All potential Users must complete an On-site Water Use Permit Application as detailed below to be issued a Recycled Water Use Permit by the MCWD. This includes new construction and existing facilities that are being retrofitted for recycled water use.
Note: "On-Site Recycled Water Use Permit" is the term used to describe any contract, permit, or other such document used by the MCWD to present the terms and conditions for the use of recycled water to a User). The MCWD reserves the right to alter, on a case-by-case basis, the On-Site Recycled Water Use Permit. A description of the recycled water permit application guidelines is provided below.
To apply for new construction or modifications to an existing recycled water system, the User shall prepare and submit to MCWD a complete On-Site Recycled Water Use Permit Application, which shall include supporting documents described in detail below.
Partial applications can be submitted, e.g. permit application form only, however, these will likely result in increased plan review fees due to the increased staff review time associated with incomplete application submissions.
A complete On-Site Recycled Water Use Permit Application must include:
- MCWD On-Site Recycled Water Use Permit Application
- Design Drawings for new or As-built plans for existing facilities:
- All drawings must meet the design and specification requirements outlined within the Rules of Service 3.4 Design Drawings Requirements.
- Existing facilities with modifications must submit design drawings showing the existing facilities meet applicable requirements or the proposed modifications to bring the facilities into compliance with design requirements.
- See MCWD website for links to checklists of all the information that must be shown on the plans.
- The User submits two sets of plans each to the MCWD, State DDW, and Regional Board for plan review and pays the applicable plan review fees.
- Recycled Water Site Operation Plan:
- A template of a Site Operation Plan is available on the MCWD website. At a minimum, it should include all the information listed in Rules of Service 3.3 Recycled Water Site Operation Plan.
- The recycled water User is required to prepare a Site Operation Plan as part of their On-Site Recycled Water Use Permit Application. The Site Operation Plan must be approved by the MCWD prior to the final issuance of the On-Site Recycled Water Use Permit.
- Additional Plan Review assisting documents:
- A MCWD Recycled Water Site-Specific Existing Facilities Evaluation Form for existing sites shall be completed and signed. This form is required for the existing on-site facilities permit application package.
- A recycled water plan review checklist is also available to assist new construction projects. This document is not required for a new construction on-site recycled water use permit application package.
- The MCWD completes the plan review and returns the plans to the potential User for corrections if needed.
- After all corrections are made, the potential User resubmits the marked plans along with a final set of plans.
- If no more corrections are to be made, the MCWD, State DDW, and Regional Board will approve the corrected plans. Four (4) sets of prints of the signed plans should be submitted to these agencies.
- A pre-construction meeting (preliminary inspection) is held before construction with the MCWD's representative, the potential User, and the contractor.
- This meeting is to cover the plan's general notes, specific job requirements, and cover any questions.
- Construction
- The User may begin construction, according to the approved plans, contingent upon any other required permits or approvals being obtained.
- Approvals for deviations in the approved plans are to be sought as they occur.
- All work during construction must be inspected by the MCWD and/or the Regional Board before backfilling any buried piping. If any recycled or potable water piping is installed before plan check approval and/or inspection, all or any portion of the piping system may be required to be exposed and corrected as necessary.
- The installation or modification of existing on-site facilities shall be the User's obligation. Except for the recycled water services installed on existing recycled water mains, all recycled water facilities required for service shall be installed by the User or the User's contractor, in accordance with the MCWD and Regional Board approved design standards and the local city or county approved improvement plans. All plan checking and inspection costs shall be subject to the MCWD fee schedule requirements. Installation or modification of existing of all on-site and MCWD recycled water facilities shall be inspected by the MCWD and appropriate regulatory agencies.
- The MCWD shall be notified by phone at least 48 hours prior to commencing work on the recycled water system. The inspection contact phone number is (831) 384-6131. A preconstruction meeting shall be held at least 24 hours before starting construction. The MCWD shall also be notified by phone each workday thereafter until the completion of the project.
- MCWD may complete construction inspections and should be contacted to approve all lines before they are buried.
- Initial Cross-Connection Test
- For new construction and modifications to existing of on-site recycled water facilities, the User must conduct an initial cross-connection test after construction to determine if there are not any unknown connections between on-site irrigation and public piping.
- For the Initial Cross-connection Test, the User Supervisor shall notify, in writing, the MCWD, State DDW, and Regional Board will be notified at least two (2) days prior to the initial test date with the intent that all agencies will attend. Potable water will be used for the irrigation piping system in the initial cross-connection test through a MWCD approved hydrant jumper. A Cross-connection Shut-Down Test Form must be completed. A copy of the Cross-connection Shut-Down Test Form can be found on the MCWD's website.
- The User shall submit the following to MCWD for a recycled water meter:
- Cross-Connection test results
- Recycled water meter application
- As-builts
- Request of final inspection
- Upon receipt of all required documents, MCWD will generate an invoice for all construction inspection fees.
- The MCWD, the State DDW and the Regional Board must be notified a minimum of two days prior to the final inspection and coverage testing.
- During this final walk-through, flow adjustments are made, tagging is inspected, and coverage is checked.
- A thorough cross-connection test is conducted at this time to verify that construction was performed correctly.
- The MCWD and/or the Regional Board will generate a punch list of corrections to be made if necessary.
- A follow-up walkthrough will be called for after all corrections from the first walk-through are completed if required. This walk-through will consist of an inspection to verify that all corrections are complete and that color-coded plans for each controller are accurate and placed at each controller cabinet.
- Upon the successful completion of the inspection, and submission of the coverage test results, the User shall submit a request to MCWD for issuance of their recycled water service permit.
- Upon receipt and payment of all outstanding fees, the MCWD will issue the final On-Site Recycled Water Use Permit granting permission for the normal operation of the system.
- At this time, the MCWD's operator will discuss with the User and the User Supervisor conditions for operation, inspections, etc.
Upon completion of construction, final inspection by the MCWD, submission of record drawings, approval of the On-Site Recycled Water Permit Application, completion of the final cross-connection test, signing of an On-Site Recycled Water Use Permit, on-site user supervisor and personnel training, and payment of any outstanding fees, the project shall be accepted by the MCWD.
Summary flow charts of these processes are available in the following formats: