REQUIREMENTS FOR WATER SERVICES

Tulsa Revised Ordinances tit. 11-C, ch. 2

in effect

Tulsa Revised Ordinances tit. 11-C, § 200 Scope.

Section 200. - Scope. This chapter shall include all general requirements and restrictions in respect to the connection, use, protection and maintenance of all water lines forming a part of the waterworks system of the City of Tulsa.

Tulsa Revised Ordinances tit. 11-C, § 201 Definitions.

Section 201. - Definitions. As used in this title, the following terms shall have the meanings given herein. A. Premise shall mean any plat or tract of ground, regardless of size or plat, under individual ownership and/or individual use and occupancy where the water service is metered independently of any other use. B. Service connection shall include the following: 1. House service or house service line shall include all water lines receiving water from any meter, regardless of size, supplied by mains of the City of Tulsa to a single premise; and 2. Fire protection service shall mean any water line constructed with the objective of furnishing an auxiliary supply of water for fire fighting purposes within a single premise. C. Meter shall mean an apparatus installed between the main and the service connection for measuring and recording the quantity of water used by any premise during any interval of time. D. Master meter shall mean an apparatus installed at the point of supply for more than one (1) premise as defined by contract for measuring and recording the quantity of water used during any interval of time by the party contracting with the City. E. City shall mean the City of Tulsa, Oklahoma, a municipal corporation acting through the Utility Board and the City's duly authorized officers or agents. F. City's service shall mean that part of the waterworks system extending from the water main to the meter, including the meter and appurtenances, for the purpose of supplying any water from any main of the City of Tulsa. G. City main shall mean any water line of whatever size or extent for which the City of Tulsa is responsible for the operation, repair and maintenance. H. Deduct irrigation meter shall mean an apparatus installed on the service connection for measuring and recording the quantity of water used by a lawn irrigation system. I. Irrigation meter shall mean an apparatus installed between the main and service connection for measuring and recording the quantity of water used by a lawn irrigation system. (Ord. No. 19501)

Tulsa Revised Ordinances tit. 11-C, § 202 Application.

Section 202. - Application. Any person desiring to have premises connected with the water supply of the City of Tulsa shall present at the office of the Director an application on a form to be provided by the Director containing the name of the applicant, a description of the lot, block and addition, and the official house number of the premises on which the water is desired. The application shall be signed by the applicant or his duly authorized agent and shall be filed with the Director. At the time of filing, the applicant shall pay to the Director the fees for installation of water service as hereinafter provided, and the applicant shall be issued a receipt therefor.

Tulsa Revised Ordinances tit. 11-C, § 203 Service contract.

Section 203. - Service contract. The application required herein shall contain a contract requiring the applicant to pay for the water supplied at the rate and in the manner specified in such contract and shall reserve to the City of Tulsa the right to charge and collect the rates and enforce the penalties provided for in this title in the manner herein provided, to change the rates at any time by ordinance, to temporarily discontinue the service at any time without notice to the consumer and to install a meter or meters to register the water consumed. The contract shall recite that it is subject to all the provisions of this title and of any ordinance of the City of Tulsa relating to the subject, hereafter passed, and shall provide that the City of Tulsa shall not be held responsible for any damages, by water or other cause, resulting from defective plumbing or appliances on the premises installed by the owner or occupants of the premises; and that the fact that agents of the City have inspected the plumbing and appliances shall not be pleaded as a basis of recovery in case of damage to premises from defective plumbing or appliances installed by the owner or occupant of such premises. The contract shall further provide that, in case the supply of water shall be interrupted or shall fail by reason of accident or any other causes whatsoever, the City shall not be liable for damages for such interruption or failure, nor shall such failure or interruption for any reasonable period be held to constitute a breach of contract on the part of the City or in any way relieve the consumer from performing the obligations of his contract. No contract shall be entered into which will render or continue to render any service to any person against whom there is any unsatisfied claim for previous services or any unpaid charges of any kind; provided, however, that the City may for good cause shown enter into agreement with such person to render service upon the payment of such claim in installments.

Tulsa Revised Ordinances tit. 11-C, § 204 Service connections.

