DISTRICT FIRE HYDRANT PERMIT PROGRAM

Whitworth Water District’s Fire Hydrant Permit Program (Program) was adopted by the District’s Board of Commissioners under Resolution 20-03. The Program provides for the lawful use of District owned fire hydrants to obtain bulk water. Permits are only offered monthly or annually. By completing and signing both the Application Packet and Permit Application (attached), the applicant is agreeing to comply with the Program fees and rules listed within this Application Packet. Any use of a District owned hydrant without a valid Permit and District issued devices will result in a $1,000 fine, loss of Permit (if applicable), and law enforcement intervention.

PERMIT FEES:

Monthly Fire Hydrant Permit Fee – $250 plus usage rates. The Permit timeframe will begin at date of issuance and extend for a period of 30 days.

Yearly Fire Hydrant Permit Fee – $1,000 plus usage rates. The Permit timeframe will be one year from the date of issuance.

Monthly Water Usage Reporting and Rates – Usage is billed monthly per the District’s current commercial T-1 rate structure. A $29.48 per month base charge plus volumetric usage rates apply. Permit holders must email monthly meter readings on the 20th of each month to operations@whitworthwater.com Meter readings not sent in will be subject to the volumetric usage rates for the month readings were received. Monthly volumetric usage rates for 2025 are listed below and subject to change.

Usage rates for year 2025 are as follows and are subject to change.

• 1 – 27,676 gallons = $0.00071 per gallon
• 27,677-74,800 gallons = $0.00110 per gallon
• 74,801 –112,200 gallons = $0.00166 per gallon
• Greater than 112,201 gallons = $.00276

PERMIT RULES:

Fire Hydrant Meter and Backflow Assembly Connection, Disconnection, and Relocation – It is a Program requirement that the District issued devices are exclusively used and not altered in any manner. Specific care must be taken to protect the meter and backflow device as well as the hydrant itself. Use of District issued hydrant stand is also required, as this places less stress on the hydrant while also supporting the meter device. The District requires permit holders to notify District staff if any damage or irregular behavior is experienced with the device or hydrant(s).

Liability Insurance Coverage – An Applicant for a District Hydrant Permit must provide a copy of their liability insurance policy. The amount of coverage shall not be less than $1,000,000 for bodily injury, including death to any one person and, subject to that limit for each person, of not less than $1,000,000 each occurrence; and property damage of not less than $1,000,000 each occurrence.

Damage Deposit – A $500 Damage Deposit is required on all Permits. The Damage Deposit is required at time of application. Damages caused by neglect, improper use, or abuse to the hydrant, meter, backflow assembly, gate valve, or meter stand will be deducted from the Damage Deposit by the amount necessary to facilitate repair or replacement. Unused Damage Deposit amounts will be returned after the Permit period has ended and all equipment and infrastructure has been inspected. If repairs due to neglect, improper use, or abuse are required prior to the Permit period ending, these repair charges will be billed on a time and material basis on the monthly billing statement. The Permit holder is responsible for any theft or loss of equipment.

Possession of Permit and Unpermitted Hydrant Usage Penalty – A penalty of $250 will be assessed to the Permit holder if a hydrant user is not immediately able to provide a copy of the Permit when requested by District personnel. In addition, a penalty of $250 and immediate loss of Permit without refund will occur if either the District provided meter, backflow assembly, and or jack stand are not connected when operating a hydrant.

Fire Department Use – Any District hydrant utilized must be unobstructed at all times for use by fire department or District personal. Any violation will lead to the revocation of the Permit without refund.

HYDRANT OPERATION RULES:

Hydrant permit holders operate hydrants at their own risk and assume all responsibility for personal injury, blatant damage to District equipment, or any user caused contamination to the water system from their improper use of District hydrants. If a hydrant is not operating properly, immediately call the District at (509) 466-7511 to report the problem. The hydrant water supply will be open and therefore the use of a pipe wrench is not necessary. Never open or close a fire hydrant rapidly. Opening or closing a hydrant too fast can damage the hydrant, or send water hammer through the water system causing damage elsewhere. This may also disturb any sediment within the water mains and affect water quality for other customers. Never throttle a hydrant from the operation nut. Operate the hydrant to the fully open or fully closed positions. Leaving the hydrant partially open or closed can cause damage to the main rubber valve. Permit holder assumes all liability resulting from improper opening or closure of a fire hydrant.

Click here for full packet including application 

ASSESSMENTS 

An Assessment is a property’s prorated share of the project costs borne to bring water improvements to a previously unserved area within the District. Assessment fees, where they exist, are charged in addition to the GFC required for new service. To determine if a specific property is located within an Assessment Area, please contract the Operations Department at (509) 466-7511.

A General Facilities Charge (GFC) is a one-time charge imposed as a condition of service on new connections to the water system. The charge represents a proportional share of the capital investment made to provide system capacity. These charges do not include costs associated with the physical connection to the system including meters, materials, labor and other miscellaneous charges. Estimates for these costs and other services are available upon request at the District Office.

These fees are:

3/4-inch meter size – $2,580

1-inch meter size – $4,300

2-inch meter size – $13,438

For connections larger than a 2-inch meter size, a site-specific determination, or non-standard schedule path, can be used to establish a General Facilities Charge (GFC) based on the total equivalent residential units (ERU). the current charge per ERU is $4,300. As an alternate to the non-standard schedule path, an applicant may choose to instead apply the standard schedule path to determine the GFC Schedule.