The general management, care, control and supervision of the city water system shall be in the superintendent of water and sewage, who shall be appointed by the mayor with the consent of the governing body.
(Code 1990)
The furnishing of water to customers by the city through its waterworks system shall be governed by the regulations set out in this article.
(Code 1990)
The city does not guarantee the delivery of water through any of its mains and connecting services at any time except only when its mains, pumping machinery, power service connection are in good working order, and the supply of water is sufficient for the usual demand of its consumers.
(Code 1990)
(a) The owner of all houses, buildings, or properties used for human occupancy, employment, recreation, or other purpose, situated within the city abutting on any street, alley, or right-of-way in which there is now located or may in the future be located public water mains, is hereby required at his or her own expense to make connection to such public water main.
(b) Before any connection is made to the city’s water system an application must be made in writing to the city clerk by the owner of the premises, or his or her authorized representative, for a permit to make such connection.
(Code 1990)
(a) Any person, firm or corporation desiring a connection with the municipal water system shall apply in writing to the city clerk, on a form furnished by the city for that purpose, for a permit to make the connection.
(b) The application shall:
(1) Contain an exact description including street address of the property to be served;
(2) State the size of tap required;
(3) State the size and kind of service pipe to be used;
(4) State the full name of the owner of the premises to be served;
(5) State the purpose for which the water is to be used;
(6) State any other pertinent information required by the city clerk;
(7) Be signed by the owner or occupant of the premises to be served, or his or her authorized agent.
(c) Each application for a connection permit shall be accompanied by payment of fees and/or costs specified in section 15-207.
(Code 1990)
All taps shall be given, street excavations made, corporation cocks inserted, pipes installed from main to curb, and the curb cock installed in a meter box to which the service pipe is to be connected by city employees only.
(Code 1990)
The fees for connection to the city waterworks system shall be as follows:
(a) For connecting water main with three-fourths inch tap, three-fourths inch service line and installing three-fourths inch meter-$150 plus tax;
(b) For connecting water main with larger than a three-fourths inch tap, service line or meter-$150 plus actual expenses plus tax.
(Code 1990)
There shall be a curb cock in every service line attached to the city main, the same to be placed within the meter box. Curb cocks shall be supplied with strong and suitable “T”‘ handles.
(Code 1990)
Check valves are required on all connections to steam boilers or on any other connection deemed necessary by the water superintendent. Safety and relief valves shall be placed on all boilers or other steam apparatus connected with the water system where the steam pressure may be raised in excess of 40 pounds per square inch.
(Code 1990)
It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation, other than duly authorized city officials or employees to turn water on or off at the water meter or curb cock shut off, with a key or in any other manner, without first obtaining written permission from the mayor or the governing body.
(Code 1990)
(a) All water furnished to customers shall be metered.
(b) Meters shall be located between the sidewalk or property line and curbing when the main is in the street, and on private property within three feet of the alley line when the main is in the alley. In the business district the meters may be installed in the basement at a location specified by the city.
(c) The city’s responsibility stops at the property line.
(Code 1990)
Meters shall be tested before being set and at any other time thereafter when they appear to be measuring incorrectly. If a test is requested by the customer and the meter is found to be accurate within two percent, the meter will be deemed correct and a charge of $10 will be made to the customer.
(Code 1990)
It shall be unlawful for any person to break the seal of any meter, to alter the register or mechanism of any meter, or to make any outlet or connection in any manner so that water supplied by the city may be used or wasted without being metered. It shall be unlawful for any person except an authorized employee of the water department to turn any curb cock on or off.
(Code 1990)
No allowances shall be made for water used or lost through leaks, carelessness, neglect or otherwise after the same has pass through the meter. However, every customer shall have the right to appeal to the city from water bill or meter reading which he or she may consider excessive.
(Code 1990)
The governing body shall establish, by ordinance, a water service disconnection and reconnection charge. Whenever the city receives a request from a customer for termination of water service the disconnection charge shall be added to the customer’s final bill. Any service disconnected for nonpayment of delinquent bill shall be reconnected only upon payment of the delinquent bill, interest penalty thereon, and the reconnection charge.
(Code 1990)
At the time of making application for water service, the property owner or customer shall make a cash deposit in the amount and manner specified in section 15-105 to secure payment of accrued bills or bills due on discontinuance of service.
(Code 1990)
The city reserves the right to interrupt water service for the purpose of making repairs or extensions to water lines or equipment.
