[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Skaneateles as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Sewers — See Ch. 167.
Subdivision of land — See Ch. 190.
[Adopted 11-24-1997 by L.L. No. 5-1997]
This article shall be known as the "Uniform Water Regulations of the Village of Skaneateles." This article shall apply to the Village of Skaneateles now or hereafter established and to the customers thereof. No water service connections or facilities shall be made or installed except in conformity with the provisions of this article.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
PREMISES
A. 
A building under one roof owned or leased by one customer and occupied as one residence or one place of business.
B. 
A combination of buildings owned or leased by one customer, in one common enclosure, occupied by one family as a residence or one corporation, firm or person as a place of business.
C. 
Each unit of a multiple house or building separated by a solid partition wall, occupied by one family as a residence or one corporation, firm or person as a place of business.
D. 
A building owned or leased by one customer, having a number of apartments, offices, or lofts which are rented to tenants, and using in common one hall and one or more means of entrance.
E. 
A building one or more stories high under one roof, owned or leased by one customer, having an individual entrance for the ground floor occupants and at least one for the occupants of the upper floors.
F. 
Garden apartment owned by one individual or firm and located in one common enclosure.
WATER SUPERINTENDENT
The position of Water Superintendent is abolished and is replaced by the position of Director of Public Works, who shall administer the affairs of the Water Department as part of the Municipal Division. All references to the Water Superintendent shall be construed as referring to the Director of Public Works.
[Amended 3-27-2006 by L.L. No. 1-2006]
A. 
Applications for use of water shall be on forms provided by the Village Clerk/Treasurer of the Village of Skaneateles. The applicant shall furnish all information indicated on the application forms, as well as additional information that may be required by the Village Clerk/Treasurer, Water Superintendent or Municipal Board.
B. 
Approval of applications shall be subject to there being an existing main in a street or right-of-way abutting on the premises to be served, and approval shall in no way obligate the Village to extend its mains.
C. 
A separate application must be made for each premises. Submetering will not be permitted.
D. 
No Village water will be furnished to premises outside the Village corporation limits, unless said premises are within a duly constituted Town Water District or as otherwise specifically authorized by a resolution of the Village Board of Trustees. Premises not in a Town Water District and receiving Village water on the effective date of this article shall be exempt from this provision. However, any such premises shall be subject to all other provisions of this article.
A. 
Village service lines.
(1) 
Service to a single-family residence. Upon approval of application for water service to a single-family residential property abutting on a street or right-of-way in which there is an existing main, and payment of a fee as established by the Board of Trustees, the Village will install a three-fourths-inch service line from the main to and including the curb box shutoff. Service lines installed by the Village shall remain the property of the Village.
(2) 
Service to a premises other than a single-family residence. The Water Superintendent shall determine the size of water services to be installed to serve premises other than single-family residences. If the service is determined to be 3/4 inch, it will be installed by the Village in accordance with Subsection A(1) above. If the service size is determined to be larger than 3/4 inch it will be furnished and installed by the property owner's contractor or plumber, at the owner's expense, including all costs associated with tapping the main. The installation shall be performed in accordance with the requirements and directions of the Water Superintendent and shall at all times be available for inspection by the Water Superintendent. Upon completion of the installation, the service line from the main to and including the curb box shutoff shall become the property of the Village. The fee for a service larger than 3/4 inch shall be as established by the Board of Trustees.
B. 
Operation, maintenance and replacement of Village service lines.
(1) 
The Village, at its expense, will maintain and, when necessary, replace its service lines from the main to and including curb box shutoff.
(2) 
Service lines shall not be trespassed upon or interfered with in any respect. The curb box shutoff is for the exclusive use of the Village Water Department and may not be used by a customer or others for turning on or shutting off water supply without approval of the Water Superintendent.
C. 
Customer service pipes.
(1) 
At his own expense the customer shall install the service pipe from the curb box shutoff servicing the customer's premises to a valve located just inside the building wall or as directed by the Water Superintendent. A valve shall be installed on each side of and adjacent to the meter location. All work is to be done by a licensed plumber.
(2) 
No customer service pipe shall be installed nor shall work be commenced thereon until the application for water service shall have been made, processed and approved pursuant to the provisions of this article.