Section 204. - Service connections. No premise shall be allowed to have more than one (1) service connection unless a special permit therefor is given by the Director. The granting of such permit shall be subject to such conditions as the Director shall impose, and such permit may be revoked at any time the Director may elect. Every separate premise supplied by City mains shall have its own separate service connection with the City main, and the premise so supplied will not be allowed to supply water to any other premise. The Director shall keep a record of the date when water is turned on for each premise. A. Connection within or outside the corporate limits. 1. Permanent service connection. When application is made for water service for a premise abutting upon a street upon which there is a main, after payment of the connection fees and execution of a contract, the owner shall employ a City certified service installation contractor for the service installation. The service shall be connected to the main by extending the piping at right angles from the main toward the property line to a point designated by the Director. The City's service installation contractor shall be responsible for workmanship and materials associated with the service installation for a period of one (1) year, after which it shall be maintained by the City of Tulsa. 2. Temporary service connection. When application is made for water service to property not abutting upon a street upon which there is a main, the owner shall pay the connection fee and all other applicable City fees, shall execute a contract, and shall employ a City certified service installation contractor to install the City's service. A temporary service connection shall be permitted only for an existing house or building or where a City of Tulsa building permit has been issued for the location. Such service shall be subject to all the restrictions imposed upon any other service, whether permanent or temporary. From the point of service connection, any temporary house service shall be extended at the applicant's expense to serve the property described in the application; provided, however, that the applicant shall obtain all necessary rights-of-way and easements for the house service in such manner that the house service shall not be in conflict with the physical extension of a future main, shall be responsible at all times for the operation, repair and maintenance of the house service and shall hold the City of Tulsa harmless against any and all claims for damage by reason of the construction, removal, operation or repair of the house service. B. Adjustments in service and service connections. 1. Adjustments due to street paving or grading. All service pipe shall be laid not less than thirty (30) inches from the surface of the ground where the street grade is already established. In the event that the street grade has not been established, all service pipe shall be laid, insofar as can be determined, in such manner as to avoid its being damaged or displaced upon the grading and paving of the street. The Director shall readjust all service connections in conflict with such future grading and paving and shall have such access on private property as shall be necessary to maintain such pipe during construction. Owners of premises shall readjust their house service from the end of the City's service or meter. 2. Cutting pavement. Where it becomes necessary within the corporate limits to excavate or cut any paved street or road to install a service connection, the water service installation contractor shall secure a permit for such cut as required by the Revised Ordinances of the City of Tulsa. If such cut is made outside the corporate limits, then the water service installation contractor shall secure such a permit as required by the jurisdiction having authority. 3. Transferring temporary service connections. When a main is subsequently constructed in front of any premise served by a temporary service connection, the Director shall, after notifying the owner or tenant thereof, transfer the service connection to the new main without charge and, at the same time, shall eliminate the temporary service connection, and the owner shall arrange his house service pipes and connect same to the permanent service at his own expense. 4. Transferring service connections from master meter contracts. Whenever a new main is laid in any street, owners of premises on such street or within one-half (½) block on side streets, who are being supplied with City water from a master meter contract, shall make application for a tap and, with a separate service connection, shall connect to the main in front of the premises at the applicant's own expense. Should the applicant fail to make application and payment for the service connection within thirty (30) days after written notice, the Director may notify the owner of the master meter to discontinue water service to any such premise. Should the owner of the master meter fail to discontinue water service to any such premise after thirty (30) days' notice in writing, the Director may discontinue water service to such master meter and cause the same to be disconnected from the City main.

Tulsa Revised Ordinances tit. 11-C, § 205 Abandoned connections.

Section 205. - Abandoned connections. Whenever a service connection is to be abandoned or no longer used, the Director may cut out or remove such service connection. Thereafter, should a service connection be required to the premises, a new service shall be placed only if the owner makes an application and pays for a new service connection in the manner specified herein.

Tulsa Revised Ordinances tit. 11-C, § 206 Unlawful connections, operation or tampering.

