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PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION

The City of Shawnee Oklahoma

Water Meter and Tap Requirements

The City of Shawnee’s policies concerning water meters and taps are as follows:

1. The service line from the water main to the meter box and three (3’) feet beyond be type “K” soft copper. All connections on copper services shall be flared or compression type of Mueller or Ford brand. The Line Maintenance Superintendent shall approve any exceptions in advance in writing.
2. All water main taps will be the same size or larger than the service line and meter. Multiple smaller taps manifolded together to achieve an equivalent tap size are not allowed. For taps larger than 2 inches in diameter, a tapping sleeve and valve are required. The tapping sleeve shall be all stainless steel and of one of the following types as listed in the City of Shawnee Water Line Installation Specifications: JCM (No. 432 , Romac (SST), Ford (Style-Fast), Smith-Blair (662)
3. All meters are required to be of the type and brand as approved by the Line Maintenance Superintendent (Currently Neptune and Badger). All water meters 1 inch or less shall be supplied by the City. The property owner or water user shall purchase all other meters. The Line Maintenance Superintendent shall approve the type of meter, such as turbine, compound, etc.. All meters larger than 2” shall be installed with a bypass and the appropriate valves. Bypasses may be required on 2 inch meter installations, where, in the judgment of the Line Maintenance Superintendent, uninterruptible service is important.
4. City policy is that a tap fee is due any time a new service tap is made to the City’s water main. This includes locations where taps have previously been made and have been or are being abandoned. The City may waive the tap fee at its discretion in cases where the existing tap is being abandoned and the location of the new tap is to the City’s benefit. In all cases, a plumbing permit and, if applicable, a street cut permit will still be required.
5. After obtaining an OKIE locate and securing all the appropriate permits, the plumber will be responsible for the excavation of the water main. The excavation should meet all safety requirements of the OSHA standards. The tap crew has the authority to make judgments on the safety and appropriate size of the excavation and have the plumber make the necessary changes. Under no circumstances will the tap crew enter an unsafe excavation.
6. The Line Maintenance Division tap crew will confirm that appropriate permits have been issued including plumbing permits, street cut permits, tap fees and boundary main extension fees have been made prior to making or inspecting a tap or setting a meter. If it cannot be determined by the tap crew that these items have been obtained, then a Code Enforcement Officer will be contacted to determine if a code violation has occurred.
7. For taps 1” and less the City will provide the tapping saddle, corporation stop, meter tile, and where a meter deposit has been made, a meter. The plumber will supply all other materials needed for the installation of the service line.
8. Where 2 or more meters are supplied by one service line, the service line shall be not less than 1 ¼ inches in diameter, but in no case of less than adequate size to supply all meters at peak usage and each meter shall be supplied with an individual cutoff.
9. Meters shall be at least 18 inches and not more than 30 inches in the ground. If a change in grade of the yard, parking or sidewalk is made; the service line and meter shall be changed to correspond with this requirement.
10. Although the City does not make taps larger than 1 inch in diameter for water services, it is required, by State law, to inspect them. It is the plumber’s responsibility to notify the Line Maintenance Division-(405) 273-1960- directly. A TAPPING INSPECTOR FROM THE LINE MAINTENANCE DIVISION SHALL BE PRESENT BEFORE AND DURING THE ACTUAL CUTTING OF THE TAP. IF TAP IS MADE BEFORE THE INSPECTOR ARRIVES, A CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER SHALL BE CALLED OUT TO ISSUE A CITATION FOR CODE VIOLATION. It is crucial for the inspector to observe that the tap coupon and cuttings are recovered and not lost into the water main. The inspector shall further check the construction of the service line from the water main to the meter and the meter installation to ensure compliance with city codes. The plumber prior to inspection shall cover no connections or fittings.

Questions? Call (405) 273-1960

Revised 6-2000