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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance 12076ORDINANCE NO. ~ (/ / AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 35, "WATER AND SEWERS" BY AMENDING SECTION 35-37 AND BY ADDING SECTIONS 35-57.1; 35-57.2; 35-57.3; 35-57.4; 35-57.5; 35-57.6; 35-57.7; 35- 57.8; AND 35-57.9; DEALING WITH WATER METERS; SANITARY SEWERS; WATER AND SEWER TAPS AND CONNECTIONS, AND CHARGES FOR INSTALLATION OF WATER AND SEWER TAP AND CONNECTIONS; PROVIDING FOR A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; PROVIDING THAT THIS ORDINANCE IS CUMULATIVE; REPEALING ALL PROVISIONS OF THE CODE IN CONFLICT HEREWITH; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. SECTION 1. Section 35-57 of Chapter 35 of the Code of the City of Fort Worth (1986), as amended, is hereby amended, and after having been so amended, section 35-57 shall be and read as follows: 35-57 Definitions. The following words, when used in this section, shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them: Water tap means the connection to the public water main and the water service line extended to a point approximately three (3) feet behind the curb line adjacent to the property served thereby, to the point of the meter connection; except in easements and alleys where the water tap connection and water service line is extended as~close as possible to the private property line as is deemed reasonable by the Director. Sanitarv sewer .tap means a connection to the public sanitary sewer located in a public street and the sanitary sewer service .lateral line extended approximately three (3) feet behind the curb line adjacent to the property served thereby; except in easements and alleys, where the.. sanitary sewer service lateral is extended as close as possible to the private property line as is deemed reasonable by the director. Standard meter means a 3/4" by 5/8" meter. SECTION 2. Chapter 35, "Water and Sewers", of the Code of the City of Fort Worth (1986), as amended, is hereby further amended by adding sections 35-57.1; 35-57.2; 35-57.3; 35-57.4; 35-57.15; 35-57.6; 35- 57.7; 35-57.8; AND 35-57.9 which shall be and read as follows: 35-57.1 Fire lines and fire protection systems; charges; discontinuance and restoration of service. a) No fire line or fire protection system shall be connected to the public water main or supply without an approved meter or detector check device with a bypass, except for a closed sprinkler system having an approved automatic water flow alarm system. ' b) The City shall install the necessary meters and service lines connecting the fire line/ fire protection system to the public water main or supply to the detector check (on open systems) or to the curb line (on closed systems) such installation to be done at the sole expense of the customer. c) The City shall maintain the fire line from the main to the curb line on a closed fire system and from the main to the City side of the detector check device on an open fire systems, but City shall not maintain the detector check device. On combined domestic/fire line systems, the City shall maintain the line from the main to the customer side of the meter. d) Periodic inspection of fire lines may be conducted by the City. e) The Director may, upon ten (10) days prior written notice to the City Fire Marshall and customer, disconnect the fire line/fire protection system from the public water main or supply if: 1. an unauthorized connection to the public water main or supply exists; 2. public water has been used from a fire line/fire protection system for a purpose other than extinguishing a fire or for testing the fire line/fire protection system; 3. a fire line/fire protection system has been installed or used without a required meter; 4. a waste of water occurs from a fire line/fire protection system through leaking pipes or fixtures and same is not repaired within 10 days after receiving notice; or 5. failure to pay the requisite monthly charge for the fire line. M:\ORD\WAT-SEW.ORD -2 - f) Upon disconnection of the fire line/fire protection system, restoration of service shall not be made until the customer has remedied the cause for disconnection. g) The monthly charges for connection to unmetered, automatic sprinklers, or other fire lines installed and used for fire protection shall be as follows: Connection Monthly size (inches) charge 4 and under $ 16.95 6 25.50 8 33.95 10 56.40 12 105.10 Charges for connection sizes larger than twelve inches (12") shall be determined by the director. h) All fire line/fire protection system systems shall comply in all respects with the cross connection control regulations. 35-57.2 Water Meters. a) Only one (1) standard meter shall be attached to and be served by a three-fourths-inch tap. No more than two standard meters or one one-inch meter shall be attached to and served by a one-inch or three (3) standard meters or three (3) one-inch meters shall be attached to and served by a one-and-one-half-inch tap. Not more than one (1) two-inch, four (4) one-inch or six (6) standard meters shall be attached to and served by a two-inch tap. b) In instances where fire protection is not a factor and good engineering practices permit, and upon written authorization from the Director, multiple small meter settings may be made at a single location instead of a three inch or larger meter at such location, but such multiple small meter settings shall be made entirely at the customer's cost. The customer's cost shall include tap installation, meters, meter fittings, meter boxes, meter deposits and impact fees for each meter. The City shall retain ownership of all of such facilities and equipment. c) Customers using a separate water meter for one (1) or more seasonal purposes (such as lawn watering, but not being limited thereto) shall in addition to any volume M:\ORD\WAT-SEW.ORD -3- charges pay the minimum monthly charge prescribed for each meter size throughout the year. 35-57.3 Reduction and/or Enlargement of water