That the rules and regulations hereinafter set forth shall constitute and be considered a part of the contract with every person, company, firm or corporation supplied with gas from the gas system of the city, and every person, company, firm or corporation, hereinafter called the consumer, who accepts and uses gas shall be held to have consented to be bound thereby.

(Ord. 144, Sec. 1)

All applications for gas service shall be made in writing on a contract blank furnished by the city, stating fully and truly the purposes for which the services are required.

(Ord. 144, Sec. 2)

That all services shall be laid by the city from the main to the property line or as agreed between the landowner and the city.

(Ord. 144, Sec. 3)

That all meters shall be installed outside the foundation of the building to be serviced, except in cases where the building occupies the entire area of the property to be served and in other special cases to be approved by the city maintenance superintendent. In all exceptional cases, such meter settings shall be so arranged as to permit access to same during ordinary business hours, by the meter reader for the city. Meter settings and loops shall be constructed in accordance with the standards established by the city.

(Ord. 144, Sec. 4)

There shall be a fee of $500 for initial placement of a meter at the building to be serviced. There shall be a fee of $250 for reinstallation of a meter that has been previously removed from service.

(Ord. 310; Ord. 316; Code 2020)

The city shall furnish natural gas, consumed or used within and outside the city limits at the following rates:

        All sales shall be at the actual cost of gas to the City plus $2.50 per mcf. A customer charge of $20.00 per month shall also be charged.

(Ord. 251; Ord. 268; Ord. 287; Code 2020)

Consumers shall be held responsible for any damages done to meters on their premises from any cause other than ordinary wear and tear. The city shall keep all meters in repair and proper working condition without cost to the consumer except where meter is damaged by neglect or fault of the consumer in which case the city shall collect from the consumer the cost of repairing or replacing any meter damaged while supplying the consumer’s premises. No consumer shall repair, or remove any meter or break any seal on a meter, nor tamper with or interfere with the proper registration of any meter.

(Ord. 144, Sec. 6)

All meters shall remain the property of the city and may be removed from the property of the consumer at any time for the purpose of testing and repairing same or upon discontinuance of service. Meter deposits cannot be sold nor transferred by one customer to another except by consent of the city clerk and then only after payment in full is made for gas consumed to date of such transfer.

(Ord. 144, Sec. 7)

Any customer who becomes dissatisfied with the registration of the meter supplying his or her service or doubts the accuracy of the meter, may demand that the meter be tested, providing that such customer shall first deposit with the city clerk, a fee of $5 to defray the cost of making such a test. If, upon test, the meter shall prove to be more than three percent fast, the deposit shall be returned to the consumer, but if the meter shall be proven to be accurate or within three percent fast or slow, the deposit shall be retained by the city. No rebate shall be given the customer on account of over registration nor shall any charge be made on account of under registration of any meter so tested.

(Ord. 144, Sec. 8)

That in case the meter should stop or for any reason fail to register properly, or upon failure to read any meter, the superintendent may estimate the monthly bill on the basis of the average monthly quantity consumed during the past six months.

(Ord. 144, Sec. 9)

Consumers shall keep all pipes and fixtures inside the curb connection in good repair and free from leaks at their expense. No claim for damages shall be made against the city on account of the breaking or leaking of any valves or service pipe nor will any allowance be made to any consumer on account of any leaks or waste of gas after passing through the meter.

(Ord. 144, Sec. 10)

No person shall extend pipes from one property or street number to another one.

(Ord. 144, Sec. 11)

The employees of the city shall have free access at any reasonable hour to all parts of any consumer’s premises for the purpose of making inspections or repairs or for reading meters.

(Ord. 144, Sec. 12)

The city reserves the right to shut off gas at any time for the purpose of making repairs or for any other reason and no claim for damages shall be made against the city on account of any such interruption of service.

(Ord. 144, Sec. 13)

All consumers shall give notice at least two days in advance when they wish service discontinued, which notice shall be given to the city clerk.

(Ord. 144, Sec. 14)

In the event of reconnection of service following disconnection of service, there shall be payable a reconnection charge of $25 for gas service. Any service disconnected for nonpayment of delinquent bills shall be reconnected only upon payment of the delinquent bill, interest penalty thereon, and the reconnection charge.

(Ord. 310; Code 2020)

No person shall remove, obstruct, alter or injure any pipe, connection, valve, box or meter, or in any way injure or damage any building, machinery, fixture or appurtenance of the gas system of the city, or carry off or injure any pipe, tools, fixtures, supplies or apparatus or other property appertaining to the gas system of the city.

