Title
Amending Chapter 87 of the Legislative Code pertaining to Water Service Connections.
Body
THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAINT PAUL DOES ORDAIN:
SECTION 1
Section 87 of the Saint Paul Legislative Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
SECTION 2
Section 87.01 of the Legislative Code is hereby amended as follows:
Sec. 87.01. Definitions.
"Water service connections" and "fire services" are defined as the pipe which extends from the street main to the first stop ahead of the water meter, or in the case of a yard meter setting, shall be defined as extending to the inside of the first building serviced, when such pipe is used for the conveyance of the public water supply for domestic, commercial, industrial and fire protection uses only.
"Street service connections" are defined as the portion of the water service connection or fire service which extends from the street main to the property line.
SECTION 3
Section 87.02 of the Legislative Code is hereby amended as follows:
Sec. 87.02. Contract for street service connections; application.
Applications for street service connections must state fully and truly the purpose for which same are to be used, together with the proper legal description of the property and the street and official city house number, as issued by the department of public works, of the premises to be supplied, and must be signed by the owner or the owner's authorized agent. Applicants must answer, without concealment, all questions put to them relating to the use of water. Applications and all information furnished shall be in the form of a contract as required by the board.
SECTION 4
Section 87.03 of the Legislative Code is hereby amended as follows:
Sec. 87.03. Installation, maintenance and guarantee.
(a) Installation. The property owner or agent must distinctly stake, and mark, the point on the property line where the street service connection is to enter the premises. Water service connections shall be installed in accordance with water utility standards. The point where the street service connection is to enter the property must be distinctly marked, by a stake, by the owner or agent before the street service connection is installed, and said stake shall be marked "water" and shall be no closer to the house drain location than ten (10) feet horizontally.
(b) Limits of installation and maintenance. The water utility mayshall install all street service connections from existing street mains to the property line, provide tapping of the main, or determine that any portion of this work may be accomplished by the owner’s contractor.and shall maintain them. All services shall be maintained in the manner provided in sections 87.03(e) andor 89.10 in the cases of fire services.
(1) When the building is on the property line, the pipe shall be installed from the street main to a point just inside the property line or, inside of the building as determined by the water utility wall. When a hole in the building wall is required, such hole and approved sleeve shall be provided by the owner.
(2) When the building is on the property line, the owner must provide access to the water utility, at reasonable times and upon reasonable notice, for installation or maintenance pursuant to this chapter. Failure to provide such access shall be deemed a violation of this code and subject to penalties, including shutoff, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 91.
(3) When the building is located back from the property line, and the service is continued underground beyond the point where the work is performed by the water utility, such the service within private property shall be installed by a plumber certifiedlicensed by the City of Saint Paul and shall be subject to inspection by the water utility. Testing and flushing of underground piping shall be done by the property owner or developer at the expense of the property owner or developer. In certain situations, as described in the most recent revision of the water utility standards for the installation of water mains, street service connections may be installed by contractors in conjunction with contractor-installed street mains.
(4) The balance of the water service connection or fire service connection between the property line and the meter shall be installed and at all times maintained by the owner. Certain obstacles such as trees, utilities, retaining walls and other obstructions may make it advisable for the owner or the owner's plumber to install a replacement water service connection from the meter to the stop valve in the boulevard. Such an installation may be authorized by the water utility if, after review by the utility, it is deemed to be in the best interests of both parties. Service connection piping installed by the owner's plumber between the property line and the stop valve in the boulevard with water utility approval shall be guaranteed as if it has been installed by the water utility.
(c) Authorized material-existing street service connections. If an existing street service connection extends to a property on which a new building is proposed, a requestapplication for use of the street service connection to serve said building shall not be approvedaccepted if the existing street service connection is constructed of lead, or galvanized iron, or cast iron. Application for use of six-inch and smaller cast iron street service connection shall likewise not be accepted. A new application for water service must be made and paid for by the owner.
(d) Authorized material-repair. Water Sservice connections shall be replaced and not repaired if constructed of lead or galvanized iron.
