“Accessory dwelling unit conversion” means an ADU within the proposed space of a single-family dwelling or existing space of a single-family dwelling or accessory structure, including an expansion of not more than 150 square feet beyond the same physical dimensions as the existing accessory structure. The space must have exterior access from the proposed existing single-family structure and the side and rear setbacks must be sufficient for fire and safety.

“Accessory dwelling unit, new” means the ADU is a new structure or requires an expansion of the physical dimensions of the single-family dwelling or accessory structure of more than 150 square feet beyond the physical dimensions of the existing structure.

“Accessory dwelling unit, original” means the ADU is constructed as part of a new single-family dwelling.

“Actual construction cost (cost)” includes the cost of all activities necessary or incidental to the construction of a public utility facility, such as financing, planning, designing, acquisition of property or interest in property, construction, inspection, reconstruction, or rehabilitation.

“Aggregated budget” means water budgets from multiple meters combined into one budget.

“Air-gap separation (AG)” means a physical break between the supply line and a receiving vessel.

“Annexation charge” means the charge levied against property to be included within an improvement district.

“Apartment” means any building containing two or more dwelling units, served by one meter that are rented, not separately owned.

“Applicant (proposed customer)” means any person, firm, corporation, association or agency who desires to obtain domestic water service from the district.

“Approved water supply” means any water supply whose potability is regulated by a state or local health agency.

“Appurtenances” means meter stop, check valve, back flow prevention device, shut-off valve and any other devices.

“Assessor’s parcel number” means a number assigned by tax assessor in order to identify a particular property.

“Auxiliary water supply” means any water supply other than that received from a public water system.

“Billing” means a monthly statement sent to account holder(s) which includes bill detail, bill summary, account information, water use history and water efficiency rating.

“Board” means the board of directors of the Coachella Valley water district.

“Building unity” means any unit of nonresidential development.

“Class of service” is based on intended usage of meter.

Condominium. A condominium consists of an undivided interest in the common area of a portion of real property coupled with a separate interest in space called a unit, the boundaries of which are described on a recorded final map, parcel map or condominium plan in sufficient detail to locate all boundaries thereof, as defined in Cal. Civil Code § 1351.

“Consumption charge” means a monthly quantitative charge for the amount of water delivered to a property, either metered or estimated. Consumption charge shall be billed as a price per 100 cubic feet of water delivered in accordance with the tiered rate structure.

“Contractor” means any individual, firm, corporation, partnership or association duly licensed by the state of California to perform the type of work to be done under a permit or agreement.

“Cooling tower” means a heat rejection device that evaporates water to release waste heat from a fluid to the atmosphere.

“Cross connection” means any unprotected actual or potential connection between any part of a potable water system used or intended to supply water for drinking purposes and any source or system containing water or a substance that is not or cannot be approved as safe, wholesome and potable for human consumption. Bypass arrangements, jumper connections, removable sections, swivels or changeover devices or other devices through which backflow could occur shall be considered cross connections.

“Customer” means any person, property owner, tenant, firm, corporation, association or agency who uses or desires to obtain domestic water service from the district.

“Customer service line” means the customer’s facilities including pipe, fittings and appurtenances extending from the outlet of the shut-off valve downstream of the district’s meter, check valve or backflow prevention device.

“Developer” or “subdivider” means a person who proposes to divide, divides, or causes to be divided real property into a subdivision for itself or for others, or develops real property. Except that employees and consultants of such person, acting in such capacity, are not developers or subdividers.

“Development” means the uses to which the land which is subject to the map shall be put, the buildings to be constructed on it and all alterations of the land and construction incident thereto.

Development Design Manual (DDM). The district’s development design manual provides comprehensive procedural and technical requirements for the planning, design and construction of district service infrastructure required for new development.

“District” means the Coachella Valley water district, organized and operated pursuant to the provisions of the County Water District Act.

“Domestic water service” means and shall include the delivery of domestic water for any purpose to a residential customer, nonresidential customer, commercial or industrial customer, governmental customer or institutional customer, and the delivery of domestic water for public and private fire protection service.

“Domestic water service infrastructure (water system)” means the water pipelines, booster stations, wells, treatment facilities, reservoirs, and appurtenances, constructed by or for the district, whether acquired by the district, for the purpose of providing domestic water service.

“Double check valve assembly (DC)” means an assembly of at least two independently acting check valves including tightly closing shut-off valves on each side of the check valve assembly and test cocks available for testing the watertightness of each check valve.

“Duplex” means any building containing two dwelling units but not including any building commonly known as a hotel, motel or condominium.