Section 206. - Unlawful connections, operation or tampering. A. Unlawful connections. It shall be unlawful for any person to make any connections with any service, or to make any repairs, additions or alterations of any pipe, stop cock, stop and waste cock or any other fixture connected with or designed to be connected with the waterworks system, except in compliance with this title, and all such work must pass inspection by the plumbing inspector before being covered. A licensed plumber may have a service key which he shall keep in his possession with which he may shut off the water at the curb cock for the purpose of making repairs within the premises. No person other than licensed plumbers shall use such key, and plumbers doing work thereon shall leave the water shut off at the curb cock on all premises which are newly connected. On all other premises, the plumber shall leave the curb cock in the condition in which it was found when such work was commenced. B. Permission to connect. It shall be unlawful for any person to make any connection with any fixture or to connect any pipe with any main or water pipe of the City's waterworks system without first obtaining permission to do so from the Director. C. Hydrant offense. It shall be unlawful for any person, except a member of the Fire Department of the City of Tulsa or a person authorized by the Director or by the provisions of this title, to open, operate, close, turn on, turn off, interfere with, attach any pipe or hose to or connect anything to any gate valve, stop cock or fire hydrant belonging to the City of Tulsa, whether on private property or not. D. Obstructing fire hydrants. It shall be unlawful for any person to obstruct the access to any fire hydrant by placing around or upon such fire hydrant any stone, brick, lumber, dirt or other material. E. Damage to system. It shall be unlawful for any person, unless duly authorized by the Director or the provisions of this title, to disturb, displace, interfere with, cover up, damage or destroy any water mains, water pipe, meter, meter box, machinery, tools, building, fire hydrants, curb cocks, curb box or any other property belonging to, or under the control of the City of Tulsa. It shall be unlawful to enclose by fencing, a water meter or fire hydrant which is located within the public right-of-way.

Tulsa Revised Ordinances tit. 11-C, § 207 Meter rules.

Section 207. - Meter rules. All water meters connected to the City's service shall be furnished by the City of Tulsa. All such meters shall be under the exclusive control of the City and shall not be removed or tampered with except by duly authorized representatives of the City of Tulsa. In all cases where meters are lost, injured, destroyed or damaged by the negligence of the occupant of the premises served through such meters or by his agents or contractors, such meters shall be replaced or repaired by or under the direction of the Director, and the cost shall be charged against the occupant of the premises. If the cost of making such repairs is not paid upon the date next following for the payment of water service, the service to such premises shall be discontinued. The size of the water meter to be used on any service connection shall be designated by the Director. If at any time a meter is found to be of unsuitable size for the quantity of water to be measured, the Director may so notify the water customer who shall then make application for a meter of the proper size and pay for the new water meter and connection as provided herein. In the event any meter shall fail to register properly, the consumer shall be charged by an estimate made by the Director on the basis of the average monthly consumption during the three (3) month period immediately preceding, or otherwise from the most reliable and accurate data available. Premises shall be metered as follows: A. Each single family residence shall be considered a premise and shall be separately metered; B. Each tenant space of a duplex shall be considered a premise and shall be separately metered; C. Each apartment building shall be considered a premise and shall be separately metered, provided however that a cluster of apartment buildings on the same tract of land and not separated by a street, alley or parking lot may be metered with a common meter. Each tenant space of an apartment building may be separately metered; D. Each condominium building shall be considered a premise and shall be separately metered, provided however that a cluster of condominium buildings on the same tract of land and not separated by a street, alley or parking lot may be metered with a common meter. Each tenant space of a condominium building may be separately metered; E. Each mobile home in a mobile home subdivision shall be considered a premise and shall be separately metered; F. Each shopping center building or other commercial development building shall be considered a premise and shall be separately metered; provided, however, that a cluster of buildings on the same tract of land and not separated by a street, alley or parking lot may be metered with a common meter. Each tenant space of a shopping center or other commercial development may be separately metered; G. Each school or campus shall be considered a premise and shall be metered separately, provided, however, that each building may be separately metered; H. Each hotel or motel building shall be separately metered; provided, however, that a cluster of buildings on the same tract of land may be metered with a common meter if the buildings are not separated by a street, alley or parking lot. If the hotel or motel restaurant is housed in a separate building, it shall be metered separately; I. Each industrial facility shall be considered a premise and shall be separately metered; provided, however, that each separate building may be separately metered; and J. Each rental mobile home park shall be considered a premise and shall be separately metered; provided, however, that each separate building may be separately metered. (Ord. Nos. 19405, 21481)

Tulsa Revised Ordinances tit. 11-C, § 208 Meter changes.

