3.05.430 Unauthorized use of domestic water or the water system.
A. The actions listed below are prohibited by these regulations; penalties are provided for in Appendix A-22 of this chapter. Unpaid penalties shall be included on the customer’s bill and will be due and payable before domestic water service will be restored. The property owner is liable for payment of all unpaid bills, costs, loss, damage, penalties, charges, or fees regardless of user or use associated with the unauthorized use of domestic water or the water system.
1. To operate or attempt to operate a public or private fire hydrant or detector check, except for the suppression of fire or except when a permit for a temporary service connection is issued, as provided for in CVWDC 3.05.080.
2. To cause or permit the waste of water from the water system or to maintain or cause or permit to be maintained any leaky outlets, apparatus or plumbing fixtures through which water is permitted to waste including, but not limited to, detector checks.
3. To use water for washing sidewalks and driveways in a manner that prevents the usual and customary use of public streets and sidewalks by others.
4. To permit water sprinklers to spray onto sidewalks and streets or to permit water to run from the customer’s property onto public sidewalks and streets in such a manner as to cause risk and/or damage to the public or to public and private property.
5. To cause or permit the waste of water by operating any equipment that uses water in a “single pass” operation. Examples of this use include, but are not limited to, water-cooled equipment (i.e., refrigerators, freezers, ice machines, chillers, cooling towers, air conditioners, heat exchangers, ice cream dispensers, yogurt dispensers and precoolers) and commercial vehicle washes (i.e., car and/or truck washes).
6. To change or alter the original intended use of the meter and what it serves.
B. In addition to assessing penalties provided for in Appendix A-22 of this chapter, the district may seek criminal prosecution, as authorized by Cal. Penal Code § 498 for which any person who, with intent to obtain for himself or herself domestic water service without paying the full lawful charge therefor, or with intent to enable another person to do so, or with intent to deprive the district of any part of the full lawful charge for domestic water service it provides, commits, authorizes, solicits, aids or abets any of the following:
1. Divert or causes to be diverted domestic water service, by any means.
2. Prevents any domestic water service meter, or other device used in determining the charge for domestic water services, from accurately performing its measuring function by tampering or by any other means.
3. Tampers with any property owned by or used by the district to provide domestic water service.
4. Makes or causes to be made any connection with or reconnection with property owned or used by the district to provide domestic water service without the authorization or consent of the district.
5. Uses or owns the property that receives the direct benefit of all or a portion of domestic water service and/or has knowledge or reason to believe that the diversion, tampering, or unauthorized connection existed at the time of that use, or that the use or receipt was otherwise without the authorization or consent of the district.
C. Furthermore, the district may seek criminal prosecution for the presence of any of the following objects, circumstances or conditions on property controlled by the customer or by the person using or receiving the direct benefit of all or a portion of domestic water service obtained in violation of Cal. Penal Code § 498 shall permit an inference that the customer or person intended to and did violate Cal. Penal Code § 498:
1. Any instrument, apparatus or device primarily designed to be used to obtain domestic water service without paying the full lawful charge therefor.
2. Any meter that has been altered, tampered with or bypassed so as to cause no measurement or inaccurate measurement of domestic water service. (Ord. 1399.16 § 9-6, 2023)