(e) Street service connections; maintenance and guarantee. The water utility will, in accordance with its standards and without cost to the property owner, repair and maintain the street service connections which it has installed. Private contractors shall, for a period of one (1) year and in accordance with water utility standards, repair and maintain street service connections which they have installed. One (1) year after installation, the water utility will begin repairing and maintaining these privately installed street service connections as if the water utility had installed them. Water Sservice connection piping installed by the property owner or property owner's contractor shall be repaired and maintained by the property owner except as provided in section 87.03(b). Fire services connections shall be guaranteed as provided in section 89.10.
(f) Lead street service replacements. A lead street service connection to an existing building will be replaced by the water utility with copper pipe at no cost to the property owner whenever the property owner replaces the portion of the lead water service connection installs new water piping from the property line to the water meter.
Existing lead street service connections which are one and one-half (1½) inches in size and smaller will be replaced with one-inch or one-and-one-half-inch copper pipe as determined by the water utility. Two-inch lead street service connections will be replaced with two-inch copper pipe.
If a property owner requests that the lead street service replacement be located more than three (3) feet from the existing location, the existing lead street service shall be cut off by the water utility and the property owner shall pay for the actual costs of said cutoff.
The board of water commissioners shall adopt, and may amend from time to time, a plan for the implementation of this replacement program.
SECTION 5
Section 87.05 of the Legislative Code is hereby amended as follows:
Sec. 87.05. Property of the board.
The service valvestop-cocks at main and sidewalk, together with box and cover, from the street main to the property line, are the property of the water board and no person shall interfere with them.
SECTION 6
Section 87.06 of the Legislative Code is hereby amended as follows:
Sec. 87.06. Board authorized to make repairs.
The board of water commissioners is hereby authorized to render special service in connection with furnishing water, such as installing and repairing water service connections from the street main to the property line, repairing water meters damaged by hot water or frost, thawing water services, and any other similar service, at prices and terms to be determined from time to time by the water utility board of water commissioners, subject to the approval of the city council, and charges for such services shall become a continuing lien, until paid, upon the property served.
SECTION 7
Section 87.10 of the Legislative Code is hereby amended as follows:
Sec. 87.10. Cost of street service connections in tunnels.
The total actual cost to the water utility, including labor, materials, equipment and overhead, of street service connections installed from mains in sand-rock tunnels shall be at the owner's expense. As determined by the water utility, Tthe street service connection shall be installed from the water main through the necessary drift tunnel by the utility or by the owner’s contractor at the owner's expense. The owner shall provide a drill hole and piping needed to extend the street service connection from the drift tunnel into the building to be served. All main taps within the tunnel system shall be performed exclusively by the water utility.
SECTION 8
Section 87.13 of the Legislative Code is hereby amended as follows:
Sec. 87.13. Cost and payment of street service connections.
(a) Street service connections, or any portion thereof, installed by the water utility shall be installed based on actual cost for labor, equipment, materials and overhead, except for those addressed in section 87.14. as defined by the fee schedule established pursuant to Sec. 85.08.
(b) A schedule of charges for the actual cost of restoration shall be approved by city council resolution based on the recommendation of the board of water commissioners in the same manner as water charges, as described in section 85.01.
(cb) The council may order street service connections made to vacant property and to occupied property not presently serviced by city water in advance of any pavement to be laid on the street. The cost of such street service connection shall be at the rates or actual costs as provided in this chapter and paid for through assessment against benefited properties upon completion of the work.
SECTION 9
Section 87.14 of the Legislative Code is hereby amended as follows:
Sec. 87.14. Reserved. Charges for one-inch street service connections where excavation is provided by others.
A schedule of charges for installation of one-inch street service connections where the water utility determines excavation and restoration is to be provided by the owner shall be approved by city council resolution based on the recommendation of the board of water commissioners in the same manner as water charges, as described in section 85.01. Excavation and restoration as required by the water utility shall be accomplished by a contractor licensed to perform such work.
SECTION 10
Section 87.16 of the Legislative Code is hereby amended as follows:
Sec. 87.16. Cut off of street service connections.
