What Exactly is a Connection?
It sounds simple. The problem is that the word "connection" means different
things to different people
and even then it depends on the context.
A habitable structure with a kitchen and a bathroom hooked up to OWU
is a "connection".
At this time a home and a guest house each count as one connection.
The members are gathering metering data with the expectation to allow
a guest house to count as a fraction of an Equivalent Residential
Unit (ERU). But at this time all houses, guest houses, restaurants, B&Bs
etc. are counted as one connection and is equal to one ERU for capacity analysis.
When a member applies to the San
Juan Permit Center for a building permit for any structure requiring
potable water (such as a residence) they are required to provide "A Water
Availability Number." This is counted as a connection.
At this time an OWU membership allows for multiple connections on the
same tax parcel number on a single membership. This does not change how the
state counts the total number of connections and ERUs. They commented
that although this is legal, it is not recommended. But we must carefully
distinguish between the number of memberships and the number of connections.
The number of connections allowed
will be increased in stages over time.
Examples of different individual members with a variety of connections:
- A simple connection: One single family residence: This
is one connection and counts as one ERU.
- A single family home plus one guest house: This is one membership,
but counts as two connections. The state does not distinguish this count
on how the homes are connected to the main. Today this counts as one ERU
for each home, but we may be able to have guest homes reduced to a fraction
of an ERU based on meter readings.
- A single family residence plus a detached garage with a bathroom:
The house would count as one connection. The garage would not count as a connection
since it is not a habitable structure.
- A single family residence plus a detached garage with a bathroom,
sleeping area and a cooking area: The garage would also count as a connection
since it would require a permit from the county as a habitable structure.
- An active membership is used only to water a small garden: The state
DOH would not count as a connection since there is no habitable structure.
The amount of water used must be small compared to one ERU. The bylaws state
that the use of water for gardens "larger than a size usual for small household
lots" may be considered excessive.
- Commercial water slide: This would not count as a residential
structure connection. The amount of water would have to be calculated as
a number of ERUs, (3.1 in one DOH example).
However this intended use of water would be excessive and is
not allowed by the bylaws.
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