meters shall not be installed nor water service furnished until an application, in the form of a water/sewer permit, has been executed by the customer at the District office. B.Requirement for Payment of Fees, Charges, and Deposits. Payment of all required fees, charges, and deposits shall be made by the customer at the time the water meter is purchased. A customer requesting water service shall pay the fees, charges, and deposits as set forth in Section 28 of this Code. C.Requirement for a Building Permit. A customer requesting permanent water service shall be required to present a valid building permit for the property issued by the appropriate governmental agency, except that a building permit is not required by a customer requesting permanent water service to: 1) install and maintain landscaping prior to the construction of a building; 2) perform mass grading operations; or 3) to satisfy conditions imposed by other government agencies, including a single meter for grading four lots or less which are part of the same parcel map. Government agencies shall be exempt from the requirement of presenting a valid building permit. D.Requirement for a Service Lateral. The customer requesting water service shall either have an existing service lateral or purchase a new lateral installation at the time of the meter purchase. E.Commercial Parcels – 5,000 square feet or Larger Irrigated Landscape. When a customer requests water service on a parcel of land with irrigated landscape equal to 5,000 square feet or more, a separate meter will be required for irrigation purposes on the site. F.Recycled Water Service Areas. In areas designated as recycled water service areas, the customer may be required to install a separate recycled water service lateral and meter to supply irrigation to the parcel. G.Second Meter for Indoor Use.Any customer who obtained a single meter prior to October 17, 1990, a second meter for indoor use may be obtained, without paying water capacity fees, San Diego County Water Authority fees, and applicable zone charges on the second meter, if the following criteria are met: 27-2 1.The additional meter is solely for the purpose of isolating current domestic (indoor) water use from that used for outdoor landscaping. The additional meter shall be on a separate lateral. 2.All costs of on-site plumbing changes, including approved back-flow prevention devices, will be the responsibility of the customer. 3.The customer acknowledges that adding a second meter will result in a second water bill and associated monthly system fee. 4.The customer will be required to pay all fees and charges prior to meter installation. H.Water Service Use Changes Resulting in Increased System Utilization. The use of a water service shall be limited to the type and size authorized by the original water meter permit. The property owner shall make a supplementary water permit application to the District before adding or subtracting any additional equivalent dwelling units; adding or subtracting buildings; modifying existing buildings; or changing occupancy type. The property owner shall be responsible for all additional fees, as may be applicable resulting from the changes included in the supplementary water permit application. 1.If the supplementary water permit application requires a larger meter, the property owner will be responsible for all costs associated with the upsize of the existing meter in the manner provided in Section 33.05 paragraph C. 2.Periodic inspections of the premises may be made by the District to verify conformance with the approved permit. The District may also perform periodic inspections if actual use is greater than estimated use as included in the original water meter permit. If it is determined by periodic inspections that the type and size authorized by the original water meter permit has been exceeded, the property owner will be responsible for all costs associated with the upsize of the existing meter in the 27-3 manner provided in Section 33.05 paragraph C. 27.02 SIZE OF WATER METER A water meter shall be sized to ensure that the maximum demand (in gallons per minute) will not exceed 80% of the manufacturer's recommended maximum flow rate, as shown in Section 27.03. In no case shall the water meter size be less than ¾-inch. The size of the water meter and service lateral required for water service shall be determined by the General Manager as follows: A.Detached Single-Family Residential Dwelling Unit. The customer may submit calculated maximum demand (in gallons per minute), provided that maximum demand must be no more than twenty four (24) gallons per minute for a ¾- inch meter. B.Apartments, Condominiums, Mobile Home Parks, and other Multiple Family Residential Dwelling Units with Individual Meters. The calculated maximum demand shall be per Section 27.02A. C.Business, Commercial, Industrial, Apartments, Condominiums, Mobile Home Parks, and other Multiple-Family Residential Dwelling Units. The customer shall submit building plans signed by a licensed building architect. The plans shall list the number of fixture units, the parcel size (in acres), and the calculated maximum demand (in gallons per minute) to be placed on each water meter. D.Irrigation. The customer shall submit irrigation plans signed by a licensed landscape architect. The plans shall indicate the calculated maximum demand (in gallons per minute) to be placed on each water meter and the total area to be irrigated (in square feet). The plans must also be in compliance with the requirements of Section 27.05. E.Other. In the case of other types of service not included above, the customer shall submit information as requested by the General Manager. Any customer may request and purchase a separate meter to isolate landscaping from indoor use. F.Requirement for Multiple Meters. The General Manager may require multiple meters when it is in the best interest of the District. Buildings that contain a