Claywood Park

Public Service District

Parkersburg, WV

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Water_Service_Line_Construction Specifications
 
Sewer_Bill_Adjustment_From_A_Water_Leak
 
"To_Adjust_or_Not_to_Adjust"   A publication of the WV. Public Service Commission.
Sanitary Sewer line Construction Specifications
 
Water_Leak_Adjustment_Policy
 
 

Contact Miss Utility of West Virginia at 1800-245-4848 to locate other underground utilities in your area.

 

 

 

Water Service Line Construction

 

  

STANDARD WATER SERVICE SPECIFICATIONS

  

The following specifications are intended to guide anyone who is constructing, replacing or repairing any water service lines outside of a structure, which is, or intended to be, connected to the water system of Claywood Park PSD.

 This information indicates acceptable practice. It is not possible for these rules to cover every possible situation of question. If you have questions regarding water service installations, please contact the Claywood Park Public Service District at 422-6042, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday – Friday.

  

INSPECTION:

The PSD personnel, whether on public or private property, must inspect all customer service line construction, replacement or repair, before any backfilling of excavation is performed. These inspections can be performed Monday thru Friday between the hours of 8:30 am to 4:00 pm.

To schedule an inspection notify the District office at 422-6042. Inspections will not be performed on weekends or legal holidays.

 Customer service line construction, replacement or repair, which has not been inspected, will need to be uncovered before inspection can be performed. An inspection will be performed on the same day the call is received or on the next District working day.

 When a private water supply exists (Well, cistern ect.) at the customer’s residence or place of business, an air separation between the two systems must exist and have no connected between the two supplies. Valves or check valves will not be acceptable. If it is desired to connect the private and public water supplies together, only an approved low-pressure back flow prevention device is acceptable.

      

LOCATION OF METER:

After applying for service and all fees are paid, once the  meter location is established,  the customer or contractor working for the customer must install the service line to that point marked by the District. It is necessary a minimum of 3 feet of service line be left sticking out of ground in order for the district to connect to the meter setting. Once the service line is in place contact the PSD’s office and the District will schedule the tap and meter setting installation.

 The District is not required to make changes in the meter setting elevation once the tap is installed, the customer must have area where meter setting is to be located at final grade before tap is made. The customer shall bear the full and total cost for any such changes.

 

Revised 10/2010

 SERVICE LINE INSTALLATION: 

a.     The use of any plastic fittings for pipe connections before your shut off valve is PROHIBITED, (only Brass, Bronze or steel). Water service will not be established if these types of fittings are used.

 b.    Approved pipe materials consist of Iron pipe size (IPS) polyethylene (P.E.) tubing  @ a pressure rating of at least 160 PSI, however, 200 PSI is recommended by the District, . The pipe diameter shall be 3/4” or 1” depending upon the size of your proposed service. If this line is longer than 500 feet, consult the District on proper line size to maintain adequate flow.

 c.     Backfill material shall consist of fine suitable material. All material shall be free of cinders, ashes, refuse, or organic material. The service line shall have a minimum of 24 inches of cover in the yard area, and 30 inches in roadways or driveways.

 d.    The District REQUIRES a shut off valve (brass, bronze or steel) to be located immediately inside the foundation wall, crawl space or basement, at or near the point of entrance of your service line or other readily accessible location. The purpose of this valve is for you to be able to shut off your water if the need arises. Only District personnel are to be in the meter-setting fixture, the customer should NEVER tamper with the meter setting.

e.     At the point were the service line enters through the block or foundation wall, a sleeve is required to protect the pipe.

 f.      A pressure gauge is strongly recommended by the District, but not a requirement.

 g.    A thermal expansion tank is recommended, this devise is to prevent damage to your hot water tank or your residence, resulting from Thermal expansion.

 h.    Cross connections are prohibited. No connection between any other water sources, (well, cistern spring, ect…).  will be allowed with out an approved low-pressure back flow prevention device.

 i.      The water service lines must be installed in a trench with at least two feet of separation from other pipes or wires such as, sewer, telephone, electric, cable ect…

 j.       The District will not be required to make changes in the customer’s meter pit elevation, such changes shall be accomplished by the District, and the customer shall bear the full cost for such changes.

      

BACKFLOW PREVENTION:

Claywood Park PSD installs a type of outside meter setting which is equipped with a check valve. The purpose of a check valve is to prevent the water that has gone through your water meter setting from returning to our water system due to thermal expansion.

The installation of a thermal expansion pressure device is strongly recommended for the purpose of relieving pressure on your water heater tank and house plumbing.

