09/23/2025 Ordinances 10,038 ORDINANCE NO. 10,038
An ordinance to amend Chapter 35 of the Grand Island City Code, Sections 35-4,
35-5, 35-7, 35-10, 35-11, 35-36 thru 35-39, 35-41, and 35-43; and to repeal any ordinance or
parts of ordinances in conflict herewith; and to provide for publication and the effective date of
this ordinance.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
GRAND ISLAND,NEBRASKA:
SECTION 1. Chapter 35, Sections 35-4, 35-5, 35-7, 35-10, 35-11, 35-36, 35-37,
35-38, 35-39, 35-41, and 35-43 of the Grand Island City Code are hereby amended to read as
follows:
35-4 Water Service; Order Required
The Utilities Director shall not order water to be supplied into any location, whether new or
existing construction, until the water system to be served has been inspected and approved by the
Grand Island Office of the Chief Building Official.
Service Pipes 2" and Smaller: Water will not be supplied into any location except upon the order
of the Utilities Director. Plumbers are allowed to turn water into service pipes for testing,
construction, or maintenance on the order of the Utilities Department or Office of the Chief
Building Official.
Service Pipes Larger than 2": Water will not be supplied into any location except upon the order
of the Utilities Director, and plumbers are prohibited from turning the water into any service
pipe. Only the Utilities Department and Office of the Chief Building Official has the authority to
put water into any service pipe for testing, construction, maintenance, or turn on purposes;
When water has been turned off from any consumer, the consumer shall not turn it on or permit
it to be turned on without the written consent of the Utilities Director and Office of the Chief
Building Official.
35-5 Service Pipes; Specifications; Laying
A service pipe shall be defined as a private service,tapped off a public water main, feeding a
single lot or single entity/tenant.
Service Pipes 2" and Smaller: High Density Polyethylene pipe (HDPE) or Copper of any
standard diameter herein defined, may be used at the option of the consumer. High Density
Polyethylene pipe (HDPE)may not be used in area bounded by the groundwater control areas
noted herein. Service pipe shall be at least one-eighth inch larger in diameter than the tap through
which it is supplied. All new service pipe, two inches or smaller in diameter, laid between the
water main and the curb stop at the property line shall be built of continuous construction
without joints, unions, or splices; however, two inch copper pipe may be installed with soldered
joints or compression fittings.
In all cases, service pipes larger than 2", which are laid between the water main in the street and
the backflow device, shall be of C900 (DR-14) Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) or pressure class 350
ductile iron, either mechanical joint or slip joint pipe. C900 (DR-14)PVC may not be used in
area bounded by the groundwater control areas noted herein. PVC shall be installed with tracer
wire as detailed in the City of Grand Island Division VI Specifications and Standards. Any and
all piping between the City water main and the service connection valve must be ductile iron
pipe. All piping between the connection valve to the City water main and the structure shall be
built of the same material with exception of riser pipes from underground through floor. Riser
pipes shall be ductile iron pipe from vertical fitting at the base of the riser up to the meter. If the
service pipe enters the structure horizontally, the service shall be ductile iron from a minimum of
5' outside of the structure, through wall and up to the meter. All fittings shall be ductile iron.
For trenchless applications, restrained joint ductile iron pipe shall be used.
All installations must conform to City of Grand Island Division VI Specifications and Standards,
the Plumbing Code adopted by the City of Grand Island, or current AWWA standards;
whichever is most restrictive. All piping associated with fire protection shall conform to the
testing and flushing requirements of the adopted version of the National Fire Protection
Association(NFPA). All other piping shall be tested and flushed per the adopted version of the
adopted Plumbing Code and/or the discretion of the Office of the Chief Building Official. Any
piping found to be transferring electric current should be brought to the attention of the Office of
the Chief Building Official at the time of discovery.
All service pipes shall be laid under the surface of the ground with no less than five feet of earth
cover, and in all cases shall be so protected as to prevent rupture by freezing unless otherwise
authorized by the Utilities Department and the Office of the Chief Building Official.
