City water supplied for other than fire purposes through service pipes controlled by water meter shall be charged and paid for on the basis of the amount registered by such meter, except in cases where it shall be found that such meter is registering incorrectly, has stopped registering, or has not been read before the issuance of the next bill.
In such cases, charge and payment shall be made on an estimate prepared by the Comptroller based on the average of 12 preceding readings of such meter, excluding excessive or deficient readings.
Where such meter has been installed for a lesser period than one year, or where less than 12 competent readings exist, such estimate may be based on a lesser number than 12 readings taken preceding or subsequent to such incorrect or stopped registration. Changed condition of occupancy or use, making for greater or less consumption during such period of incorrect or stopped registration, shall be taken into consideration in the preparation of such estimate.
Once a meter is again read, if it registers the amount of water consumed in the intervening period, the following bill will reflect the actual water consumption, and will account for the estimated consumption for the period between water meter readings. However, if the meter has not been read in 24 consecutive months, through no fault of the person who owns or controls the property, the bills for actual metered water will begin after a billing cycle during which the actual metered amount for the full period is recorded and only reflects that period, that is, without charging for a difference in the estimated and actual amounts for the period prior to the actual metered amount for that billing cycle.
(Prior code § 185-32; Amend Coun. J. 12-4-02, p. 99026, § 1.12; Amend Coun. J. 11-16-11, p. 13798, Art. XII, § 3; Amend Coun. J. 10-27-21, p. 39543, Art. VII, § 2)