(a) All premises using water supplied by the Water and Sewers Department shall be metered. The premises shall pay for water and sewerage at the rates established by resolution of the Township Board from time to time, copies of which shall be kept at the Township Clerk’s office. All water supplied shall be charged at the established water and sewer rate. For new construction supply purposes, a minimum bill will be charged for each premises for a three-month period and payments shall be made in advance. The minimum bill shall be three times the one-inch readiness to serve unit fee and 15 times the per unit usage charge. Temporary water service shall automatically shut off three months after the water tap is made.
(b) Meters will be furnished by the Department and are, and shall remain, the property of the Department and will at all times be under its control.
(c) For single-family homes, townhouses, detached condominium units, attached condominium units designed for single-family use, and non-residential establishments similar units designed to be occupied by one family, a one-inch meter will be installed for all new construction or building renovation. For residential multiple dwelling buildings with two to ten dwelling units, the meter size shall be one inch. For non-residential establishments, separate water meters shall be required for each unit in the building. A separate tap will be required to the public water main stubbed in the building.
(d) Alternatively, an adequately sized single water service can be provided to a non-residential building with multiple units under the following conditions:
(1) A heated meter room with a keyed access given to the Department must be incorporated into the building layout.
(2) An individual meter must be provided for each unit.
(3) The owner shall also enter into an agreement with the Township ensuring unrestricted access and heat that space.
(4) Each meter is required to have a lock wing ball valve with non-removable cap (i.e. Mueller Co. part #B20200N or approved equal by the Department).
(5) There shall be no obstruction or storage of other materials preventing access to the meter(s) and the address is permanently attached water service.
(6) The Department has the authority to shut off water to the entire building at the main shutoff if the property owner fails to comply with these requirements.
Where a meter larger than one inch is sought, the Superintendent of Clinton Township Water and Sewer Department, whose decision is final, shall determine the meter size by evaluating the probable effect of the proposed demand on capacity upon water and sewer mains and other facilities which would serve the proposed demand. The user or users shall furnish, in a timely manner, all plans, drawing specifications, and other information relating to the proposed demand reasonably requested by the Superintendent in order for a determination to be made as to meter size. Upon all information being presented, the Superintendent shall make a determination within 14 days.
(e) Meters and outside reading devices shall be set in an accessible location and in a manner satisfactory to the Superintendent. A drawing and/or the procedure may be given to the entity upon written request, when the permit application is made. In no case shall a meter be set in a location where it is liable to injury or cannot be readily reached by the meter reader. In all cases where the premises contain no basement or cellar, the meter shall be installed in a location which shall be approved by the Superintendent. Where it is necessary to set the meter in a pit inside of a building, such pit shall be built as directly by the Superintendent and to his or her entire satisfaction.
(f) Meters will be sealed by the Department and no one except an authorized employee of the Department shall break such seals. No person other than an authorized employee of the Department shall change the location of, alter or interfere in any way with, any meter. If the seal is discovered broken, a penalty as set forth in Chapter 209 of the Administration Code, or as otherwise provided by law, shall be assessed.
(g) The expense of installing and maintaining meters will be borne by the Department, provided that where replacements, repairs or adjustments of the meter are made necessary by an act or negligence or carelessness of the user or occupant of any premises, the expense to the Department caused thereby shall be charged against and collected from the user of the premises. Failure to pay the expenses will become a lien on the property.
(h) The owner or user of any premises where a meter is installed will be held responsible for its care and protection from freezing and from injury or interference by any person. In case of damage to the meter or in case of its stoppage or defective condition, the owner or user shall give immediate notice to the Department.
(i) All Department water used on any premises must pass through the meter. Any by-pass or connection between the meter and the main is prohibited unless it is sealed in a manner satisfactory to the Superintendent.
(j) If any meter is not working properly or fails to register, the consumer will be charged at the average quarterly consumption rate as shown by the meter when registering. The accuracy of the meter on any premises will be tested by the Department upon written request of the owner, who shall pay in advance the current published fee to cover the cost of the test. If, on such test, the meter shall be found to register over 3% more water than actually passes through it, another meter will be substituted therefor, the fee will be refunded to the user of the premises and the water bill may be adjusted in such manner as may be fair and just. For tests of meters larger than two inches, the user must pay for the cost of the test.
(k) Water service installed to supply fire sprinkler systems for fire protection will be subject to detector check metering for the purpose of monitoring the system for leaks and/or cross connections. The applicant must pay the sprinkler meter charge, and obtain the template for the detector check meter assembly from the Township. Installation of the detector check meter template shall be the responsibility of the plumber, contractor, or owner and shall be installed prior to the issuance of any type of certificate of occupancy for the building receiving the private fire sprinkling system. The Township shall perform a startup of the water meter on the detector check bypass after the plumber, contractor, owner, or other person sets the backflow auxiliary bypass assembly. The Township will begin monitoring the readings on the meter, and any water passing through said meter will be charged in accordance with rates set forth in the General Fee Schedule, Chapter 209 of this code. The Township may from time to time establish charges by resolution that are appropriate for monitoring private fire lines with a detector check meter under Chapter 209.
(l) Complete submittals for proposed fire sprinkler system detector check system shall be submitted to the Township before connection to the water distribution system shall be made. Fire sprinkling backflow assemblies must have a bypass that can accommodate a detector check water meter assembly.
(m) Existing users with fire sprinkling systems require the installation of a Township detector check water meter. The Township will provide the user written notification of the requirement which will include a time line to install a detector check meter assembly.
(n) Notwithstanding anything in this section to the contrary, the following regulations shall apply to separately metered outdoor faucets and in-ground sprinkler systems which shall be allowed only on the following terms and conditions:
(1) Separate meters for connection to outside faucets and sprinkler systems shall be permitted if the water is not deposited into a sanitary sewer system by other than accidental absorption; and is used for watering lawns, watering ornamental flower gardens and residential vegetable gardens for personal consumption by occupants of the premises, pools, water operated backup sump pumps; and is used solely upon and at the property where the separate meter is located; and is not used for any business or commercial purpose other than those set forth in this subsection or by resolution of the Board.
(2) All plumbing and meter installation work shall commence only after appropriate permits have been obtained and fees paid in full. All plumbing and meter installation shall be shown on a sketch to ensure full compliance with this section.
(3) All costs associated with the installation of the separate meter and related plumbing, including but not limited to, meter cost, permit and inspection fees, and labor and material costs shall be paid by the property owner. Meter cost (including reader) shall be the standard current charge established by the Township.
(4) Separate meters for outdoor use (deduct meters) shall be read at the same time as the reading on the first meter. Rates for water use applicable to the separate meters for outdoor use shall be those set forth in this code for water rates only, except that the reduced charges per billing period shall only be applicable to such separate meters in a billing period during which there is actual water use through the meter. All other penalties, interest, liens, and remedies related to nonpayment of charges set forth in this section for the building domestic meter shall apply equally to separate meter for outdoor use. In event of nonpayment, service to both meters may be discontinued until payment is made.
(5) In the event of tampering or misuse of the separate meter for outdoor use, a notice of violation will be sent to the customer and the privilege shall be discontinued. The customer has 30 days to comply with the notification of violation or file an appeal. The Public Services Director reserves the right to review and make a determination of the appeal within 30 days of receipt of such appeal. Discontinuation or reinstatement of the deduct privileges does not relieve a customer from prosecution or relief by the Township under any other ordinance provision or laws.
(Ord. 319. Passed 12-22-97; Ord. 444. Passed 6-11-18; Ord. 461. Passed 9-30-19; Ord. 482. Passed 10-24-22.)