“Dwelling” means any building that contains one or two dwelling units, intended or designed to be built, used, rented, leased, let, or hired out to be occupied or that is occupied for living purposes.

“Dwelling unit” means a single unit requiring domestic water service and intended to be a complete independent living facility for one or more persons, including permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation, including but not limited to family residence, each unit of a duplex, each unit of an apartment, condominium, each recreational vehicle and each trailer park space. For purposes of calculating water demands and connection fees, each recreational vehicle or trailer park space shall constitute 0.5 dwelling units, and each mobile home shall constitute 0.67 dwelling units. The general manager will determine the number of equivalent dwelling units in other types of structures.

“Dwelling unit/building unit charge” means a component of the water system backup facilities charge for the purpose of providing funds for the construction of off-site facilities that are necessary to provide adequate domestic water service to the customer. The dwelling unit/building unit charge consists of the following five domestic water subcomponents: (1) production facilities, (2) treatment facilities, (3) storage facilities, (4) pressure boosting and pressure reducing stations, and (5) transmission network/pipelines.

“Easement” means a nonpossessory interest held by one person in land or right-of-way of another whereby the first person is accorded partial use of such land for a specific purpose. An easement restricts but does not abridge the rights of the owner to the use and enjoyment of the land.

“Evapotranspiration (ET)” means the amount of water that is lost due to evaporation and plant transpiration.

“General manager” means the general manager of the district or his/her appointed representative.

“Hotel” or “motel” means any building containing six or more guest rooms intended or designed to be used or which are used, rented, or hired out to be occupied or which are occupied for sleeping purposes by guests. For purposes of calculating water demands and connection fees, each room of a hotel or motel shall constitute 0.5 dwelling units.

“Improvement” means any street work and utilities to be installed or agreed to be installed by the subdivider, public agencies, private utilities or any other entity approved by the local agency or by a combination thereof, and is necessary to ensure consistency with, or implementation of, the general plan or any applicable specific plan.

“Improvement district” means a domestic water improvement district within a portion of the district’s service area and is formed for the purpose of constructing or improving domestic water service by selling bonds to fund the needed infrastructure.

“Landscape plans” means documentation provided to the district in accordance with Ordinance 1302.5 to demonstrate compliance with landscape and irrigation design criteria.

“Lien” means the process of levying property to recapture unpaid charges for water and other services.

“Lot” means that portion of a parcel of land which is delineated or described as a single integral unit on the subdivision map.

“Lot line” means a line dividing one lot from another or from a street or any public place.

“Master account” means a collection of accounts (subaccounts) containing multiple meters which may or may not have common class of service. It represents a billing convenience for the customer in that they receive one bill for many accounts, rather than one bill for each account. Subaccounts have individual water budgets.

“Master location (master account/master location)” means a collection of subaccounts whose meters are all of the same class of service, sharing an aggregated water budget, for which the customer receives one bill.

“Meter installation charge” means the district’s charge for installing only the meter.

“Meter surcharge” means a component of the water system backup facilities charge for the purpose of providing funds for the construction of off-site facilities that are necessary to provide greater flows for meters larger than the standard three-quarter-inch meter.

“Mobile home” means a structure designed for human habitation that is transportable and requires a permit to move on the highway. Mobile home includes manufactured homes. Recreational vehicles and buses are not considered a mobile home. For purposes of calculating water demands and connection fees, each mobile home shall constitute 0.67 dwelling units.

“Monthly plant factor” means the crop coefficient which describes the water needs of specific types of plants.

“Monthly service charge” means the monthly charge levied to a property for the benefit of having domestic water service available to the customer. This does not include the consumption charge for water.

“Nursery” means a commercially operated business that grows plants and/or trees for planting, propagation, food, or ornamentation. The district may require proof of a valid license and/or registration to demonstrate commercial activity.

“Off site” means that area which lies outside the peripheral boundary of a subdivided area, a developed area or an area being developed.

“Off-site facilities” means facilities under the ultimate control of the district including but not limited to water pipelines, reservoirs, pumping stations, fire hydrants, valves, connections, supply interties, treatment facilities, and other appurtenances and property up to the point of connection with the on-site facilities.

“On-site facilities” means facilities under the ultimate control of the district including but not limited to water pipelines, reservoirs, pumping stations, fire hydrants, valves, connections, supply interties, treatment facilities, and other appurtenances and property located within a subdivision or tract.

“Parcel” generally refers to a piece of land that cannot be designated by a lot number.

“Permanent service connection” means a service connection that is intended to provide continuous domestic water service.

“Permit” means an official document or certificate issued by the authority having jurisdiction which authorizes the performance of a specified activity.