2" and smaller piping shall meet the following specifications:
Copper Pipe:
Copper pipe shall be Type K, cold drawn to size and of the proper bending temper and shall be
made from phosphorized copper completely deoxidized and have a purity of at least ninety-nine
and nine-tenths percent copper. Copper pipe shall have the following dimensions:
Nominal Size in Wall Thickness In Pounds/Lineal Outside Diameter In
Inches Inches Foot Inches
3/4 .065 .641 .875
1 .065 .839 1.125
1 1/2 .072 1.36 1.625
2 .083 2.06 2.125
High Density Polyethylene Pipe (HDPE):
The underground HDPE water service lines shall meet the following requirements:
1) NSF approved for drinking water
2) Minimum of 200 psi rated for pressure
3) ASTM D 2737 & AWWA C901
4) All connections will conform to the standard copper tubing sizes noted herein.
5) Buried with an insulated, 14 gauge or larger, copper tracer wire taped, or zip tied(non-
metallic), to the pipe every 5 feet.
a. Must be attached to the corporation cock at one end and terminated on a City approved
tracer wire access point at the curb stop on the other end.
b. Must be terminated on a City approved tracer wire access point at the curb stop on one end
and the shutoff valve in the structure at the other end.
6) If being used to replace an existing metallic service line, electrical grounding of the building
must be modified to meet the requirements set forth in the National Electric Code as adopted by
the City.
35-7 Service Pipes; Cost And Installation
For Single Family Residential Services: The customer is responsible for all costs of the new
service installation. This includes the Utility tapping fee, any outstanding assessment fees, Office
of the Chief Building Official and Utilities Department Fees, and all material and labor
construction costs. All new service piping on the customer side of the curb stop must be installed
under the supervision of a Contracting Plumber licensed within the jurisdiction or City of Grand
Island Utilities Department personnel holding water operator licenses in cases being done in
support of the lead service replacement program. All new service piping from the water main up
to, and including, the curb stop may be installed under the oversite of the Utilities Department or
a Contracting Plumber. Once installed, and a meter release has been issued, the Utilities
Department will take ownership of all components from the water main up to, and including, the
curb stop. The customer will retain ownership and maintenance responsibility of all components
from the curb stop up to, and including all facilities on their property. If the water service is a
lead service line, the City shall be solely responsible for replacement of the lead service line in
the event of a leaking or damaged service line. The City of Grand Island shall have and execute a
plan to annually remove lead water service lines from its system. Any construction work,
involving both private and public water service lines, deemed necessary via the aforementioned
plan will be performed and financed by the Utilities Department.
For Commercial, Industrial, and Multi-Family Services: The customer is responsible for all costs
of the new service installation. This includes the Utility tapping fee, any outstanding assessment
fees, Office of the Chief Building Official and Utilities Department and/or Utility Engineering
Fees, and all material and labor construction costs. All new service piping must be installed
under the supervision of a Contracting Plumber licensed within the jurisdiction, with the
exception of service work performed in the right-of-way as part of a water main construction
project may be installed by Utility Personnel, Utility Contractors, or a Contracting Plumber. The
customer will retain ownership and maintenance responsibility of all components from the water
main up to, and including, all facilities on their property. Looped fire mains will not be allowed
unless given a written exception by the Utilities Director.
35-10 Curb Stops; Stop Boxes
Unless otherwise permitted, curb stops will be placed in the service pipe, in City ROW or a
Public Utility Easement, and within six inches of the property/easement line, or as directed by
the Utilities Department or Office of the Chief Building Official. and protected by a valve box
reaching from the top of the curb stop to the surface of the ground, of suitable size to admit a
valve key for turning on and off the stop, and with a cast iron cover, having the word "Water"
marked thereon, visible and even with the pavement, sidewalk or top of the ground. The valve
box shall be kept closed and in good repair by the water consumer. In case a consumer refuses to
keep the valve box in good condition, the Utilities Department shall put the same in good order,
at the expense of the owner of the premises.