(3) 
No trench or the customer service pipe therein shall be backfilled or covered until such trench, the service pipe and the curb box connection thereto shall have been inspected and approved by the Water Superintendent and the Onondaga County Health Department.
(4) 
No water shall be drawn, used or consumed from a customer service pipe until the individual water meter has been installed, except that such prohibition shall not apply to the Water Superintendent when performing inspections or tests.
(5) 
On all new and all replacement water services entering the foundation of any structure, provision shall be made for the possible future installation of a New York State Health Department approved backflow protection device. A horizontal twenty-four-inch length of pipe shall be provided for this purpose. For requirements of specific backflow protection, refer to § 218-9, Control of backflow and cross-connections. All backflow prevention devices must be installed by a licensed plumber at the expense of the property owner. The Water Superintendent shall determine when a backflow prevention device is required to be installed.
D. 
Maintenance and replacement of customer service pipes.
(1) 
The customer, at his expense, shall maintain and, when necessary, replace service pipes from the curb box shutoff to the building.
(2) 
If any defects in workmanship or materials are found, if the customer service pipe has not been installed in accordance with this article, or if there is a failure in the customer service pipe, water service shall not be turned on or, if turned on, shall be turned off and discontinued until such defects are remedied.
E. 
Service pipe specifications.
(1) 
All service pipes shall have a minimum cover of 4 1/2 feet. No service pipes shall be smaller than three-fourths-inch inside diameter. Type K copper pipe shall be used for two-inch inside diameter and smaller pipe with fittings conforming to applicable AWWA specifications as directed by the Water Superintendent. Services larger than two-inch diameter shall be cast iron and fittings of quality equal to AWWA specifications suitable for service under a pressure of 150 pounds per square inch. Plastic pipe shall not be used between the main and the water meter. If the distance from the curb stop to the building foundation is more than 170 feet, the customer shall provide an approved meter pit at the curb, as directed by the Water Superintendent, at the customer's expense.
(2) 
Customer service pipe installations smaller than three-fourths-inch inside diameter in place at the effective date of this article may remain while in good condition. If such installations shall thereafter require excavation for test, inspection or replacement, they shall be replaced with installations conforming to this article.
F. 
Taps and unmetered use. There shall be no tap, provision for tap, plugged tee or other fitting between the Village main and the meter, except as approved by prior writing of the Water Superintendent. No water may be taken or used which is not metered (except for approved temporary water service), and any yard hydrant, fountain, hose or other installation must be connected on the building side of the meter.
G. 
Winter provisions. The Village shall not be required to install any service lines or service connections between November 1 and April 15, except by special arrangement, in which case the customer shall pay for the excess over normal costs.
H. 
Easements and rights-of-way.
(1) 
Applicants for service shall deliver, without cost to the Village, permanent easements or rights-of-way when necessary for the installation and maintenance of service lines and service connections.
(2) 
The Village shall not be obligated to commence any construction until applicants have delivered satisfactory easements or rights-of-way or have agreed to pay all costs of the Village to obtain easements or rights-of-way.
I. 
Delay. The Village shall not be liable for delay in the installation of mains, service lines or service connections, whether or not such delay is reasonable or unreasonable, and whether or not such delays may be within or beyond the control of the Village.
A. 
An individual meter shall be required for each separate water service connection at a premises.
B. 
Meters up to and including 3/4 inch will be furnished by the Village and remain the property of the Village. Meters larger than 3/4 inch shall be furnished and installed by the customer and will remain the property of the customer. The Village reserves the right in all cases to stipulate the size, type and manufacturer of the meter to be used.
C. 
Whenever possible, a meter less than two inches in size shall be set in the basement. The meter shall be located at a convenient point so as to protect the meter and to measure the entire supply of water through the service line and service pipe. When a meter cannot be set in the basement, it will be set at a place designated by the Water Superintendent. The customer shall bear all costs of pit or housing for the meter, as approved by the Village. (See also § 218-4E.) A meter two inches in size and larger shall be set at a place designated by the Water Superintendent, and the customer shall bear all costs of a pit or housing for the meter, including bypass for testing as approved by the Village. All meters 1 1/2 inches or larger shall have a bypass for testing.
D. 