“Person” means any individual, firm, company, corporation, association, political subdivision, city, county, district, the state of California, or the United States of America or any department or agency of any thereof. The singular in each case shall include the plural.

“Potable water” means water furnished to the customer which meets applicable local, state and federal standards for drinking water.

“Private fire protection service connection” means the district’s facilities including pipe, fittings and appurtenances extending from the domestic water system to the private fire protection system.

“Private fire protection system” means the customer’s facilities including pipe, fittings and appurtenances extending from the outlet of the gate valve downstream of the district’s meter, check valve or backflow prevention device used exclusively for fire protection and/or suppression.

“Property” means any property, including any lot, parcel, premises, dwelling unit or building unit or portion thereof, that is the subject of a request for service or to which service is being rendered.

“Property owner” or “owner” means any person, agent, firm or corporation having legal or equitable interest in the property.

“Reduced pressure principle backflow prevention device (RP)” means a backflow preventer incorporating not less than two check valves, an automatically operated differential relief valve located between the two check valves, a tightly closing shut-off valve on each side of the check valve assembly and equipped with necessary test cocks for testing.

“Regulation” means the current edition of, and any amendments or revisions to, the district’s regulations governing domestic water service.

“Rendered” means presented for payment or consideration. A bill is considered rendered when it is delivered to the U.S. Post Office, sent electronically or by other means is presented for payment.

“Residential fire sprinkler system” means a fire sprinkler system required by California Residential Code, Title 24, Part 2.5 which is incorporated as part of the customer service line.

“Restore” means to reestablish water delivery to a property or parcel when water has been terminated.

“Right-of-way” means any strip or area of land, including surface, overhead, or underground, granted by deed or easement, for construction and maintenance according to designated use, such as for drainage and irrigation canals and ditches, electric power, telephone lines, gas, oil, water and other pipelines, highways and other roadways, sewers, surface water detention and flow, and tunnels.

“Security deposit” means monies required to be deposited with the district for the purpose of guaranteeing payment of monthly bills rendered for water service.

“Service area” means the area within the current district domestic water service boundary as approved by the Riverside County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO).

“Service connection” means the district’s facilities including pipe, fittings, meter, meter box and check valve or backflow prevention device and shut-off valve, extending from the district’s domestic water main to the outlet of the shut-off valve downstream of the meter, check valve or backflow prevention device.

“Service connection charge” means the district’s charge for installing a complete service connection.

“Standard specifications” means the current edition of the district’s standard specifications for construction of domestic water systems.

“Street” means any highway, road, street, avenue, alley or way, either public or private.

“Subdivider” means a person, firm, corporation, partnership or association who proposes to divide, divides, or causes to be divided real property into a subdivision for itself or for others except that employees and consultants of such persons or entities, acting in such capacity, are not subdividers.

“Subdivision” or “tract” means the division, by any subdivider, of any unit of units of improved or unimproved land, or any portion thereof, shown on the latest equalized county assessment roll as a unit or as contiguous units, for the purpose of sale, lease or financing, whether immediate or future. Property shall be considered as contiguous units even if it is separated by roads, streets, utility easements or railroad rights-of-way. Subdivision includes common interest developments, as defined in Cal. Civil Code § 1351(c).

“Supplemental water” means water from sources outside of the district boundary and/or water within the district boundary treated for domestic water service.

“Tax roll” means the process of levying property, through annual property taxes, to recapture unpaid charges for water and other services.

“Temporary service connection” means a service connection that is intended to provide domestic water service during construction or other use of a limited duration.

“Tenant” means a person who rents or leases a unit which he/she does not own.

“Tiered rates” means a water budget rate structure designed to promote water conservation and discourage wasteful irrigation practices.

Tract. See Subdivision.

“Water availability” means domestic water service is considered to be available to property or to premises if the water system has been constructed and is available for service as provided for in CVWDC 3.05.180.

“Water availability charge” means the annual charge levied against lands to which domestic water service is available whether the service is used or not.

“Water budget” means the amount of water allocated to a specific property based on water use efficiency.

“Water demand offset fee” means a standalone charge levied on a lot, parcel, property, premises, subdivision, and/or tract as a conditions of providing domestic water service. The water demand offset fee is levied for the purpose of funding new nonpotable water projects including converting existing potable water customers to recycled water and/or nonpotable (canal) water supplies and conservation programs that free up existing potable water groundwater supplies.

“Water system backup facilities charge” means the charge assessed on all new development and redevelopment projects for the construction of backup “off-site” water facilities and to ensure domestic water availability for new development projects. The WSBFC is comprised of two components: (1) dwelling unit/building unit charge, and (2) meter surcharge. (Ord. 1399.16 § 1-1, 2023)