 

THERMAL EXPANSION:

 As water is heated, it expands; your water tank will push hot water out of the inlet when heating during times of minimal hot water use. Due to a check valve used at the meter setting, water cannot flow back through the meter into the main water line. The expansion of water can result in the damage of plumbing and fixtures or release of water through the water heaters relief valve and possibly continued dripping of water from the relief valve. Water leaking from this valve may damage your residence.

 It is required to choose one of the following options to protect your plumbing from thermal expansion.

 OPTION 1.  Install a thermal expansion tank (can be purchased at any local hardware store or home improvement center).

 OPTION 2. Sign a release. If Option 1 it is not desirable this release will relieve the District of any liability for damages caused to customers plumbing or fixtures because of thermal expansion.

  

PRESSURE REGULATORS:

If water supply pressure exceeds 120 psi at the water meter setting the District will install, maintain and service a pressure regulator. If water supply pressure is less than 120 psi it is the responsibility of the customer to install, maintain and service a pressure regulator (if desired) in owners plumbing. 

  

GENERAL INFORMATION:

a.     Tapping of main water lines is only to be performed by Claywood Park Public Service District personnel, or a contractor working for the District.

b.     All service line construction, replacement or repairs must be inspected.

c.     Only Claywood Park PSD personnel are to enter the meter pit. (Tampering with the District’s property could result in legal action.)

  

The use of any plastic fittings for pipe connections on your service line, before the shut off valve, is PROHIBITED. (Only Brass Bronze or steel is accepted.) Water service will not be established if these types of fittings are used.

  

PLEASE READ AND UNDERSTAND ALL OF THE ABOVE SPECIFICATIONS.

 

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE CONTACT THE PSD OFFICE AT 304-422-6042 MONDAY THRU FRIDAY 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

  

Revised 10/2010

 

Contact Miss Utility at 1800-245-4848 to locate other underground utilities in your area.

 

I

Water Leak Adjustment Policy:

The District will make an adjustment to a customer’s water bill according to the rules of the West Virginia Public Service Commission and this policy adopted by the District Board. To receive an adjustment, the following conditions must be met:

  1. The customer must request an adjustment in writing, on a form available at the District office, within twenty (20) days from the date the water bill (to which the adjustment will be made) was issued.
  2. A representative of the District must verify the location and type of leak and verify that the leak was repaired according to District standards.
  3. The leak has to be in the customer’s service line between meter and dwelling. Leaking fixtures, malfunctioning appliances, running faucets and similar situations will not be eligible for a leak adjustment.

Adjustments to the water bill will be based on "historic usage" of the customer, which shall reflect seasonal or other historical patterns. If the customer does not have at least six (6) previous bills to establish historical usage, then the adjustment will be based on available data, which include similar customers in the area. Usage over historical, will be billed using the District’s incremental cost of water, as determined by the tariff.

For large leaks a payment plan can be set up, if the customer requests such an arrangement. To qualify for a leak payment plan, the bill must be more than fifty dollars ($50) or ten percent (10%) higher than historic bills (whichever is greater) .

The minimum monthly payment that will be considered will be fifty dollars ($50) or five percent (5%) whichever is greater. For customers with both water and sewer these amounts will apply to the combined bill. The payment plan will apply only to the bill that was adjusted. All subsequent bills must be paid in full. The customer must sign the payment plan, showing that the customer agrees to the terms.

 

To Adjust or Not to Adjust ?

Water Rule 4.4.3.

From the February 1997 issue of "The Pipeline", A publication of the West Virginia Public Service Commission. By James Boggess

The rule requires an adjustment for high usage attributable to a leak on the customer’s side of the meter. Excluded, however from a qualifying leak are leaking commodes, dripping faucets, malfunctioning appliances and similar situations. Commission policy is that inside water pipes are considered in the same context as commodes, faucets and other appliances and are the responsibility of the customer. A leak in the service line between the meter and dwelling is the only leak that is to be considered for an adjustment. The rule also states that the customer must provide some proof of the leak.

As to the customer with the outbuilding housing a water heater, I offer these comments. If the leak is directly attributable to the water heater, which is an appliance, the leak does not qualify for an adjustment. I received a phone call from a water utility stating that a customer asked for an adjustment because his water softener (located in an unattached structure) had frozen and burst resulting in a leak of some 50,000 gallons above normal usage. My answer was that the water softener was an appliance and was the responsibility of the customer. Therefore, no adjustment would be made on this water bill.