Meters and meter connections shall not be interfered with in any respect. All meters furnished by the Village will be maintained by and at the expense of the Village so far as ordinary wear and tear are concerned, but the customer will be held responsible for all costs incurred by the Village due to freezing, hot water or external causes. Meters furnished by the customer shall be maintained and repaired by the customer. If a meter furnished by a customer shall, in the opinion of the Water Superintendent, require inspection, calibration, maintenance or repair and such is not provided within 10 days after written notice to the customer, the Village may provide such inspection, calibration, maintenance or repair and the customer shall bear all costs thereof.
E. 
The Village reserves the right to remove and test any meter it has furnished at any time and to substitute another meter in its place. In case of question as to the accuracy of a meter, the meter will be tested by the Village upon the request of the customer. The fee for testing such meter will be as established by the Board of Trustees, payable in advance of the test. In the event that the meter so tested is found to have an error in registration to the prejudice of the customer in excess of 4% at any rate of flow within normal test flow limits, the fee advanced for testing will be refunded.
F. 
The Village may require the testing of any meter furnished by a customer at any time. If such test of a meter is less than two years after a previous test of the same meter and the meter is found to have an error to the prejudice of the Village of 4% or less at any rate of flow within normal test flow limits, the Village will pay the cost of the test; otherwise the cost of the test shall be borne by the customer.
G. 
Clear access of a minimum of three feet horizontally and six feet vertically (head room) must be maintained around the meter and a clear lane maintained from the stairway or entry to such meter. Customer shall permit Village employees to enter the premises for the purpose of reading the meter, upon reasonable notice.
H. 
On residential accounts, the meter shall be provided with a remote reading device. The remote reader shall be provided and installed by the Skaneateles Village Water Department. Access to the remote reader shall be maintained at all times.
I. 
When the meter reader is unable to read a customer's meter due to inaccessibility or absence of a responsible person on the customer's premises, the meter reader shall leave a notice and the customer shall promptly forward the meter reading to the Village office.
A. 
All bills are payable in accordance with the terms of the applicable service classification. For new services installed at any time during the billing period, the minimum charge and the amount of water allowed thereunder will be prorated according to the number of days remaining in the billing period after the service has been made available.
B. 
Payment for water consumed.
(1) 
All payments for water consumed shall be due and payable at the office of the Village Clerk/Treasurer.
(2) 
Water consumption will be billed on a monthly basis.
(3) 
The net amount for the month billed, plus all amounts previously billed and unpaid, shall be paid on or before the 15th day of the month in which the bill is rendered.
(4) 
In the event such bill is not paid as provided in Subsection B(3) above, a late payment penalty of 1 1/2% shall be charged on any unpaid balance.
C. 
The quantity recorded by the meter shall be considered the amount of water passing through the meter, which amount shall be conclusive on both the customer and the Village, except when the meter has been found to be registering inaccurately or has ceased to register. In such cases, the quantity may be determined by the average registration of the meter in a corresponding past period when in order, or by the average registration of a meter later installed, whichever method is representative, in the opinion of the Water Superintendent, of the conditions existing during the period in question, subject to appeal to the Municipal Board.
D. 
The customer shall notify the Village of any change in occupancy. No adjustment of bills will be made by the Village as between owners or tenants unless 10 days' notice in writing prior to change of occupancy has been given to the Village. No rebate will be given for unoccupied premises unless notice of nonoccupancy is given as required in Subsection F hereunder.
E. 
Unpaid water bills.
(1) 
Unpaid charges constitute a lien upon the property served. Unpaid water bills, including penalties, shall constitute a lien upon the real property served pursuant to the provisions of the General Municipal Law, and an additional 10% will be added to the unpaid bill after May 15.
(2) 
Collection of unpaid water bills. Unpaid water bills, including penalties, may be collected by the Board of Trustees in the same manner as provided for the collection of unpaid sewer rents as set forth in the provisions of the General Municipal Law, as amended from time to time. The aforementioned method of remedy shall not be intended to limit the Village in any other remedy to which it may be entitled.
F. 
Any customer may discontinue water service by giving the Village office notice not less than 10 days prior to the discontinuance.
G. 
Penalty for all water bills not paid within 15 days after receipt of said bill will be 1 1/2% per month of arrears.