Section 208. - Meter changes. Whenever the occupant of any premise requests any alteration to, change in or removal of meter, service connections or any appurtenances attached to the waterworks system not otherwise provided for herein, such applicant shall pay to the Director the cost of such change, plus twenty-five percent (25%) for overhead. (Ord. No. 21481)

Tulsa Revised Ordinances tit. 11-C, § 209 Fire protection service.

Section 209. - Fire protection service. From and after the effective date of this chapter, no connection for a private fire line system or service shall be permitted without a backflow preventer with bypass meter in accordance with the Plumbing Code of the City of Tulsa, Title 56, Tulsa Revised Ordinances; provided, however, that this provision shall not apply to combination service to facilities served by a fire flow or fire service meter installed in accordance with the provisions contained herein. Persons desiring such fire service connection shall apply to the Director as for other service connections. Installation shall be accomplished by a qualified contractor on behalf of the owner and the City of Tulsa. No meter security deposit shall be required for such fire services. Such fire service connections shall serve no more than one (1) building. In no instance shall any connection be made with any sprinkler or fire service without the prior written consent of the Director. In the event that any unauthorized connection has been made, that any water has been used from a sprinkler or fire service for any other purpose than extinguishing a fire, or that waste of water is permitted from such connection through leaks in the pipes or fixtures, or should seals be willfully broken on previously constructed water service, the Director shall notify the owner or lessee of the premises so served to install a fire flow or fire service water meter on such fire lines or hydrants at the expense of the owner or lessee. Should the owner or lessee of any such premises refuse or fail to make proper application for the installation of such meter within forty-eight (48) hours after notice has been given, or refuse to pay the fees required therefor, the Director shall have the water serving the fire lines or hydrants turned off at the main until such application shall have been made and fees paid. All valves and hydrants required to be sealed under the provisions of this title shall be frequently inspected under the direction of the Director, who shall have access on private property as shall be necessary to inspect services and hydrants. In the event that any such seal shall be broken, displaced or removed for any cause, either inadvertently or for firefighting purposes, it shall be the duty of the owner and occupant of the premises where such valve or hydrant is located to notify the Director, without delay, so that the same may be resealed. (Ord. Nos. 18163, 21481)

Tulsa Revised Ordinances tit. 11-C, § 210 Duct meters and irrigation meters.

Section 210. - Duct meters and irrigation meters. A. For all irrigation systems on accounts installed prior to March 16, 1999, other than a single residential living unit served by a single water service connection, the installation of a deduct irrigation meter is permissible. The location of the deduct irrigation meter shall be determined by the Public Works Director or his authorized representative. B. On and after March 16, 1999, no water connection to a commercial lawn irrigation system shall be permitted unless it has an irrigation meter and a backflow preventer in accordance with the Plumbing Code of the City of Tulsa, Title 56, Tulsa Revised Ordinances. Residential irrigation water connections may connect to the water system after the service meter or may connect with a new service connection with an irrigation meter. All residential irrigation systems must have a backflow preventer in accordance with the Plumbing Code of the City of Tulsa, Title 56, Tulsa Revised Ordinances. Deduct irrigation meters shall not be allowed off of residential water services. (Ord. Nos. 19501, 20406, 21481)

Tulsa Revised Ordinances tit. 11-C, § 211 Owner's duty to repair.

Section 211. - Owner's duty to repair. The service pipes, connections and other appurtenances within any private premises shall be kept in good repair and protected from freezing by the owner at his expense, or by his occupant in cases where service is contracted for by the occupant; and such owner or occupant shall be responsible for all damages resulting from leaks and breaks. In case such owner or occupant of such premises neglects to promptly repair any such service or fixture or neglects to make any changes or alterations which are required by this title, the Director shall have authority to shut off the water from such premises or, when deemed necessary, to go on the premises and make or cause to be made such changes, alterations or repairs, and to charge the same against the premises and the owner thereof, which charge shall be collected as are other charges. (Ord. Nos. 19501, 21481)

Source: City of Tulsa, Revised Ordinances and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/ok/tulsa/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_TIT11-CWASE_CH2REWASEFetched: 10/28/2026