(A) Ownership and use.
(1) Water shall be supplied to all customers by meter measurement only, except public fire service, sale of water to tank trucks of known capacity and to those customers having private fire service. The town shall have the right to place a meter on any customer service line and charge for water service by meter measurement.
(2) The town reserves the right to determine the kind, size, type, location and number of meters that shall be placed on any customer service line. The water supplied for each customer's premises shall ordinarily be separately metered, except as agreed to by the town for commercial and multi-family housing units. The town reserves the right to put seals on all meters or meter couplings.
(3) All meters and appurtenances shall be furnished, installed, maintained, tested, repaired, removed and replaced only by and at the expense of the town and shall be town property except as provided otherwise herein.
(4) Boxes or vaults for settings for single meters smaller than two inches in diameter will be furnished, installed and maintained by and at the cost and expense of the town. Meter boxes or vaults for settings of single meters of two inches or larger in diameter and for battery settings of meters shall be furnished, installed and maintained by and at the expense of the customer.
(B) Location and relocation.
(1) Location.
(a) Meters may be located either in an outdoor meter box or vault, or inside the customer's building or structure, at the option of the town.
(b) If the meter is to be installed inside the building or structure, it shall be located in a clean, dry, safe place, protected from freezing and hot water, and not subject to wide temperature variations. The location must be acceptable to the town and allow for the meter to be easily examined, tested, repaired, read, removed or replaced.
(c) If the meter is to be installed in a meter box or vault located outside the foundation walls of the building or structure, the meter box or vault shall be located in a convenient and readily accessible location acceptable to the town. The meter box or vault must be constructed to protect the meter from freezing and damage by vehicular traffic, and its location and design shall prevent, as far as possible, the inflow of surface water.
(d) Upon a request by the customer before the original installation is made, the meter box or vault will be located at the point requested, if acceptable to the town.
(e) After a meter is installed by the town, a customer shall not tamper with, alter, repair or remove the meter or allow anyone other than the town to do so. Any plumbing, piping, or structural modification which could result in the relocation of the meter or impact accessibility must first be approved by the town.
(f) If the town determines that it is desirable or necessary in order to facilitate meter reading, an external reading register shall be installed outside the building or structure at an accessible location at the town's expense.
(2) Relocation. If a customer requests for the customer's convenience or by the customer's actions requires that the meters or appurtenances be relocated, removed or modified, the customer must reimburse the town for the full cost of performing such service. Any relocation, removal or modification of meters and appurtenances requested by a customer will be made only if and to the extent that such relocation, removal or modification is approved by the town.
(3) Access. Employees of the town shall have the right to enter upon and in the premises of the customer at reasonable times for the purpose of reading, removing, repairing or testing the meter. Employees of the town shall also have the right to enter upon and in the premises of the customer at reasonable times for the purpose of inspecting, repairing, replacing or testing all town-owned appurtenances, and to check for unsafe conditions or other purposes connected to rendering water service and protecting and assessing the condition of the town and customer property relating to water service.
(4) Testing.
(a) Each installed meter shall be periodically inspected and tested or replaced in accordance with the following schedule or more often if the results may warrant, in order that the meter accuracy is maintained within appropriate tolerances:
inch meters | 15 years or 100,000 cubic feet or equivalent units registered |
by ¾ inch meters | 15 years or 100,000 cubic feet or equivalent units registered |
¾ inch meters | 8 years or 150,000 cubic feet or equivalent units registered |
1 inch meters | 6 years or 300,000 cubic feet or equivalent units registered |
1½ inch and over | On as needed basis, based on consumption and revenue, but not less frequently than 4 years |
(b) The customer may request that a meter be tested by a direct request to the town. Such tests shall be performed at such times, in compliance with such standards and reporting requirements, and paid for by the requesting party.
(5) Damage or tampering. All meters, or except as otherwise provided in this chapter, shall be furnished, installed and maintained, tested, repaired, removed and replaced only by and at the expense of the town and shall remain its property; but in case of damage to a meter by reason of any act, misuse, neglect or omission on the part of the customer (such as damage occasioned by fire, frost, hot water, thawing procedure or misuse), the customer shall reimburse the town the cost of repairing the meter on presentation of a bill for the repair.
(Ord. 2012-9, passed 11-5-12)