(Ord. 144, Sec. 15)

It shall be the duty of any person or persons installing, altering or extending any gas piping, fixtures or appliances, in any building in the city to notify the gas inspector when such work is ready for inspection.

(Ord. 144, Sec. 16)

Each and every system of gas piping within buildings, together with the appliances whether new, altered or extended, shall be inspected by the gas inspector or his or her duly authorized agent, and if such work shall be found to comply with the provisions of this article, it shall be marked as approved. In all buildings where gas has been previously used, the gas company may turn on gas without having received the certificate of inspection. Providing, however, that when wetting the meter and if the pipes are found in a leaking condition, the meter shall not be set and the gas shall be left turned off. A permit must be obtained from the city clerk before any appliances are installed or extended. There shall be no charge for the permit.

(Ord. 144, Sec. 17)

If upon inspection, the work does not comply with the terms of this article, the party making the installation or doing the work shall be and is hereby required to make such changes as in opinion of the gas inspector are necessary to have the work comply with the terms of this article.

(Ord. 144, Sec. 18)

Before any system of gas piping is put into service, it shall be carefully tested to assure that it is gas tight. To test for tightness the piping may be filled with the city gas, air or inert gas, but not with any other gas or liquid. The test shall consist of introducing air at a pressure of three times the expected gas service pressure, said pressure to remain without a pressure drop for 10 minutes.

(Ord. 144, Sec. 19)

The installation, repair and restoration of gas piping, fittings, appliances and connections shall be done and performed in full compliance with the following rules:

(a)   Ordinary Dwellings.

(1)   No gas service pipe installed hereafter from the curb or property line to building shall be less than 1 1/4 inches inside diameter and must enter all buildings above the ground level.

(2)   Minimum pipe size for service to any or all appliances shall be not less than 3/4 inch inside diameter.

(b)   All Premises.

(1)   Appliance vent pipes shall not be smaller than the size indicated by the vent collar on the appliance to be vented; shall be straight; as short as possible; and be pitched upward toward the chimney or flue at least 1/4 inch to each foot of horizontal length. The vent pipe shall be of material which resists corrosion and shall enter the chimney or flue 12 inches above the bottom to avoid stoppage by falling plaster or debris. Vent pipes located in unexcavated spaces beneath floors must be of tile or transite. All joints in the tile vent pipe must be cemented so as to be airtight and capable of preventing separation of the adjoining parts.

(2)   No cast iron fittings or galvanized fittings shall be used on any gas piping system in buildings.

(3)   All fittings and connections must be of standard make and size. All pipe and pipe threads shall comply with the American Standard for Pipe Threads. (ASA 82.1-1945) American Standard Taper Pipe Threads. Pipe must be free from obstruction. Joint compounds (pipe dope) shall be applied sparingly and only to the male threads of the joint and shall be resistant to the action of L-P gas-air mixtures.

(4)   Unions shall be ground joint and shall not be used in concealed construction or places which are not plainly visible.

(5)   Reducing fittings only shall be used to reduce pipe size. Reducing bushings shall not be used.

(6)   In no case shall valves which need replacing from time to time be placed under floors or in any inaccessible place.

(7)   All inside pipes shall be securely fastened to the bottom or joints or other secure places with iron straps or pipe hooks.

(8)   No cement or any substance shall be used to conceal or cover any leaks or flaws in pipes, fittings or connections, but new pipes, fittings shall be used to replace those in which holes, flaws or defects may be found.

(9)   Exact space for the meter and union shall be left in piping.

(10) No extensions, connections or fittings consisting in whole or in part of rubber or flexible tubing shall be permitted except when the gas is used for pressing irons, mangles, blow torches or laboratory burners. (And there shall be located on the fixed piping, at the point of connection with the flexible tubing, a valve which will serve as a shut off for such portable appliance.) Copper or aluminum gas connections having a maximum length of 36 inches may be used between fixed piping and non-portable appliance such as refrigerators, ranges and radiant heaters located in fireplaces.

(11) A meter valve shall be installed on all furnace risers, and shall be at least four inches above the floor. This valve shall be of a standard gas valve.

(12) No solid dampers shall be installed in flue pipes of gas burning equipment. All dampers shall have a hole or holes with diameters not less than 1/4 of the pipe diameter.

(13) When gas appliances are disconnected, all openings in house lines shall be plugged or capped tightly so as to prevent the escape of gas, and this shall be done under the supervision of the gas inspector.

(14) All furnaces, water heaters and space heaters above 24,000 BTU rating shall be equipped with 100 percent safety shut-off control. All of the above appliances shall be vented.

(15) A stop cock must precede each appliance.

(Ord. 144, Sec. 20)