A water meter shall be installed by the municipality for each separate premises to which the municipality shall supply water services. The municipality shall own and have unrestricted access to all water meters and the consumer shall permit the designated agent of the municipality for the purposes of reading those water meters and effectuating necessary repairs or replacements of such water meters. All water meters shall be kept in repair by the municipality at the expense of the municipality. When those water meters are worn out, they shall be replaced and reset by the municipality; provided, that if the consumer permits or allows a water meter to be damaged, injured or destroyed through the consumer’s own recklessness, carelessness or neglect so that the meter must be repaired or replaced, the governing body of the municipality shall bill and collect from the consumer the cost of such meter repair or replacement. All water meters shall be tested by the municipality at the consumer’s request at the consumer’s expense; provided, however, if the test shows the water meter to be running 2% or more fast, the expense of such test shall be borne by the municipality. Further, the municipality reserves the right to test any water service meter at any time, and, if said meter is found to be beyond repair, the municipality shall have the right to place a new meter on the consumer’s water service fixtures at the expense of the municipality. Should a consumer’s water meter fail to register properly, the consumer shall be charged for water during the time the water meter is out of repair on the basis of the monthly consumption during the same month of the preceding year; provided, that if no such basis for comparison exists, the customer shall be charged such amount as may be reasonably fixed by the governing body. It shall further be unlawful for any person to tamper with any water meter, or by means of any device to divert water from the service pipe so that the same shall not pass through said water meter, or while passing through said water meter, to cause the same to register inaccurately.
(Ord. 260, passed 2-8-2011) Penalty, see § 52.99