H. 
Disconnection of water service for nonpayment. In addition to the methods of collection of unpaid water bills, including penalties, the water service of a user shall be disconnected in the event such user does not pay the water bill within 30 days of billing.
A. 
Water service may be discontinued by the Village for any of the following reasons:
(1) 
Use of water other than as represented in customer's application, or through branch connections on the street side of the meter or place reserved therefor.
(2) 
Willful waste of water through improper and imperfect pipes or by any other means.
(3) 
Damaging or molesting any main, service line, seal, meter, or any other property or installation of the Village.
(4) 
Cross-connecting pipes carrying water supplied by the Village with any other source of supply or with any apparatus which may endanger the quality of the Village water supply.
(5) 
Refusal of reasonable access to the property for the purposes of reading, repairing, testing or removing meters or inspecting water piping and other fixtures.
(6) 
Failure to pay the full amount due, including penalties, within 30 days of billing.
B. 
Where two or more premises are now supplied with water through one service line under the control of one curb box shutoff, if any of the customers so supplied shall violate any of the above rules, the Village reserves the right to apply its shutoff regulations to the joint service line, except that such action shall not be taken until the innocent customer who is not in violation of the Village's rules has been given reasonable opportunity to attach the service pipe leading to his premises to a separately controlled service line.
C. 
When water service to any premises has been turned off upon the order of the customer, or for any of the reasons in this section, and service is again desired by the customer, a charge as established by the Board of Trustees will be made for the restoration of service. Such charges contemplate only opening of the curb box shutoff.
D. 
No person shall take water from any public fire hydrant or unmetered connection to any facilities of the Village for any use whatsoever, other than for fire purposes, except as specifically authorized by the Village Water Superintendent. If water is used from a public fire hydrant or unmetered connection to any facilities of the Village without specific authorization by the Village, the user shall be liable for a civil penalty as provided in § 218-10 for each day or part day of unauthorized water use.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).
E. 
If any customer shall use such a volume of water as to endanger, diminish or cut off the supply to other customers, in the opinion of the Water Superintendent, the Water Superintendent may order such customer to reduce such excessive use of water and the customer shall comply forthwith.
F. 
Upon receipt of an application for a new service or reinstatement of an existing service, the Village may assume that the piping and fixtures which the service will supply are in proper order, and the Village will not be liable for any accident, breaks, leakage or damage of any nature resulting from, relating to or arising out of the supply of water or failure to supply the same. The Village reserves the right, at any time, without notice, to shut off or reduce the flow of water in its mains for the purposes of making repairs or extension, or for other purposes. The Village shall not be liable for a deficiency or failure in the supply of water or the pressure thereof for any cause whatsoever, nor for any damage caused thereby, nor for the bursting or breaking of any main or service pipe or any attachment to the Village's property.
G. 
The Village reserves the right, in periods of limited water supply or emergency, to restrict the use of water for sprinkling, car washing or other nonessential purposes during certain hours of the day or certain days of the week, or to prohibit such use entirely.
H. 
Any person, firm or corporation who or which shall injure, break or damage any Village facilities or equipment shall pay all costs of repair or replacement.
A. 
Water will not be introduced to any premises having a private water supply or being supplied water by any other water utility.
B. 
No direct connection shall be made between the public water supply and any engine, generator, condenser, or other type of apparatus unless specifically authorized by the Water Superintendent.
C. 
Connections to low-pressure, domestic-type heating boilers are permitted, provided that proper safety devices are installed so as to prevent damage from collapse or explosion, in the event of water shutoff or any other reason.
D. 
No connection of either a permanent or temporary nature shall be made between the public water supply and any other supply (i.e., private well). Private wells are permitted provided they are registered with the Village of Skaneateles, installed under regulations of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and are not interconnected with the public water system.
A. 
The Water Superintendent and the Onondaga County Health Department shall inspect or cause to be inspected the plumbing in every building or premises using the Village water supply as frequently as in their judgment may be necessary or as required by the New York State Health Department to determine whether the plumbing has been installed and maintained in such a manner as to prevent the possibility of contamination by backflow or back pressure into the public water supply. The Water Superintendent or Onondaga County Health Department shall notify or cause to be notified, in writing, the owner or authorized agent of the owner of any such building or premises to correct, within a reasonable time set by the Water Superintendent, any plumbing installed or existing contrary to or in violation of this section and which, in his judgment, may therefore permit the pollution of the Village water supply or otherwise adversely affect the public health or water quality.
