§ 36-20. Fire protection.

(a)

Water service supplying dedicated sprinkler systems installed by a sprinkler company approved by the insurance services office need not be metered if the owner so elects. Such unmetered service must be equipped with a standard detector check valve meeting Fire Underwriters' approval and the approval of the director of municipal utilities.

No person shall use water through an unmetered service except in case of fire, make any tap or connection for withdrawing, nor take water from such unmetered service except in case of fire. A charge of two hundred dollars ($200.00) may be made against the owner for each unauthorized use of unmetered fire service except when used for fire-fighting purposes or where there is written authorization from the director of municipal utilities. The owner shall notify the director of municipal utilities whenever an unmetered fire service is used for fire-fighting purposes.

As used herein, a "dedicated fire service" is defined as a fire sprinkler or standpipe system used solely for a fire-fighting purposes. Any fire-protection system utilizing on-site fire hydrants shall not be considered a dedicated fire-protection system.

(b)

All undedicated new sprinkler systems and fire hydrant connections installed for fire-protection purposes shall be metered with a water meter of appropriate size, meeting Fire Underwriters' approval, AWWA Standard E703-79, and the approval of the director of municipal utilities.

(c)

Any establishment which is equipped with a sprinkler system or fire hydrant connection which was installed prior to metering requirements and not equipped with an approved meter or detector check valve shall be required to install a meter or detector check valve whenever such establishment obtains a building permit for any modifications or additions which exceed fifty dollars ($50.00). All fire-protection meter installations shall be installed at the expense of the property owner.

(d)

Water rates for facilities utilizing fire service meters on nondedicated fire service lines shall be established for the following equivalently accurate disk meter:

Fire Service       Minimum Meter
Size       Size Charge
(inches)       (inches)
3″ .....	2
4″ .....	2
6″ .....	3
8″ .....	4
10″ .....	6

 

The minimum annual charge for any nondedicated fire service connection shall never be less than five hundred ninety-one dollars and thirty-six cents ($591.36). All unmetered fire-protection cuts shall be billed in accordance with the equivalently accurate disk meter minimum charge based on the size of the unmetered cut which was installed prior to metering requirements.

(e)

The rate for all dedicated fire-protection systems shall be two dollars and fifty cents ($2.50) per annum per each one thousand (1,000) square feet, or fraction thereof, of area protected, provided that, this sum shall never be less than one hundred dollars ($100.00) per annum per connection.

(f)

Nondedicated fire-protection billings shall be rendered monthly. Dedicated fire-protection billings shall be rendered annually. Bills shall become due and owing upon receipt. Failure to pay fire-protection billings within the prescribed time will result in termination of both fire-protection service and potable water supply to the premises.

(g)

All fire hydrants set on private property which are a part of a private fire-protection system and which are not operated and maintained by the municipal utilities department shall exhibit a permanent bronze tag stating that the hydrant is a privately owned hydrant belonging to (name of owner) and not the property of the city.

(Code 1960, § 23-29; Ord. No. 87-41, § 1, 8-6-87)