112 - Water User Responsibilities - Southern Black Hills Water

Policy Bulletin 112 - Water User Responsibilities
Adopted 2007/12, Revised 2014/12

The water User shall provide a suitable place for a Water Meter Pit and Meter to be placed on the water User's premises; it shall be unobstructed and accessible at all times for reading.
For Initial Rural and Municipal Household water use hookups, the water User shall be responsible for connecting his or her private system at the Water User Connection Point provided by the Corporation. The water User shall install and maintain a temperature/pressure relief valve or an approved expansion tank on his or her water heater. The water User shall not operate or adjust the Corporation's pressure regulator adjustment which will generally provide 45 psi or less at the Water User Connection Point. The water User shall be responsible for his or her own plumbing and connection made to the Southern Black Hills system and shall comply with the State of South Dakota's Plumbing Code requirements. The Corporation recommends that the User's connection be made with a physical break between his or her existing water source and the Southern Black Hills system. If both are connected at the same time the user shall install a "Reduced-pressure principle backflow-prevention assembly (RPZ) that is approved for this purpose by the South Dakota State Plumbing Commission. All costs and responsibilities associated with the purchase, installation, operation maintenance, testing and replacement shall be the responsibility of the Water Users.
For all classifications of water user hookups, the water User is responsible for the line after the Corporation's meter pit. In the case of any system facilities that have or may have high maintenance cost (slide areas, low water use, high water table, etc.), the Corporation reserves the right to refuse or discontinue water service to proposed or existing lines or users.
For Livestock water user hookups, the water User shall be responsible for connecting his or her private system at the Water User Connection Point. Frost-free hydrants shall not be installed at less than 15 feet from the meter pit. The water user will install protective barrier at a livestock connection point; such barrier shall be maintained by the Water User. The water User shall be responsible for his or her own plumbing and connections made to the Southern Black Hills system and shall comply with the State of South Dakota's Plumbing Code requirements. The Corporation recommends that the User's connection be made with a physical break between his or her existing water source and the Southern Black Hills system. Ifboth are connected at the same time the User shall install a "Reduced-pressure principle backflow-prevention assembly (RPZ) that is approved for this purpose by the South Dakota State Plumbing Commission. All costs and responsibilities associated with the purchase, installation, operation maintenance, testing and replacement shall be the responsibility ofthe Water Users
For Subsequent and Late water user hookups, the water User will provide all materials up to and including the meter pit and will hire a contractor to ensure the installation is in accordance with the Corporation's specifications. Unless specifically waived by Board action a Subsequent or Late User will be responsible for construction costs of his or her service line.
For all classifications of water user hookup, except Special, the water User shall be responsible for protecting the Corporation's meter assembly from freezing or any other damage regardless of where or by whom installed. The same is true of the Service Line on the water User's property. The water User shall pay for the cost of repair, water loss, and any other damage incurred because of freezing or other causes of action of any of the items stated in this paragraph.
Water Users shall not hook their supply line to the Water User Connection Point until they have been notified in writing to do so by the Corporation. Initial water Users shall be responsible for locating the private buried utilities within their yard area for the Corporation's Service Line contractor. In the event such utilities are cut due to inaccurate location (greater than plus or minus 2 foot variation); the water User will be responsible to repay the Corporation for the cost ofrepairing said utility.
If the water User's piping on the water User's premises is so arranged that the Corporation is called upon to provide additional meters, each place of metering will be considered as a separate and individual water user hookup.
The water User's supply line and other private piping and apparatus shall be installed and maintained by the water User, and at the water User's expense, in a safe and efficient manner and in accordance with the Corporation's rules and regulations and in full compliance with the sanitary regulations of the South Dakota Environment and Natural Resources and the South Dakota State Plumbing Commission Code. The water User's supply line and other private piping shall be installed in such a manner as to prevent cross-connection or backflow and be approved for that purpose by the South Dakota Plumbing Commission Code.
The water User shall guarantee proper protection for the Corporation's property placed on the water User's premises and shall permit access to it only by authorized representatives of the Corporation. The water meter or flow control must be unobstructed and accessible at all times for checking.
In the event that any loss or damage to the property of the Corporation or any accident or injury to persons or property caused by or resulting from the negligence or wrongful act of the water User, his agents, or employees, the water User shall pay the cost of the necessary repairs or replacements to the Corporation. Any liability resulting shall be assumed by the water User. The amount of such loss or damage or the cost of repairs shall be added to the water User's bill, and, if not paid, service may be discontinued by the Corporation.
Water furnished by the Corporation shall be used according to the classification of the water User. Water shall not be used for purposes other than those specified in the Water User Agreement or Water Purchase Contract. Disregard for this rule shall be sufficient cause for refusal or discontinued service.
No water User may sell, meter or otherwise provide water to another person or another person's property or extend service beyond the location described in his water application except in the following situations:
1. Water may be piped to a location on the water User's property ifthe water is used by the water User, his family, his employees, or livestock on his land. The plumbing for this use may be underground. However the intent is not to have a single meter serve multiple dwellings except as such use and access to a single meter conforms to other System policies.
2. Water may be piped to a location off the water User's property only for watering the water User's livestock. The plumbing use for this must be above ground.
3. Water may be piped to a location under circumstances not mentioned above only with special Corporation approval.
4. Any water User desiring to extend water service shall make application to the Corporation describing the location of the extension, the type of installation proposed, use of the water, and the name of the owner of the land where the new use will occur. The Corporation may make periodic inspections of the water extension, and the extension must be terminated if the Corporation determines that there has been a change of circumstances disqualifying the extension.
In regard to livestock watering, the hydraulic design of the Corporation's water distribution system is based on livestock water being uniformly delivered throughout the 24-hour daily period. Where large numbers of livestock are present, water Users are responsible for providing on-farm water storage and appurtenances to accomplish a reasonable distribution of livestock water on demand. The water User may be required to provide a constant flow valve or other device acceptable to the Corporation. Such device shall be installed at all principal livestock water places.