II. Standards of Service
1. General
A. Subject to the Commission's oversight, each utility shall operate its system so as to deliver reliable, high quality service to its customers at reasonable cost.
B. Each water utility shall ensure that it complies with the Department's permit requirements and all applicable drinking water regulations.
C. Each wastewater utility shall ensure that it complies with the State Board, Regional Board, and County Health Department permit requirements and all applicable regulations.
2. Water Quality and Supply Requirements
(1) General. Any utility serving water for human consumption shall provide water that is not harmful or dangerous to health and, insofar as practicable, free from objectionable odors, taste, color and turbidity.
(2) The utility shall comply with applicable state and federal laws pertaining to water quality, and with related regulations of the Department and US EPA and all additional requirements of the Commission.
(3) If the Department or US EPA finds a utility to be out of compliance with the water quality regulations specified in section II.2.A(2), the utility shall promptly notify the Commission, by telephone or e-mail, with confirmation in writing. Any report submitted to the Department or US EPA in such circumstances shall be submitted concurrently to the Commission.
(4) If a utility notifies its customers of a water quality event, it shall simultaneously provide such notice to the Commission, by telephone or e-mail, with confirmation in writing.
(5) Each utility shall have representative samples of its water analyzed by a Department accredited laboratory, as required pursuant to California Health and Safety Code Sections 116390 and 100825-100920, at intervals specified by the Department.
(6) It is not intended that any rule contained in this General Order shall supersede or conflict with the regulations of the Department or US EPA. Compliance by a utility with the regulations of the Department or US EPA on a particular subject matter shall constitute compliance with such of these rules as relate to the same subject matter except as otherwise ordered by the Commission.
(7) In accordance with the Commission's Decision 07-05-062 or subsequent order, in each general rate case of a Class A water utility, the Presiding Officer shall appoint a water quality expert to assist the Commission in making specific findings and recommendations concerning the Class A water utilities' water quality compliance, unless good cause exists to forego such appointment.
(8) Appointment of a water expert may not be necessary if the utility has met all sampling and testing requirements, and has no test results on facilities in active service that exceed the maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) established by the Department, and no party raises concerns of merit.
(9) Recycled water shall meet the Department's recycled water requirements of Article 4, Chapter 7, Part 12 of Division 104 of the California Health and Safety Code.
(10) Any unauthorized waste discharge (as defined in the utility's tariff rules) into a utility's wastewater system shall be grounds for disconnection at the customer service lateral from the utility's system.
All water supplied by the water utility shall be:
(a) Obtained from a permitted source;
(b) Obtained from a source or sources reasonably adequate to provide a reliable supply of water; or
(c) Produced from a source or sources described in the utility's Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) that has been reviewed by the Commission in its most recent general rate case or in an amendment to such UWMP that the utility has submitted by advice letter for review by the Division of Water and Audits, or its successor.
(2) Operation of Supply System
(a) The potable water supply system, including wells, reservoirs, pumping equipment, treatment and filtration works, mains, meters and service pipes shall be free from sanitary defects.
(b) No physical connection between the distribution system of a public potable water supply and that of any other water supply shall be permitted except in compliance with the Regulations Relating to Cross Connections of the Department contained in the CCR, Title 17, Division 1, Chapter 5, Subchapter 1, Group 4, Articles 1 and 2, or its successor.
(c) Production from groundwater and surface water sources shall comply with relevant Waterworks Standards and, in the case of a utility that has submitted a UWMP for Commission review, shall be conducted in accordance with a UWMP that has been reviewed by the Commission in the utility's most recent general rate case or in accordance with an amendment to such UWMP that the utility has submitted by advice letter for review by the Division of Water and Audits, or its successor.
(3) Potable Water System Capacity
(a) A system's facilities shall have the capacity to meet the source capacity requirements as defined in the Waterworks Standards, CCR Title 22, Section 64554, or its successor. If, at any time, the system does not have this capacity, the utility shall request a service connection moratorium until such time as it can demonstrate the source capacity has been increased to meet system requirements.
(b) If a system provides potable water for fire protection service, new portions of the system shall have supply and storage facilities that are designed to meet MDD plus the required fire flow at the time of design. See, Section VI of this General Order for fire flow guidelines.
(c) The system's MDD and PHD shall be determined in accordance with Waterworks Standards, CCR Title 22, Section 64554, or its successor.
Once use of a utility sewer system's facilities has reached 80 % of design average daily flow as specified in the permit as issued by the Regional Board, the utility shall request a service connection moratorium until such time as it can demonstrate the system capacity has been increased to meet system requirements.
3. Continuity of Service
(1) Each utility shall make all reasonable efforts to prevent interruptions to service and when such interruptions occur shall reestablish service with the shortest possible delay consistent with the safety of its customers, its employees, and the general public.
(2) If an emergency interruption of service affects the service to any public fire protection device, within 120 minutes of discovery of the interruption by the utility, the utility shall notify the Fire Chief or other public official responsible for fire protection of such interruption and of subsequent restoration of normal service.
(1) Whenever any utility finds it necessary to schedule an interruption to its service, it shall notify all customers to be affected by the interruption, stating the approximate time and anticipated duration of the interruption. Scheduled interruptions shall be made at such hours as will provide the least inconvenience to the customers consistent with reasonable operations.
(2) Where public fire protection is provided by the facilities affected by the interruptions, the utility shall report to the Fire Chief or other officials responsible for fire protection when the interruption is scheduled, the approximate time, and anticipated duration. In addition, the Fire Chief or other official responsible for fire protection shall be notified within 60 minutes upon restoration of service.
C. Minimum Standards for Repairs
All repairs associated with a utility's water and wastewater system shall include, as a minimum:
(1) a determination whether temporary service can be provided;
(2) the proper used of road hazard signs, traffic cones, and barriers;
(3) a call to the regional underground service alert center to identify buried utilities in the area;
(4) hydrostatic testing per applicable AWWA pipe standard, and bacteriological testing according to AWWA C651;
(5) disinfection of mains, and the Department's or County Health's permission to return the line to service;
(6) backfill and pipe bedding shall be per applicable AWWA pipe installation standard;
(7) ground surface shall be repaired to at least its original condition.
Each utility shall keep a complete record of all interruptions, both emergency and scheduled, when more than 10 service connections are interrupted. These records of interruptions shall include the information listed in Appendix C to this General Order and shall be kept with the utility's records in accordance with the retention schedule listed in Appendix C.
All emergency interruptions involving an entire system, an entire separately operated system of a multi-system utility or a major portion of an entire or separately operated system shall be reported to the Commission by the utility as soon as possible after occurrence, by telephone or e-mail stating the cause, date, time, estimated duration, location, approximate number of customers affected and remedial steps being taken to restore service.
4. Water Supply Measurement
Measuring devices known as source flow meters are required for each water system source, except at any inactive source. In accordance with Waterworks Standards, CCR Title 22, Section 64561, the utility shall, for each water system:
(1) Install a flow meter at a location between each water source and the entry point to the distribution system;
(2) Meter the quantity of water flow from each source to determine total production; and
(3) Each month, determine and record the total monthly production from each source.
The yearly water supply totals by type of source shall be recorded in the appropriate service territory or rate-making district, and transmitted annually to the Commission as provided in the utility's annual reports to the Commission.
