City Code Chapter
21.10.010 Definitions.
- The following definitions apply to the entirety of Title 21. Additional Section-specific definitions may be found in other Sections.
- A. Annual rates ordinance means the legislation approved by Council that establishes rates and charges for use of water and water-related services during each fiscal year.
- B. Appeal means a request for an exception to a Water Bureau standard, specification, requirement or assessment.
- C. Applicant means the person or group applying for water or water-related services. The applicant may also be a private property owner, an owner representative of the property owner or a tenant. Once the application is accepted, the applicant may be known as a ratepayer.
- D. Backflow assembly installation requirements means standards for premises-isolation backflow prevention assemblies and their installation. The Water Bureau developed these standards to be consistent with State of Oregon administrative rules. Where backflow protection is mandated, the application of these requirements are a condition of water service or continued water service.
- E. Backflow prevention assembly means a valve that prevents water from flowing opposite of the normal direction of the flow. Backflow prevention assemblies may prevent premises water from flowing back into the City’s water system (this is called premises isolation) or prevent water flowing backward through premises piping (this is called point-of-use isolation).
- F. Backflow protection means the methods by which the Water Bureau protects the public water system from backflow as established by Oregon Health Authority’s cross-connection control requirements and this Title.
- G. Base charge means a charge for all services connected to the City water system. This per-day charge is published in the annual rates ordinance.
- H. Chief Engineer means a licensed professional civil engineer in charge of the Water Bureau’s engineering staff. Subject to the approval of the City Administrator, the Chief Engineer or the Chief Engineer’s designee establishes, maintains and enforces engineering and technical standards used for planning, design, construction, operations, safety, maintenance and protection of the City’s public drinking water system, related infrastructure and assets. The Chief Engineer is the individual designated to act as the official agent of the Water Bureau to make decisions that directly impact the quality or quantity of drinking water, subject to the approval of the City Administrator, and the City Administrator has overall responsibility for engineering at the Water Bureau.
- I. Curtailment means the intentional reduction in potable water usage by customers below normal consumption levels for a specified time.
- J. Developer means the initiator of a proposal to construct a water main extension or modification on private property that will connect to the public water system. The development work may include work in a subdivision, multifamily lot or redevelopment of a single-family lot into multiple units, commercial or other development.
- K. Director means the person in charge of the Water Bureau or the Director’s designee.
- L. Emergency means an unforeseen circumstance or combination of circumstances or the resulting state that calls for immediate action as determined at the discretion of the City Administrator.
- M. Engineering and technical standards means the standards used for planning, design, construction, operation, maintenance and protection of the water system.
- N. Fire hydrant or hydrant means a connection point by which firefighters and Water Bureau staff may tap into a water supply.
- O. Front lot line means a lot line, or segment of a lot line, that abuts a street. On a corner lot, the front lot line is the shortest of the lot lines that abut a street. If two or more street lot lines are of equal length, then the applicant or property owner may choose which lot line is to be the front. However, a through lot has two front lot lines regardless of whether the street lot lines are of equal or unequal length.
- P. Main means pipe that brings water to service connections and hydrants. Distribution main may be underneath streets, public right-of-way, private right-of-way or easements.
- Q. Master meter means a meter that records the total water use of more than one unit.
- R. Meter means a device that records water use.
- S. Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR) means the State of Oregon administrative rules as amended.
- T. Oregon Health Authority means the state agency responsible for governing the operations of public water systems in the State of Oregon.
- U. Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) means the codified laws of the State of Oregon.
- V. Person means any natural person, joint venture, joint stock company, partnership, association, club, company, corporation, business trust or organization, or the manager, lessee, agent, servant, entity, officer or employee of any of the previously mentioned items.
- W. Point of delivery (POD) means the connection between a public water system and the private property owner’s water system. On the private property side of the connection, the Oregon Plumbing Specialty Code applies. Refer to OAR 333-0061-0020. If a premises-isolation backflow assembly is installed on the private property side of the connection, it must meet the Water Bureau’s cross connection control requirements per Subsection 21.30.320 B.1. Refer to OAR 333-061-0070 (9)(b)(A)(ii).
- X. Water Bureau means the organization charged with the financing, operation, maintenance and improvement of the City’s water distribution system.
- Y. Potable water means safe drinking water meeting all water quality regulations. Refer to OAR 333-061-0020.
- Z. Premises means a piece of land and the buildings on it.
- AA. Private property owner means a person who is a legal holder of property according to the appropriate county’s assessment and taxation records. Also identified as applicant or ratepayer depending on role in Title 21.
- BB. Project means a series of tasks completed by the City that needs to be completed in order to reach a specific outcome.
- CC. Public improvement means an improvement performed or financed by a local, state or federal entity of, on, over or under property owned or controlled by the City, or premises to be controlled by the City upon plat and easement recording for approved land premises division by construction, reconstruction, remodeling, repair or replacement, when no property is intended to be charged through assessment any portion of the improvement cost.
- DD. Ratepayer means the person or group responsible for paying for City water, stormwater or sewer service charges and fees that are fixed by the annual rates ordinance. The ratepayer may also be an applicant, private property owner, an owner representative of the property owner, developer or a tenant depending on their role in Title 21.
- EE. Rate means water, stormwater or sewer service charges and fees that are fixed by the annual rates ordinance.
- FF. Right-of-way means the area between property lines of a street, easement, tract or other area dedicated to the movement of vehicles, pedestrians or goods; dedicated or deeded to the public for public use and under the control of a public agency; or a private right-of-way in private ownership, for use by the property owner and those having express or implied permission by the property owner, but not by others.
- GG. Service means the connection by means of which water is conveyed from a main of a public water system to a premise or to a point of delivery.
- HH. Service–branch means a service from the water main to a future meter location.
- II. Service–curb means a domestic service where the Water Bureau has removed the meter but has not yet disconnected the service from the main. The service is still full of water.
- JJ. Service-domestic or domestic service means an active service with a meter installed, provided for human consumption.
- KK. Service–fire or fire service means a service for premises fire suppression only.
- LL. Service–header means two or more metered services tapped off a single service pipe.
- MM. Service–irrigation means a service for landscape irrigation only.
- NN. Service–temporary means a service intended for short-term use, not exceeding 24 months.
- OO. Service termination means that depending on the type of service, the ends occur at the following places:
- 1. Metered small (one inch or less) service on private property: through the meter and to the first coupling connection.
- 2. Metered large (more than one inch) service on private property: through the downstream meter valve.
- 3. Metered service in public right-of-way: through the first coupling.
- 4. Unmetered service, meter stop or valve: to the backside of the shutoff valve.
- PP. System Development Charge (SDC) means a fee applied to create a new service or make an existing service larger.
- QQ. Tenant means a person who rents or occupies property from another person.
- RR. Vaulted Basement means below-grade building extension into the right-of-way.
- SS. Volumetric Charge means a charge that is based on how much water is used, as measured by the meter.
- TT. Water main extension means the addition of more feet of water main to an existing water main.
- UU. Water charges means water charges that appear on a ratepayer’s bill, including water volume and water base charges, that are fixed by the Annual Rates Ordinance, which is approved by Portland City Council.
- VV. Wholesale distributor means a water district, city, water company, association or other agency that buys water from the City of Portland and then sells or distributes it.