Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 38, September 21, 2024
(a)
General. The construction of the water plant of the utility
shall conform to standard acceptable engineering practices. It shall be
operated so as to provide reasonably adequate and safe service to its customers
and shall conform with the requirements of the Department of Environmental
Resources which concern sanitation and potability of water.
(b)
Disinfection of
facilities. New mains, pumps, tanks, wells and other facilities for
handling potable water and, insofar as practicable, repaired mains and other
facilities, shall be thoroughly disinfected before being connected to the
system. The method of disinfection shall be as approved by the Department of
Environmental Resources.
(c)
Mains. Mains shall include the following:
(1)
Depth of mains. Water
mains shall be installed below the frost line whenever possible. Minimum cover
shall be at least three feet whenever possible.
(2)
Dead ends. Insofar as
practicable, the utility shall design its distribution system so as to avoid
dead ends in its mains. When dead ends are necessary, the utility shall provide
a means for flushing the mains when the normal consumption does not provide
adequate circulation of the water. Mains with dead ends shall be flushed as
often as necessary to maintain the proper quality of water.
(3)
Segmentation of system.
Valves shall be provided in distribution mains designed and used primarily as
transmission lines at intervals not to exceed 4,000 feet. Valves shall be
provided in other distribution mains at reasonable intervals so that repairs
may be effected by the utility with interruptions to the service of a minimum
number of customers. When feasible, valves shall be provided in these other
mains at intervals not to exceed one continuous block or 500 feet, whichever is
greater, except where a dead end run is not intended to serve any intervening
customers.
(4)
Grid
systems. Whenever feasible, the distribution system shall be laid out
in a properly segmented grid so that in case of breaks or repairs the
interruption of service to the customers can be kept to a minimum in
number.
(5)
Main
sizing. As new mains are installed or as mains which have reached the
end of their useful lives are replaced, the new or replacement main shall be
sized and designed to accommodate the standards contained in this chapter,
particularly in regard to §
§
65.6 and
65.17 (relating to pressures; and
standards of design) and this section.
(d)
Company's service lines.
Company's service lines shall include the following:
(1) Whenever feasible, all service pipes
shall be installed below the frost line to prevent freezing, and the pipe shall
be installed at a depth adequate to protect the pipe from surface
activity.
(2) Service connections
should not be connected to hydrant branch lines, and they should not cross
intervening properties unless there is no other way in which service can be
provided and appropriate easements are obtained.
The provisions of this §65.18 issued under the
Public Utility Code,
66 Pa.C.S. §
§
317,
501,
1301,
1304,
1501,
1502,
1504,
1507,
1508,
1702 and
1704.