meters; charges. a) A property owner may request that the water meter providing service to the owner's property be reduced or enlarged in size. A charge shall be made by the City for each reduction or, in addition to any impact fee, enlargement of size of the water meter. The charge to be made for the reduction or enlargement, exclusive of any impact fee, shall be as follows: WATER METER REDUCTION Size Reduction Charge (inches) 1 to 3/4 $40.00 1 1/2 to 3/4 70.00 1 1/2 to 1 70.00 2 to 1 1/2 90.00 2 to 1 90.00 WATER METER ENLARGEMENT Size Enlargement Charge (inches) 3/4 to 1 $40.00 3/4 to 1 70.00 1 to 1 1/2 70.00 1 1/2 to 2 90.00 1 to 2 90.00 35-57.4 Water tap connections. a) In the case where the City installs a water tap, a charge shall be made for each tap made to a water main. The charges shall be payable by the property owner prior to the tap being made and shall be as follows: Unimproved Tap size street, alley, (inches) easement Improved street, alley, easement (concrete, H.M.A.C., flexible base or penetration) 1 550.00 775.00 1 1/2 800..00 1,250.00 2 850.00 1,350.00 For each 3/4 inch branch, add $85.00 For each 1 inch branch, add $110.00 M:\ORD\WAT-SEW.ORD -4- b) Any tap connection larger than two (2) inches or involving unusual circumstances shall be made under contract between the customer and the City. Total material and installation costs of the tap and meter or meters, including multiple meter settings shall be paid by the customer. Payment shall be based on the cost estimated by the City. Developers will pay the full cost of all water service taps constructed by contract in new developments. All water meters connected directly to the City's water system on and after the effective date hereof shall be the property of the City. c) In the case where water taps are not installed by the City, application shall be made to the Water Department for authorization of installation by private contractors/plumbers. Reinstallation plans must be approved by the Water Department. Such approval shall include approval of any contractor and/or plumber who intends to perform the installations. Contractors and/or plumbers performing such work must comply with all applicable codes of the City. The Water Department shall provide the applicant with a written description or sketch showing the approximate location of the water line serving the property. All installations must be approved by the Water Department or the Department of Engineering before connection to the water system is made. All installations will be inspected by the City prior to final approval. d) A service connection made in violation of this code will be removed by the City at the property owner's expense. e) Responsibility for existing connections 1. The initial water tap and service line installation are constructed at the expense of the property owner/customer. Ownership of the tap and service line rests with the City. 2. The City shall maintain water service connections from the main. to the meter. 35-57.5 Sewer tap connections a) In the case where the City installs a charge shall be made for each tap The charges shall be payable by the to the tap being made and shall be -5- sanitary sewer taps, to a sanitary sewer. property owner prior as follows• M:\ORD\WAT-SEW.ORD Tap in improved alley, easement, street (concrete, H.M.A.C., flexible base or penetration) Tap in unimproved in alley Tap in unimproved easement Tap in unimproved street Four-inch Six-inch 1,600.00 1,950.00 600.00 600.00 850.00 700.00 700.00 850.00 Eight-inch 2,100.00 800.00 800.00 950.00 b) Any sanitary sewer tap involving unusual conditions, to the City's deep sewer system, or larger than eight inches (8") shall be made under written contract between the City and customers. The total material and installation costs shall be estimated by the City and shall be paid by the customers prior to work being anticipated. c) The tap charges shall be in addition to the applicable fees provided for in the City plumbing code and.-in any other City codes, including but not limited to impact fees. d) In the case where sewer taps are not to be installed by the City, application shall be made to the Water Department for authorization of installation by private contractors/plumbers. Installation plans must be approved by the Water Department. Such approval shall include approval of any contractor and/or plumber who intends to perform the installations. The contractor and/or plumber performing such work shall comply with all applicable codes of the City. e) The Water Department shall provide the applicant with a written description or sketch showing the approximate location of the sanitary sewer serving the property. All installations must be approved by the Water Department or the Department of Engineering before connection to the sanitary sewer system is made. All installations will be inspected by the City prior to final approval. f) The sanitary sewer tap shall be maintained by the City. g) Prior to any construction of a building sewer lateral, the owner shall verify in writing that the sewer lateral is capable of being installed to such a grade that will permit a sanitary sewer tap to be made by the City and that will meet all applicable City codes. ~7erification will be made by a drawing depicting the grade of the M:~ORD~WAT-SEW.ORD -6- sanitary sewer lateral and the elevation of the sanitary sewer tap. In the absence of such verification, that portion of any building sewer to be constructed by the plumber or the person securing the permit shall not be constructed prior to the completion of the sanitary sewer tap by the Water Department forces. h) The sanitary sewer tap is constructed at the expense of the owner/customer. Ownership of the tap rests with the City. 35-57.6 Deep sewer. In part of the downtown area the City maintains a separate sanitary sewer system to serve the basements of the buildings located in that area. The separate system is referred to as the deep sewer. The construction of the sewer tap shall be done by the City, or the plumber or person holding the permit may be permitted by the plumbing inspector to construct the sewer tap in accordance with requirements of the City plumbing code and all other applicable ordinances of the City. Any work done by the City in making a deep sewer connection shall be paid for by the plumber or other person holding a plumbing permit relating to such deep sewer connection. 