H. B. 2600
(By Mr. Speaker, Mr. Kiss and Delegates Varner,
Kominar, Stemple, Beach, Leach and Perry)
[Introduced
January 11, 2006
; referred to the
Committee on Political Subdivisions then Finance.]
A BILL to amend and reenact §8-19-21 of the Code of West Virginia,
1931, as amended, relating to
municipal and county waterworks
systems; specifications for water mains; and requiring the
installation of fire hydrants at intervals of not more than
every one thousand feet in all upgrades of water mains and all
new installation of water mains.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §8-19-21 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended,
be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 19. MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY WATERWORKS AND ELECTRIC POWER
SYSTEMS.
§8-19-21. Specifications for water mains and water service pipes.
Considering the importance of public fire protection, any
state or local government, public service district, public or
private utility which installs, constructs, maintains, or upgrades
water mains, shall ensure that all new mains specifically intended
to provide fire protection are supplied by mains which are not less
than six inches in diameter
and shall ensure that all new mains are not less than six inches in diameter. There shall be a fire
hydrant installed at intervals of not more than every one thousand
feet. The minimum flow on a fire hydrant shall be five hundred
gallons per minute.
A permit or other written approval shall be
obtained from the Department of Health and Human Resources for each
hydrant or group of hydrants installed in compliance with section
nine, article one, chapter sixteen of the West Virginia code as
amended: Provided, That all newly constructed water distribution
systems transferred to a public or private utility shall have mains
at least six inches in diameter where fire flows are desired or
required by the public or private utility
with a minimum flow from
the fire hydrants of five hundred gallons per minute:
: Provided,
however, That the utility providing service has sufficient
hydraulic capacity as determined by the Department of Health and
Human Resources
to provide for the transfer of service
.
NOTE:
The purpose of this bill is to require the installation
of fire hydrants at intervals of not less than one thousand feet in
all upgrades of water mains and construction and installation of
new mains.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.