DISTRICT FIRE HYDRANT PERMIT PROGRAM

Whitworth Water District’s Fire Hydrant Permit Program was adopted by the District’s Board of Commissioners under Resolution 20-03 on January 17, 2020. The Program provides for the lawful use of District fire hydrants to obtain bulk water. Permits are offered by the month or annual timeframe. By completing and signing both the Application Packet and Permit Application, the applicant is agreeing to comply with the Program fees and rules listed within this Application Packet. Any use of a District hydrant without a valid Permit and District installed devices will result in a $250 fine, loss of Permit, and possible 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 rate structure. Meters will be read by District staff and billed based on monthly usage.

Usage rates for year 2023 are as follows and are subject to change.

• 1 – 3,700 cubic feet = $0.00065 per cubic foot
• 3,701 – 10,000 cubic feet = $0.0010 per cubic foot
• 10,001 cubic feet and above = $0.00150 per cubic foot

Relocation of Meter and Backflow Assembly – $30 per occurrence. No charge for initial set up or breakdown.

PERMIT RULES:

Fire Hydrant Meter and Backflow Assembly Connection, Disconnection, and Relocation – It is a Program requirement that the Permit holder notify District staff of any hydrant meter and backflow assembly relocation request. Any relocation requested will be assessed a $30 fee. The District must be notified of the relocation request at least 24 hours in advance by calling (509) 466-7511. Any relocation request may be denied by District staff. It is against Permit Program policy for any non-District staff member to connect, disconnect, alter, or relocate any meter and or backflow assembly from or to a District hydrant. Any violations will lead to a $250 penalty and the immediate revocation of Permit without refund.

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, hydrant lock, 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, or if a hydrant other than the one stated on the Permit is used.

Hydrant Selection and Usage – Only one hydrant may be listed on the Permit Application and must be approved by the District prior to use. No other hydrant may be used unless approved in writing by District staff. Once the Permit is approved, District staff will unlock the permitted hydrant at the request of the Permit holder and provide and install the meter, backflow assembly, and jack stand. It is a violation of the Permit for anyone other than District staff to connect, disconnect, or relocate a District meter and backflow assembly from or to 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.