35-57.7 Water and sewer taps in unimproved streets. a) In cases where the City Council has directed that an unimproved street be paved and such unimproved street contains existing water or sewer mains but no sanitary sewer or water taps have been extended to one (1) or more of the abutting lots, in order to prevent future paving cuts, the City is authorized to install or cause to be installed a sanitary sewer tap or water tap to connect the water or sewer mains to each such Iot. b) If the applicable charges for water or sanitary sewer taps installed under this section are not paid prior to the date such street is improved by paving, an additional thirty dollars ($30.00) shall be charged for each water or sanitary sewer tap. These charges shall be payable at the time the property is connected to the water or sewer line in the City. c) The owner of each abutting lot served by each water tap constructed under this section shall pay the appropriate charge for such tap as stated in subsection 35-57.4. M:\ORD\WAT--SEW.ORD -7- d) The owner of each abutting lot served by each sewer tap constructed under this section shall pay the appropriate charge for such tap as stated in subsection 35-57.5. SECTION 3. This ordinance shall be cumulative of all provisions of ordinances and of the Code of the City of Fort Worth, Texas (1986), as amended, except where the provisions of this ordinance are direct conflict with the provisions of such ordinances and such Code, in which event conflicting provisions of such ordinances and such Code are hereby repealed. SECTION 4. It is hereby declared to be the intention of the City Council that the sections, paragraphs, sentences, clauses and phrases of this ordinance are severable, and, if any phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph or section of this ordinance shall be declared unconstitutional by the valid judgment or decree of any court of competent jurisdiction, such unconstitutionality shall not affect any of the remaining phrases, clauses, sentences, paragraphs and sections of this ordinance, since the same would have been enacted by the City Council without the incorporation in this ordinance of any such unconstitutional phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph or section. SECTION 5. All rights and remedies of the City of Fort Worth, Texas are expressly saved as to any and all violations of the provisions of the ordinances amended in Section 1, which have accrued at the time M:\ORD\WAT-SEW.ORD -8- of the effective date of this ordinance; and, as to such accrued violations and all pending litigation, both civil and criminal, whether pending in court or not, under such ordinances, same shall not be affected by this ordinance but may be prosecuted until final disposition by the courts. ~- SECTION 6. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect after its passage as required by law, and it is so ordained. APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY: /n ,, ,~ City A ney ~"''" Date • ~~~--~9s'` ADOPTED • ~~ ~~ ~~ EFFECTIVE: M:\ORD\WAT-SEW.ORD -9- City of Fort Worth, Texas Mayor and Council Communication 08/15/95 G-11191 60TAP 1 of 2 SUBJECT ORDINANCE REVISING FORT WORTH'S SEWER TAP POLICY, CHAPTER 35, CODE OF THE CITY OF FORT WORTH RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council adopt the attached ordinance which revises Section 35- 57 of Chapter 35 of the Code of the City of Fort Worth (1986), as amended DISCUSSION Section 35-57 of Chapter 35, "Water and Sewers," covers fire lines, water and sewer taps, water meters, and charges for installation of water and sewer taps and connections Under this current section, the customer owns the private sewer lateral all the way to the City main, including the tap, and is, therefore, responsible for maintenance and/or replacement The proposed change would transfer ownership to the City of the tap and the lateral line to the property line, and the City would be responsible for maintenance on that portion of the line Staff has contacted all Master Plumbers licensed in the City of Fort Worth and received positive comments concerning this proposed change Other changes to Section 35-57 are of a minor nature, adding sections on fire lines, fire protection systems and discontinuance of such service, adding a section outlining the charges to enlarge the meter size, clarifying the fact that plumbers/contractors can install water and sewer taps, and reorganizing the remainder of the section into a more logical sequence The Fire Marshal and Departments of Engineering, Development, and Transportation/Public Works staff have reviewed these proposed changes No increase in sewer and/or water tap fees is proposed at this time because water and sewer tap costs since the reorganization in the Water Field Operations division are at or slightly below the rates established in this section in 1992 City of Fort Worth, Texas Mayor and Council Communication DATE 08/15/95 REFERENCE NUMBER G-11.191 LOG NAME 60TAP PAGE 2 of 2 SUBJECT ORDINANCE REVISING FORT WORTH'S SEWER TAP POLICY, CHAPTER 35, CODE OF THE CITY OF FORT WORTH FISCAL INFORMATION/CERTIFICATION The Director of Fiscal Services certifies that the funds required for the adoption of this ordinance are available in the current operating budget, as appropriated, of the Water and Sewer Fund MG a r Submitted for City Manager's FUND ACCOUNT CENTER AMOUNT CITY SECRETARY Office by: (to) APPROVED Mike Groomer 8207 C~ 1 1 C®VtY^{~ ~/ !JI Originating Department Head: AuG ~.~ ~gg~ Lee Bradley 8207 (from) For Additional Information City Secretary oC the Citp of Fort Worth, Texaa Contact: Lee Bradley 8207 D i~~ ~~