All meters used to measure water purchased from
the Water District shall be supplied by the Water District, and no
meter shall be installed unless supplied by the Water District. Each
meter shall be installed by the Water Department after payment of
the fee specified hereinafter.
At the time of application for water service and in addition to any tapping charges required to be paid, the applicant shall pay a fee for each meter as per Article X.
A.
The Water Department will install and maintain meters
and meter couplings. Meters shall be set as nearly as possible to
the point of entry of the service connection pipe to the building
and shall be kept unobstructed and easily accessible to Water Department
employees at all times. The Water Department, in its rules and regulations,
may require a meter to be set in a pit or box, other than the customary
location of the meter, which pit is to be provided by and at the expense
of the consumer and located near the front property line of the premises.
B.
Permanent meter installations requiring over a one-inch
meter shall be supplied by the Town Water Department at the consumer's
expense and have a valved bypass around the meter and a valved spur
pipe on the building side of the meter for test purposes. The design
of such special meter settings shall be submitted to the Water Department
for approval before construction by the consumer is undertaken. The
Water Department will test meters at regular intervals to determine
their accuracy and will replace, at its expense, defective parts in
improperly operating meters, except where meters are damaged by frost,
hot water or from external causes. The meter shall, after installation,
be sealed by the Water Department, which shall thereafter have complete
control thereof. No sealed meter may be removed without a written
permit from the Water Department.
[Amended 12-15-1993 by L.L. No. 13-1993]
C.
In circumstances where the customary location of a
meter is in excess of 200 feet distant from the water side property
line of the premises, the town may require the meter to be set in
a pit provided by and at the expense of the consumer and located near
the front property line of the premises. The Water Department will,
if necessary, install the meter pit or other fixtures necessary for
proper operation of the Water Department and will make necessary repairs
to the same at a cost of parts and labor, plus 15% for overhead. The
owner will be notified of any changes or repairs and cost estimated
thereof beforehand. (This would include costs of new style meters
for outside readings.)
[Amended 12-15-1993 by L.L. No. 13-1993]
No person other than an employee of the Water
Department shall interfere with or remove any water meter, sealing
device or coupling from any meter installation after it has once been
placed in service by the Water Department. If the meter seal has been
broken, a new sealed meter shall be installed at the consumer's expense.
Suspected tampering or theft of water shall be reported to the Police
Department for investigation.
The Water Department shall determine the proper
size of the meter to be installed and shall have the right to change
the meter at any time it is necessary in order to ensure its proper
operation.
Any meter or other fixture damaged by frost or by hot water or steam backing into the meter or by any external cause shall be repaired by the Water Department at the expense of the property owner, and the water service may be disconnected until such corrective action is taken to prevent a recurrence of the incident which caused the damage. The charge for such repairs shall be based on the cost of removing, repairing, testing and replacing said meter, plus 15% for department overhead, such as transportation and use of tools, and the minimum charge shall be as indicated in Article X.
Consumers, upon request, may have the meters serving their premises tested by the Water Department in their presence or that of a duly authorized representative. If the meter so tested shall be found to register not more than 103% of the amount of water actually passing through it, a charge in the amount designated in Article X shall be paid by the consumer for testing a meter one inch or less in size, and, for meters larger than one inch in size, the actual expense, including overhead, incurred by the Water Department in removing, testing and replacing the meter shall be paid by the consumer.
Employees of the Water Department in the performance of their duties shall be permitted to enter the premises of any consumer at any reasonable hour to remove, replace, repair or test the meter, to make a record of the quantity of water used, to inspect the premises to determine the manner of water use or to enforce the provisions of this chapter. If the Water Department is unable to read a meter after two successive attempts in one quarter or billing period, the charge will be estimated on the basis of prior use in comparable periods and the difference adjusted when the meter is again read. If the meter is damaged or fails to operate, the bill will be based on the average use during prior comparable periods, unless there is evidence that the use is not normal and the average use for comparable periods is not properly applicable, in which the case the charge will be estimated by some other method which the Water Department considers equitable. Water bills shall be coded to indicate a calculated reading, and when no reading is obtained by the meter reader of the Water Department after two quarters, the water may be shut off until the meter is read. A charge as per Article X will be included in the payment before service is restored.