If the customer has a qualifying leak and is given an adjustment, the rule states that the water utility is to provide the sewer utility the adjusted consumption amount. The sewer utility will then calculate an adjusted sewer bill using the consumption amount provided by the water utility. Common sense dictates utilities use the customer’s consumption for the same period the previous year as the historic usage, unless an unusual amount. Additionally, the last sentence in Sewer Rule 4.3.7.b states: "Any amounts which the customer can prove did not enter the sanitary sewer system shall be credited at full tariff rates.

In the event the customer provides proof of the above, all leaked water then would be written off the sewer bill. The customer would then be provided a sewer bill for historic usage only. If your incremental cost for treating water or sewer exceeds $0.75 for water and $1.00 for sewer, then you are losing on adjustments. File a "T" case and we’ll take care of it in Case Control. If you need help to calculate the incremental cost, then contact he Assistance Section and they will gladly assist you.

 

 

 

Sewer Bill Adjustment From A Water Leak

The District will make an adjustment to a customer’s sewer bill according to the rules of the West Virginia Public Service Commission and this policy adopted by the District Board. To receive an adjustment the following conditions must be met:

The customer must request an adjustment in writing on a form available at the District office, within twenty (20) days from the date the sewer bill (to which the adjustment will be made) was issued.

A representative of the District must verify the location and type of leak and verify that the leak was repaired according to District standards.

The leak has to be in the customer’s water line. Leaking fixtures, malfunctioning appliances, and similar situations will only be eligible for an adjustment on the sewer bill, if the lost water is more than ten thousand (10,000) gallons or ten percent (10%) greater than historic usage.

Adjustments to the sewer bill will be based on "historic usage" of the customer, which shall reflect seasonal or other historical patterns. If the customer does not have at least six (6) previous bills to establish a historical usage, then the adjustment will be based on available data, which include similar customers in the area. Usage over historical,

will be billed using the District’s incremental cost of sewer

Leaks in water lines, in which the water did not enter the sewer, will be based on historical usage only.

For large leaks, a payment plan can be set up, if the customer requests such an arrangement. To qualify for a leak payment plan, the bill must be more than fifty dollars ($50) or ten percent (10%) higher than historic bills (whichever is greater). The minimum monthly payment that will be considered will be fifty dollars ($50) or five percent (5%), whichever is greater. For customers with both water and sewer, these amounts will apply to the combined bill. The payment plan will apply only to the bill that was adjusted. All subsequent bills must be paid in full. The customer must sign the payment plan, showing that the customer agrees to the terms

 

To Adjust or Not to Adjust?

Sewer Rule 4.3.7.

From the February 1997 issue of "The Pipeline", A publication of the West Virginia Public Service Commission. By James Boggess.

The rule requires an adjustment for high usage attributable to a leak on the customer’s side of the meter. Excluded, however from a qualifying leak are leaking commodes, dripping faucets, malfunctioning appliances and similar situations. Commission policy is that inside water pipes are considered in the same context as commodes, faucets and other appliances and are the responsibility of the customer. A leak in the service line between the meter and dwelling is the only leak that is to be considered for an adjustment. The rule also states that the customer must provide some proof of the leak.

As to the customer with the outbuilding housing a water heater, I offer these comments. If the leak is directly attributable to the water heater, which is an appliance, the leak does not qualify for an adjustment. I received a phone call from a water utility stating that a customer asked for an adjustment because his water softener (located in an unattached structure) had frozen and burst resulting in a leak of some 50,000 gallons above normal usage. My answer was that the water softener was an appliance and was the responsibility of the customer. Therefore, no adjustment would be made on this water bill.

If the customer has a qualifying leak and is given an adjustment, the rule states that the water utility is to provide the sewer utility the adjusted consumption amount. The sewer utility will then calculate an adjusted sewer bill using the consumption amount provided by the water utility. Common sense dictates utilities use the customer’s consumption for the same period the previous year as the historic usage, unless an unusual amount. Additionally, the last sentence in Sewer Rule 4.3.7.b states: "Any amounts which the customer can prove did not enter the sanitary sewer system shall be credited at full tariff rates.

In the event the customer provides proof of the above, all leaked water then would be written off the sewer bill. The customer would then be provided a sewer bill for historic usage only. If your incremental cost for treating water or sewer exceeds $0.75 for water and $1.00 for sewer, then you are losing on adjustments. File a "T" case and we’ll take care of it in Case Control. If you need help to calculate the incremental cost, then contact he Assistance Section and they will gladly assist you.