New water services to properties that fall within the categories listed under paragraph (a) of this section will not be turned on until all unused street service connections extending to the served property have been cut off at the water main or delay of such work is approved per paragraph (b) of this section. The property owner shall be responsible for all costs associated with the cut off of street service connections addressed in this section, as set forth in the fee schedule established pursuant to Sec. 85.08, including providing for excavation and restoration as required by the water utility. Excavation and restoration required for cut off work shall be accomplished by a contractor licensed to perform such work. In certain circumstances and as may be required by the water utility, excavation and restoration may be performed by the water utility. All pipe work required for the cut off of street service connections shall be performed by the water utility, except as described in paragraph (d).
(a) Cut off at water main by water utility. The following circumstances may require the cut off of street service connection at the water main:
(1) Whenever a property requires a new serviceis redeveloped. This shall apply to all unused street service connections that extend to the property;
(2) Whenever a property owner requests that an existing lead street service connection be replaced in a different location, more than three (3) feet from the existing location, as provided in section 87.03(f);
(3) Whenever a property owner requests that a street connection serving an existing building be replaced;
(4) Whenever required by the water utility when certain water pipe materials, excavation obstructions or other such considerations make a property line cut off described in paragraph (d) unfeasible.
(b) Delay of cut off of street service connection. Where cut off of a street service connection within a public street right-of-way is required by this section and the authority governing excavation within said street right-of-way provides the water utility with written documentation restricting excavation required for such cut off within such recently repaved street surfaces, a delay of such cut off may be approved by the water utility. In such case, the property owner shall pay the water utility the current estimated costs of cut off excavation and backfill, as set forth in the fee schedule established pursuant to Sec. 85.08, in addition to any current charges as described in paragraph (c) of this section. However, such excavation, backfill and cut off will not be performed until the time of the next street surface replacement or other such opportunity to accomplish the work, as determined by the water utility.
(c) Charges for cut off of street service connection by the water utility. Charges for cut off of street service connections shall be approved by city council resolution based on the recommendation of the board of water commissioners in the same manner as water charges, as described in section 85.01 set in the fee schedule established pursuant to Sec. 85.08.
(d) Cut off Cut and cap required for building demolition. Prior to the demolition of a building, all street service connections shall be cut, capped, and retained at the cut off, properly capped and retained at the property line or stop box, exact location to be determined by the water utility. Property line cut off pipe work inside property shall be performed by a city licensed plumber and inspected by a water utility plumbing inspector.
(e) Change in cut off location. Where certain water pipe materials, excavation obstructions or other such considerations make a cut off location required by this section unfeasible, the water utility may require the cut off be performed at a different location.
SECTION 11
Section 87.17 of the Legislative Code is hereby amended as follows:
Sec. 87.17. Service connections where property was not previously assessed.
Parcels of land not previously assessed for an existing abutting permanent water main and desiring a connection with said permanent main shall be granted permission to connect such parcel of land after a payment shall have been made to the board of water commissioners in the amount of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per assessable front foot of land to be served for the amount listed in the fee schedule pursuant to Sec. 85.08, or at the assessment rate as levied at the time the permanent main was installed, whichever assessment rate is greater. For irregular shaped parcels of land, the assessable footage shall be determined by the city's real estate section.
SECTION 12
Section 87.18 of the Legislative Code is hereby amended as follows:
Sec. 87.18. Thawing of frozen water service connections and fire services.
(a) The property owner shall protect from freezing that part of the water service connection and fire service within private property. If either type of connection does freeze, the property owner is responsible for retaining a private thawing company to restore water delivery to the premises, all work to be in accordance with the standards of the water utility. When labor and equipment are available in sufficient numbers, the utility may offer to thaw such sections of services at actual cost, including labor, equipment, materials and overhead, provided the owners sign a release form holding the board harmless from any and all damages caused by the thawing operations, and provided the owner agrees to pay and deposit in advance a sum equal to the estimate of actual costs as determined by the water utility for the amount listed in the fee schedule established pursuant to Sec. 85.08.
(b) If the utility determines that the frozen section is in the street right-of-way, the utility may thaw the service without charge. If the owner elects to have the section of the service thawed by a private contractor at the owner's expense, all work shall be in accordance with standards of the utility.
SECTION 13
This Ordinance shall take effect and be in force thirty (30) days following its passage, approval and publication.