Chapter 15 · Utilities

Article 2. Water

Sections 15-201 to 15-230 · 30 sections

15-201 Superintendent of water and sewage.

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 1991)

15-202 Regulations.

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 1991)

15-203 Service not guaranteed.

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 1991)

15-204 Service connections required.

(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 near 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 1991)

15-205 Application for service.

(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.

(Ord. 234; Code 1991)

15-206 City to make connections.

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.

(Ord. 234; Code 1991)

15-207 Connection and transfer fees.

(a)For purposes of this section, “utility services” shall mean water provided by the City, and “transfer” shall mean the transfer by a customer of a utility service at one location to another location with the customer’s discontinuance of service at the prior location within thirty (30) days from service at the new location.

(b)Utility Connection Fee. Each customer making application for utility service shall pay a non-refundable connection fee for such service as follows:

Water service$75.00.

Except in the event of a utility transfer, a separate connection fee shall be charged for each location of the customer’s service. If a service has been disconnected either at the customer’s request or by delinquent account and service is restored to that customer at that location, then the reconnection provided by Section 15-215 rather than this original connection fee shall apply. For purposes of this section, “customer” does not include an applicant who has previously paid a connection fee (or deposit under prior ordinance) at that location and who reestablishes utility service following discontinuance of the service by a tenant at that location.

(c)Utility Transfer fee. A transfer fee of $25.00 for water and/or sewer service shall be charged rather than a connection fee if an existing customer requests transfer of the account and thereafter terminates his or her account at the prior location within thirty (30) days. If the prior service is not terminated, within thirty (30) days of establishing the new transferred account, then the transfer is actually a new connection and the customer shall be billed the difference in the connection charges on the next regular billing.

(Ord. 234; Code 1991; Ord. 308)

15-208 Curb cocks.

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 1991)

15-209 Check valves.

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 1991)

15-210 Unauthorized service.

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 1991)

15-211 Meters.

(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 1991)

15-212 Same; testing.

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 1991)

15-213 Tampering with meter.

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 1991)

15-214 Leaks prohibited; penalty.

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 1991)

15-215 Disconnection, reconnection charge.

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 1991)

15-216 Utility deposit.

At the time of making application for water service, the property owner or customer shall make a cash deposit to secure payment of accrued bills or bills due on discontinuance of service.

(Code 1991)

15-217 Interrupt service.

The city reserves the right to interrupt water service for the purpose of making repairs or extensions to water lines or equipment.

(Code 1991)

15-218 Prohibited acts.

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 1991)

15-219 Wasting water.

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 1991)

15-220 Right of access.

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 1991)

15-221 Rates.

The rates per month for the use of water in the city shall be as follows for residents and nonresidents:

(a)0-2,000 gallons- $20.00

(b)2,001-5,000 gallons- $3.00 per 1,000 gallons

(c)5,001-15,000 gallons- $4.00 per 1,000 gallons

(d)15,001-25,000 gallons-$5.00 per 1,000 gallons

(e)25,001 and up- $6.00 per 1,000 gallons

(f)There shall be a minimum monthly charge of $15.00.

(Code 1991; Ord. 274; Ord. 350)

15-222 Payment of bills.

All water bills for the previous month’s water service shall be paid on or before the 15th 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 1991)

15-223 Delinquent accounts; notice; hearing; finding; liability.

Water service shall be terminated for nonpayment of service fees or charges pursuant to Article 1 of this chapter.

(Code 1991)

15-224 Use during fire.

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 1991)

15-225 Water service installations; property of city.

The water service installation made for the supply of water to any premises shall in all cases, except where the installation is made by a special agreement making other provision, remain in the possession and under the direct control of the city. All standard water services installed for any premise shall be deemed to have been installed for the use of consumers occupying any such premises and its appurtenances. No water service shall be extended from one residence or commercial building to another except with the prior approval of the city council. It shall be unlawful for more than one customer to take water from the same service pipe.

(Code 1960)

15-226 Injuring property.

It shall be unlawful for any person to remove, obstruct or in any way injure any fire hydrant, valve, valve box, box cover, stop cock or cover, meter or meter box, or meter box cover, or in any manner injure, deface or destroy any building or machinery, or carry off or injure any pipe, apparatus, tools, fixtures or property of or pertaining to the waterworks of the city.

(Code 1960)

15-227 Cross-connections prohibited.

No person shall establish or permit to be established or maintain or permit to be maintained, any cross connection whereby a private, auxiliary, or emergency water supply other than the regular public water supply of the city may enter the supply and distributing system of the city unless specifically approved by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the governing body.

(Code 1991; Ord. 273)

15-228 Same; protective backflow devices required.

Approved devices to protect against backflow or backsiphonage shall be installed at all fixtures and equipment where backflow and/or backsiphonage may occur and where there is a hazard to the potable water supply in that polluted water or other contaminating materials may enter into the public water supply. Any situation in which a heavy withdrawal of water, such as a sudden break in the main or water being used from a fire hydrant, may cause a negative pressure to develop which could lead to backsiphonage of polluted water into the system shall be improper and must be protected by approved backflow preventive valves and systems as determined by the superintendent.

(Code 1991; Ord. 273)

15-229 Same; inspection.

The city utility superintendent or other designee of the governing body shall have the right of entry into any building or premises in the city as frequently as necessary in his or her judgment in order to ensure that plumbing has been installed in accordance with the laws of the city so as to prevent the possibility of pollution of the water supply of the city.

(Code 1991)

15-230 Same; protection from contaminants.

Pursuant to the city’s constitutional home rule authority and K.S.A. 65-163a, the city by its utility superintendent may refuse to deliver water through pipes and mains to any premises where a condition exists which might lead to the contamination of the public water supply system and it may continue to refuse the delivery of water to the premises until that condition is remedied. In addition, the city utility superintendent may terminate water service to any property where the cross connections or backsiphonage condition creates, in the judgment of the superintendent, an emergency danger of contamination to the public water supply.

(Code 1991)