(a) Water meter required. Except for extinguishment of fires, no person except authorized city employees shall use water from the water supply system of the city or permit water to be drawn therefrom, unless the water is metered by passing through a meter supplied or approved by the city. No person shall connect, disconnect, take apart or in any manner change, or cause to be changed, or interfere with any such meter or the action thereof unless authorized by the Utility Division.
(b) Charge for meter. A charge shall be made to owners for new water meters and for the replacement water meters due to the negligence of the owner or owner’s property manager, and payment for meters shall be made in advance before delivery for installation. Water meters for single-family residences shall be equipped with remote reading devices. The charge will be the actual cost to the city of supplying the meter.
(c) Maintenance, repair and replacement. The city shall maintain and repair or replace all meters when rendered unserviceable through ordinary wear and tear. However, when replacement, repair or adjustment of any meter is rendered necessary by the act, neglect or carelessness of the owner or occupant of any premises, any expense caused the Utility Division thereby shall be charged against and collected from the owner or occupant of the premises. Water service may be discontinued until the cause is corrected and the charge collected.
(d) Complaints regarding meter accuracy.
(1) When an owner or the owner’s duly authorized property manager makes a complaint that the bill for any past service period has been excessive, the Utility Division shall upon written request have such meter and remote reading device reread. If the owner remains dissatisfied and desires that the meter be tested, the owner or the owner’s duly authorized property manager shall make a deposit with the Utility Division as set forth in City Code Appendix A - Charges for Testing Water Meters table, and the city will test the meter. The owner or the owner’s duly authorized property manager may be present when such test is made.
(2) If the meter test shows an error of over 5% of the water consumed in favor of the water utility, the deposit will be refunded to the owner or the owner’s duly authorized property manager and a correctly registering meter will be installed with the bill adjusted accordingly. Such adjustment shall not extend back more than one service period plus one month from the date of the request. The minimum charge shall not be affected.
(3) If the meter test shows an accurate measurement of water or error in favor of the owner, the amount deposited shall be retained by the Utility Division to cover part of the expense of making such test.
(4) Before making a test of any meter, the person requesting such test shall, at the time of filing the request with the Utility Division, make a deposit with the Utility Division of the amount charged for such test, as detailed in City Code Appendix A - Charges for Testing Water Meters table.
(e) City property. All water meters are and shall remain the property of the city, and may be replaced or changed by the Utility Division whenever deemed necessary.
(f) Access to meters. City employees reading or servicing meters shall have free access at reasonable hours of the day to all parts of every building and premises connected with the city water supply system for reading, servicing or inspecting meters. If city employees make repeated attempts to access a meter, and are not provided access to the meter, water service may be disconnected subject to the procedures and limitations set forth in § 11.07 of this code. The City Manager shall be authorized to make adjustments in water charges when the amount billed is erroneous due to meter deficiency or other mistake.
(1958 Code, § 30.16) (Ord. 225, passed 2-15-1960; Ord. 63-37, passed 10-7-1963; Ord. 68-79, passed 10-7-1968; Ord. 70-14, passed 4-20-1970; Ord. 78-58, passed 9-18-1978; Ord. 96-60, passed 11-4-1996; Ord. 2005-28, passed 7-18-2005; Ord. 2021-20, passed 6-28-2021)