B. 
The specific requirements shall be those of the State of New York Health Department, State Sanitary Code, and any guidelines set forth by the New York State Health Department or any regulatory agency having jurisdiction, as well as the Village of Skaneateles.
C. 
All devices for backflow control shall be approved by the New York State Health Department. Installation, inspection, and maintenance of all devices shall be at the expense of the property owner and shall be performed by personnel specifically licensed to perform such work.
D. 
The Water Superintendent and/or the Onondaga County Health Department shall notify the owner or authorized agent of the owner of the building or premises in which there is found a violation of this article. The Water Superintendent and/or the Onondaga County Health Department shall set a reasonable time for the owner to have the violation removed or protected by installation of an approved backflow prevention device. Upon failure of the owner to have the defect corrected by the end of the specified time interval, the Water Superintendent may cause the water service to the building or premises to be terminated or recommend such additional action as he may deem appropriate.
E. 
The Water Department, under the direction of the Superintendent, reserves the right to discontinue water service in the event the property owner fails to make required adjustments in plumbing to comply with this article.
F. 
Reconnection to the public water supply will not be allowed until proper adjustments have been made and all bills and penalties have been paid.
G. 
The Water Superintendent shall determine, after inspection, the extent of backflow prevention required on all fire-sprinkling, heating, air-conditioning or refrigeration systems. Systems which utilize any type of antifreeze or other chemical solution shall be fitted with a reduced-pressure backflow prevention device.
H. 
Water service lines to any structure shall not be subject to back pressure of any type, including but not limited to adding pressure by compressor, pump, or kinetic energy device to clear the service pipe of residue, debris, or other blockage.
I. 
Private one- or two-family residences are not required to install backflow prevention devices if on inspection there is found no potential source of water contamination on the property. Potential sources of water contamination include but are not limited to lawn sprinkler systems, swimming pools or wading pools, fountains or private wells.
J. 
Private one- or two-family residences with swimming pools or wading pools which are wholly above ground may substitute, for a backflow prevention device installed at the incoming water service, a permanent air gap piping system from the house to two inches above the rim of the pool with no provision for a hose connection. In addition, each exterior hose bib on the property is to be fitted with an approved vacuum breaker or non-return-flow device.
[Amended 3-22-2004 by L.L. No. 1-2004]
Any person, firm or corporation who or which violates any provision of this article shall be guilty of an offense and subject to a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $250 or to imprisonment for a period of not more than 15 days, or both such fine and imprisonment, and in addition any person, firm or corporation who or which violates any of the provisions of this article or who shall omit, neglect or refuse to do any act required thereby shall severally, for each and every such violation, forfeit and pay a civil penalty of not less than $100 nor more than $250. The imposition of penalties for any violation of this article shall not excuse the violation or permit it to continue. The application of the above penalty or penalties or prosecution for a violation of any provision of this article shall not prevent the enforced removal of conditions prohibited by this article. When a violation of any of the provisions of this article is continuous, each day thereof shall constitute a separate and distinct violation subjecting the offender to additional penalty. The foregoing penalties are separate from and in addition to penalties prescribed by any other applicable statutes, ordinances, local laws or regulations.
Any person, firm or corporation adversely affected by a decision of the Water Superintendent may appeal the same in writing within 10 days to the Municipal Board.
[Amended 3-27-2006 by L.L. No. 1-2006]
The Board of Trustees reserves the right to change, modify, supplement or amend this article and the rates and charges from time to time. The right is also reserved to make such additional rules and regulations as to the Board of Trustees seem appropriate to promote the health, safety, and welfare of the inhabitants of the Village of Skaneateles, in order to regulate the water supply and to promote the proper and efficient administration of the Water Department, and to make rates and contracts for the use of water in special cases by resolution of the Municipal Board subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees.
All privately owned lines and connections thereto shall come under the aforementioned regulations, and said lines and connections shall be subject to inspection and approval by the Water Superintendent and/or the Onondaga County Health Department.