§ 13.20.150. Fire hydrants services.

A.

Fire hydrants shall be installed, repaired, and maintained by the department. Upon a customer's request, the customer shall be charged on an actual cost basis. Fire hydrants are provided for the principal purpose of extinguishing fires, and are for the use of the fire department and the department, and such other persons as may be authorized to do so by said departments.

B.

When any premise is changed in occupancy to multiple family, commercial or industrial use so as to cause a change in the water flow requirements to meet proper firefighting requirements in the opinion of the applicable fire authority, the owner of said property shall pay for the installation of a new hydrant or the enlargement of existing hydrants in accordance with the recommendations of the applicable fire authority.

C.

It shall be unlawful for any person to take water from a fire hydrant without first obtaining a permit and a portable meter from the department. The permit applicant shall pay a permit fee for each portable meter. The permit applicant shall use the portable meter only for the specific fire hydrant designated in the permit. The permit applicant shall also pay a deposit equivalent to the current costs of the fire hydrant assembly, meter and wrench. The deposit shall be refunded upon receipt of the fire hydrant, meter and wrench in satisfactory condition. Damaged fire hydrant assembly, meter or wrench shall be subject to forfeiture of the deposit.

D.

Any person who damages or destroys a fire hydrant shall be responsible to pay the department's actual costs of repairing or replacing the fire hydrant, in addition to any fines and penalties imposed by this code.

E.

The rates for water taken from a fire hydrant by permit for use other than fire suppression shall be the commodity rates pursuant to Section 13.20.030, a distribution and customer charge per month applicable to the size of the portable meter, the CIC pursuant to Section 13.20.035, and the PWAC pursuant to Section 13.20.110.

F.

This section shall not apply to the city fire department or to government fire agencies which use water from fire hydrants for fire suppression purposes.

(Ord. 6932 § 13, 2003; Ord. 6663 § 13, 1995; Ord. 6506 § 9, 1992; Ord. 6355 § 6, 1989: Ord. 6213 § 13, 1987; Ord. 5573 § 6, 1982; Ord. 5496 § 4, 1980; Ord. 5351 § 10, 1978; Ord. 5133 § 5, 1973; Ord. 5079 §§ 8, 9 (part), 1972; Ord. 4875 § 3, 1968; Ord. 4583 § 13, 1962)

(Ord. No. 7223, § 20, 7-16-2012)