35-11 Tapping Mains Or Distributing Pipes
No entity except the Grand Island Utilities Department will be permitted, under any
circumstances,to tap the water mains or distributing pipe or install corporation stops or
appurtenances thereon. All pipes shall, in all cases, be tapped at the two o'clock position or at
level, and not in any case nearer than eighteen inches of either end of the pipe, nor nearer than
three feet to any other tap.
35-36 Review And Approval Of Plans
All water main construction plans and specifications shall be reviewed and approved by the
Grand Island Utilities Director, the Fire Department, and Department of Public Works. Prior to
review and approval of plans and specifications the private person or entity constructing the
water main shall pay a review fee to the Utilities Director as set forth in the City of Grand Island
fee schedule. All additional permits and fees shall be obtained and paid prior to construction.
For all water services larger than 2", plans and specifications shall be reviewed and approved by
the City of Grand Island. Prior to commencement of construction, the private person or entity
constructing the water service, shall obtain a plumbing permit and pay a permit fee from the
Office of the Chief Building Official. All additional permits and fees shall be obtained and paid
prior to construction.
35-37 Cost To Review Plans
The Utilities and Building Department may charge to review plans submitted by persons or
entities proposing to construct water mains and/or water services (larger than 2") in the planning
area. The charge shall be at the rate established and published from time to time by the City Fee
Schedule.
35-38 Workmanship And Materials
All workmanship and materials shall comply fully with the requirements of the approved plans
and specifications. If at any time within one year after the date of the final inspection any defect
shall appear which in the opinion of the Utilities Director is due to inferior materials or
workmanship,the property owner shall do whatever is necessary to remedy the defect at no cost
to the City of Grand Island. The Utilities Director will notify the property owner in writing of the
defects and repairs to be made. If the party notified fails to commence repairs within ten days,
the Utilities Department may cause the defects to be remedied and charge the costs and expense
involved to the property owner. The contractor surety shall not be relieved until the defects or
repairs are corrected and approved and a written release is furnished to the surety by the
requesting department.
35-39 Water Main Inspection And Approval
The Utilities Department shall investigate and approve or reject the laying of all water mains
and/or water services. The City shall have the right to enter property containing water mains at
all reasonable hours for inspection and investigation purposes.
35-41 Service Pipes
All service pipes must conform to City of Grand Island Division VI Specifications and
Standards, the Plumbing Code adopted by the City of Grand Island, or current AWWA
standards; whichever is most restrictive
35-43 Abandonment Of Service Pipes
Unused service taps, valves and/or pipes shall be abandoned at the discretion of the Utilities
Department.
All persons abandoning any water service pipe shall have a licensed plumber turn off the line at
the water main tap. All copper services 1.5" and smaller shall be cut and crimped as close as
possible to, not to exceed one foot from, the tap or have a sweated cap installed depending on the
discretion of the City. All 2" copper services should be cut within a foot of the main and a cap
should be sweated on the remaining stub. All high density polyethylene (HDPE) service pipes
should be completely removed and of length of copper pipe, not to exceed 12", should be
inserted into the corporation stop with a sweated on cap placed on the end of the stub. All
services shall be abandoned at the direction of the Utilities Department. The Utilities Department
shall be notified whenever a service pipe is abandoned and shall be permitted to inspect and
approve all work done in connection with such abandonment. Any person failing to abandon a
service pipe in compliance with this section shall be guilty of a violation of the Grand Island City
Code and shall pay the Utilities Department for the costs of properly shutting off, closing or
crimping any abandoned service pipe and shall be liable for any damages to municipal property
caused by the improperly abandoned service pipe. The Utilities Director may approve alternate
means of closing and abandoning service pipes upon request if the foregoing procedure is
impractical.
SECTION 2. Any ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith be, and
hereby are, repealed.
SECTION 3. This ordinance shall be in force and take effect from and after its
passage and publication, within fifteen days in one issue of the Grand Island Independent as
provided by law.
Enacted: September 23, 2025
Rog . Steele, Mayor
Attest:
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1 Granere, City Clerk
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