(Code 1990)
It shall be a violation of this article for any unauthorized person to:
(a) Perform any work upon the pipes or appurtenances of the city’s waterworks system beyond a private property line unless such person is employed by the city;
(b) Make any connections with any extension of the supply pipes of any consumer without written permission to do so having been first obtained from the governing body;
(c) Remove, handle or otherwise molest or disturb any meter, meter lid, cutoff, or any other appurtenances to the water system of the city;
(Code 1990)
Water users shall prevent unnecessary waste of water and shall keep sprinklers, hydrants, faucets and all apparatus, including the service line leading from the property to the meter in good condition at their expense.
(Code 1990)
The city reserves the right to restrict or prohibit the use of water and to specify the purposes for which it may be used whenever the governing body determines the public exigency so requires.
(Code 1990)
Whenever the governing body determines that water use must be restricted or prohibited, it shall forthwith issue a proclamation of emergency through the news media and use other appropriate methods of making public the proclamation.
(Code 1990)
In the event a proclamation of emergency is issued, water usage will be restricted or prohibited first for uses in the following priority:
(a) Water lawns, gardens, trees, shrubs, plants and water outside dwellings for such purposes as-car, boat, or trailer washing or washing exterior of dwellings;
(b) Industrial uses of water, including but not limited to car wash operations and packing plant operations;
(c) Business use, other than industrial;
(d) Home uses other than those set forth in subsection (a).
(Code 1990)
Authorized employees of the city may enter upon any premises at reasonable hours for the purpose of reading the meter or servicing or inspecting meters or water lines.
(Code 1990)
The rates for water furnished by the water system of the City of Palco shall be as follows:
(a) Service within the City limits:
The meter rate will be $38.00. For each 1,000 gallons of usage the charge will be $2.50. For each successive year the water rate will increase 3% each year for 3 years.
(b) Service outside the city limits:
The meter rate will be $48.00. For each 1,000 gallons of usage the charge will be $2.50. For each successive year the water rate will increase 3% each year for 3 years
(c) Bulk water rates:
The charge for bulk water sold will be $10.00 per thousand gallons.
(Ord. 192; Ord. 271; Ord. 278; Code 2019; Ord. 281; Ord. 283)
All water bills for the previous month’s water service shall be paid on or before the 10th day of the month following the service. For any billing not paid when due a late charge of 10 percent will be added to the bill.
(Code 1990)
Water service shall be terminated for nonpayment of service fees or charges as provided in sections 15-102:104.
(Code 1990)
No person owning or occupying premises connected to the municipal water system shall use or allow to be used during a fire any water from the water system except for the purpose of extinguishing the fire. Upon the sounding of a fire alarm it shall be the duty of every such person to see that all water services are tightly closed and that no water is used except in extraordinary cases of emergency during the fire.
(Code 1990)
(a) The purpose of this section is to protect the public water supply of the city from contamination due to backflow or backsiphonage from any cross connection; and to prohibit and eliminate all cross connections to the public water supply; and to provide for the maintenance of a continuing effective cross connection control program. This program shall include regularly scheduled inspections to detect and eliminate current cross connections and to prevent future cross connections.
(b) No person, company, corporation or institution shall establish or permit to be established or maintain or permit to be maintained, any cross connection whereby a private water supply, or any source of contamination may enter the regular public water of the City of Palco, Kansas, unless said source is approved by the City Council and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
(c) Approved devices to protect against backflow or backsiphonage shall be installed at all fixtures and equipment where backflow or backsiphonage may occur and where there is a hazard of contamination of the potable water supply system.
(d) The City Superintendent or other designate of the City Council of the City of Palco, Kansas, shall have the right of entry into any building or premises in the City as frequently as necessary in order to ensure that plumbing has been installed in a manner as to prevent the possibility of contamination of the public water supply of the City of Palco, Kansas.
(e) Pursuant to the authority given under Home Rule Powers and K.S.A. 65-163a, the City of Palco, Kansas, may refuse to deliver water to any premises where a condition exists which might lead to the contamination of the public water and may continue to refuse to deliver water until the condition is corrected to the satisfaction of the City. In addition, the City may immediately terminate water service to a premises where a backflow or backsiphonage condition exists which may be hazardous to the health of customers served by this public water supply system of the City of Palco, Kansas.
(f) There is hereby incorporated by reference for the purpose of regulating cross connections between the public water supply and any sources of contamination that certain manual adopted by the Governing Body of the City of Palco, Kansas, known as “MANUAL OF REGULATIONS REGULATING BACKFLOW AND BACKSIPHONAGE OF CONTAMINANTS DUE TO CROSS CONNECTIONS FOR THE CITY OF PALCO PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY”. No fewer than three copies of said manual shall be marked or stamped, “Official Copy as Adopted by Ordinance No. 187 “, and to which shall be attached a copy of said ordinance, and filed with the City Clerk to be open to inspection and available to the public at all reasonable hours.
(Code 1990; Ord. 187; Code 2019)