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A. Size of Main Extensions. All sewer and water main extensions installed whether within or without the corporate limits of the city shall be eight inches in diameter or larger unless otherwise authorized by the director; provided, the director may require the main extensions to be larger than eight inches if it appears that the water and/or sewer needs of the area will require larger mains within the expected life of the main.

B. Design Criteria. Proposed water and sewer lines must be designed in accordance with master plan sizes, elevations, alignments, and capacities as found necessary by city staff for overall system development and network extensions.

C. Development Extension Criteria. Developing properties must at a minimum extend utility lines to the site, across the property frontage, and through the property, to allow connection and also to allow extensions for the development of adjacent parcels. Additional off-site work may be required at the department’s discretion to provide an off-site sewer line extension, or looped water main for water quality, fire protection, or system redundancy purposes. All development main extensions must be made from existing public mains.

D. City Participation Criteria. The director will consider requests for project participation under the conditions of VMC 14.04.235(F) whereby SDC credits may be granted. In addition to SDC credits, the director may instead, under the same criteria as for SDC credits, authorize the contribution of city-supplied materials.

E. Customer Expense. All new mains and all new extensions of mains required to serve new customers shall be laid at the expense of the customers. The cost of such mains shall be assessed either by the formation of a local improvement district under Chapter 35.50 RCW, as applicable, or in lieu of formation of such district such new customers may pay to the city in cash the actual costs of the pipes, valves and fittings to be installed and the actual costs of the mains to be installed, according to the records which shall be kept by the city.

Anyone later desiring to connect a house or building to a main which has been constructed or extended by the city by means other than by formation of a local improvement district may do so only upon payment to the city, in addition to normal connection charges, of a “main line fee.” Said fee shall have been computed by the director upon completion of construction of the main by dividing the cost thereof by the number of parcels of property and considering the linear feet of each such parcel which in their opinion could connect thereto either at the time of construction or later. Said fee shall be filed in the office of the department of public works and be a public record. When applicable, the “main line fee” must be paid in cash prior to connection to the main. The cost for each customer shall be ratable and computed in proportion to the whole cost according to the entire number of continuous linear feet of frontage owned by the customer which abuts upon the street, alley or easement in which the main lies or by some other equitable method selected by the director.

F. Terms of Payment. The charge mentioned in subsection E of this section is in addition to any other new tap, service line, or connection charge and either must be paid in full in cash or by LID warrants before such customer shall receive water service.

G. Requirement to Install Larger Main. If in the judgment of the city it is to the best interests of the city and of the general locality where a new main is contemplated to install a larger main than that needed by the owners immediately abutting upon the street, alley or easement in which the main is to be placed, the city may require installation of such larger main and shall with the director’s approval pay the increased difference in cost between installation of the smaller and of the larger main or supply the pipe or apply SDC credits.

H. Development Agreement. The city may enter into a development agreement pursuant to RCW 36.70B.170 under which a developer will construct water or sewer facilities to serve an area in which the development is located and the expense of such facilities may be reimbursed by the city through system development charge (SDC) credits pursuant to VMC 14.04.235. Anyone later desiring to connect to and use facilities constructed pursuant to such a development agreement may do so only upon payment to the city of normal connection charges. This must be paid in full in cash before such customer shall receive water or sewer service.

I. Supervision of Connection. The department shall not connect to or provide service to any main or pipe unless that pipe was installed under the supervision of the department engineer and approved in writing with the consent of the state health department.

J. Conditions for Approval. The director shall not grant such approval if the main or pipe be of inferior material or improperly constructed or likely to produce future difficulties for the department through complaints of insufficient supply or pressure, leakage or waste.

K. Meter Accessibility. The department shall not connect to or provide service to any main unless that pipe was installed in a public road or alley in such manner that each and every meter shall be easily accessible to the meter reader.

L. Quality of System. In the interest of development of desirable districts the department shall not supply nor connect to its own or by private line any recorded or unrecorded subdivision or part thereof hereafter laid out, inside or outside the city limits, unless the plat or plan of same is substantially equal in standard to that adopted by the city of Vancouver of suburban areas.

M. Negotiating Contract. If the foregoing regulations are complied with, and not otherwise, the department may negotiate the terms of a contract (to be approved by the city attorney and accepted by the council) for the supply of water through lines owned by others. Such supply may be at wholesale rates through a single meter or through individual service meters owned by the city. Such contract shall specify that the prevailing schedule or rate shall apply. If the supply is through individual meters, a percentage of the annual total of bills for water sold through such a system may under such contract be paid annually in one sum to the owners thereof to amortize the purchase of the system.

N. Easement Requirements. When public sanitary sewer and water mains are extended outside of public rights-of-way to serve new development, the mains shall be extended in easements dedicated to the city of Vancouver. The minimum easement width for a single utility main is 15 feet. Two utilities require a minimum 20-foot-wide easement. Obstructions, including fences and other structures, shall not be placed over grantee’s facilities or in, upon, or over the property within such an easement without the prior written consent of the city of Vancouver. An access easement shall also be dedicated to the city of Vancouver to provide proper access to the sewer and water easement location and infrastructure for maintenance. The development shall be responsible for constructing maintenance access roads to and through the easements in accordance with the department’s standard details. (Ord. M-4431 § 1, 2023; Ord. M-4359 § 1, 2021; Ord. M-4082 § 5, 2014; Ord. M-4022 § 28, 2012; Ord. M-3332 § 1, 1997; Ord. M-981 § 1; Ord. M-810 § 15, 1966; Ord. M-298, 1956; Ord. M-144 § 22, 1954)