mix of commercial units and multiple-family residential dwelling units are required to isolate commercial water use from multiple-family residential water use through separate master meters. G.Phased Projects. Should the developer choose to phase a multi-family project and determines the use of a 27-4 smaller meter is practical within the initial phase, they must provide fixture unit calculations for review and approval by the District for each phase of development, including the build-out of the project. The developer shall provide a letter to the District stating they acknowledge the initial meter is temporary and they understand that they must purchase a larger meter, paying all applicable meter upsize fees when they connect future phases to this system. At Plan Review and Submittal the developer shall show fixture count and meter size for each of the phases to final build-out. 27.03 MANUFACTURERS RECOMMENDED MAXIMUM FLOW RATE FOR DISTRICT METERS Customers are cautioned to control the rates of flow of water through District meters. Operation of a meter at flows in excess of the manufacturer's recommendations will cause severe damage to operating parts. Rated capacities for meters used in this District are as follows: ORDINARY METERS Meter Size Manufacturer's Recommended Maximum Rate in U.S. Gallons in Inches per Minute 3/4 30 1 50 1-1/2 100 2 160 3 500 4 1000 6 2000 8 3400 10 5000 27.04 RESALE OR DISTRIBUTION OF WATER No customer may resell or redistribute any portion of the water furnished by the District except as provided below: A.Use of Sub Meters for Resale or Redistribution of Water. Owners or operators of mobile home parks, apartments, condominium complexes, industrial complexes, and land used for agricultural purposes may resell water furnished by the District through the use of a sub metering system under the following conditions: 1. Owners and operators shall comply with State law (California Code of Regulations Section 4090) prohibiting any surcharge on the water rate; 27-5 2. The water system on the private property side of the master meter, including the sub meters, shall be solely the responsibility of the owner or operator; and 3. The owner or operator shall clearly delineate on the bill that any cost associated with the sub meters is a cost imposed by the property owner or operator and not by Otay Water District. B.Ratio Utility Billing Systems. To the extent permitted under law, owners or operators of multi-unit structures where sub meters have not been installed may elect to implement a Ratio Utility Billing System (RUBS) or alternative billing system to determine proportionate shares of water charges and bill tenants accordingly. 27.05 CONSERVATION AND LOCAL SUPPLY USE REQUIREMENTS The requirements below apply to all new residential and commercial developments or redevelopments. The landscape requirements also apply to any re-landscaping that is subject to review by the District, the County of San Diego, City of Chula Vista, or the City of San Diego. A. Indoor Fixtures and Appliances. All water fixtures and appliances installed, including the ones in the following list, must be high-efficiency: •Toilets and urinals •Faucets •Showerheads •Clothes Washers •Dishwashers “High-efficiency” means fixtures and appliances that comply with the most efficient specifications under the EPA WaterSense® or Energy Star programs,1 as in effect at the time installation commences. B.Landscape requirements. Only “Smart” irrigation controllers2 may be installed and only low-water use plants 1 Certified EPA WaterSense® products, and Energy Star products, are at least 20% more efficient than the applicable federal standards. 2 Smart Irrigation Controller means a controller that uses real time, soil moisture or weather data to automatically adjust irrigation run- times. Furthermore, to qualify as a Smart Irrigation Controller, the device must be certified by the Irrigation Association and/or the EPA WaterSense® program. 27-6 may be used in non-recreational landscapes. All landscapes must also be designed and managed consistent with requirements of the local agency within which the property is located, be it the County of San Diego, the City of Chula Vista, or the City of San Diego. 1.Installed smart irrigation controllers shall be properly programmed/scheduled according to the manufacturer’s instructions and/or site specific conditions based on soil type, plant type, irrigation type, weather, and/or reference evapotranspiration data. 2. Two irrigation schedules shall be prepared, one for the initial establishment period of three months or until summer hardened, and one for the established landscape which incorporates the specific water needs of the plants and turf throughout the calendar year. The schedules shall be continuously available on site to those responsible for the landscape maintenance and posted at the smart controller. 3. Any Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs) pertaining to a new subdivision/development shall not limit or prohibit the use and maintenance of low water use plant materials and the use of artificial turf, and shall require property owners to design and maintain their landscapes consistent with applicable City and County regulations. 4.Dedicated irrigation meters shall be installed in: •All parks and common areas with 5,000 square feet or more of irrigated landscape; and •Commercial sites with 5,000 square feet or more of irrigated landscape 5.In compliance with Section 23.03 of this Code of Ordinance, pressure regulators must be installed when and where appropriate to maximize the life expectancy and efficiency of the irrigation system. 27-7 C.New commercial developments must install separate, dual-distribution systems for potable and recycled water. D.The requirements of this Section shall not be interpreted in any way to limit the owner’s obligation to comply with any other applicable federal, state, or local laws or regulations.