Code of Maine Rules › 65 - DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION › 407 - PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION › Chapter 640 - PRIVATE FIRE PROTECTION SERVICES › Section 407-640-2 - GENERAL PROVISIONS REGARDING PRIVATE FIRE PROTECTION SERVICES

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
A. The service drop portion of the private
				fire service line shall be installed at the expense of the customer, but shall
				be owned, maintained, and replaced by the utility at utility expense and shall
				extend from the main to the edge of the utility's easement or the public
				right-of-way. The balance of the line shall be installed, owned, maintained,
				and replaced by the customer at the customer's expense.
B. A utility may institute service and
				maintenance policies, as contained in its filed Terms and Conditions of
				Service, which it determines to be in the best interest of its ratepayers or in
				the safe operation of the water utility, regarding the provision of private
				fire protection service. A utility may implement different policies for
				different types of private fire protection installations, such as private
				hydrants, sprinkler systems, or standpipes, where there is good cause to do
				so.
C. A utility may require, as a
				term of service, a showing by the customer on a periodic basis that certain
				reasonable maintenance, testing, or inspection procedures have been conducted
				in order that the installation be consistent with the health or safety
				standards of the water utility.
D.
				The utility may refuse service to or disconnect a private fire protection
				installation from service if it does not comply with the utility's terms and
				conditions of service or in the reasonable opinion of the utility management
				subjects the water system to unnecessary potential risk or expense.
E. The customer shall keep the water utility
				informed of the location of any private fire protection installation connected
				to the utility system and the operating status of each.
F. A water utility shall not be required to
				upgrade its system in order to provide greater water pressure to support the
				installation of a private fire protection installation. The utility may upgrade
				its system for this purpose if it constitutes reasonable system development
				consistent with the factors contained in Chapter 65 section
				2(G) of the
				Commission's Rules, or if the customer agrees to pay the costs of the
				upgrade.
G. Private fire protection
				service shall normally be provided on an unmetered basis. The utility may, for
				good cause, require a particular service or a class of services to be metered.
				Said meters shall be installed at the expense of the customers taking service
				and shall be sized to accommodate the maximum flow rate identified for the
				private fire service. If a customer is to be billed for water used for an
				incidental service, such incidental service shall be billed based upon the
				meter size required for the actual water use rather than the actual meter size.
				The private fire service shall be billed based upon the demand of the sprinkler
				system.
H. A pipeline for
				separately metered domestic water service may be connected to a private fire
				service line outside the building provided that each system is provided with a
				separate shutoff which the utility may control. The utility may require a
				separate service from its mains in order to maintain water quality or to ensure
				access to disconnect either service.
I. As a condition of service, the utility
				shall require its private fire service customers to report reasonable estimates
				of the volumes of water used annually for flushing and testing the private fire
				service and the amount of water used in the event of a fire.