(A) Unless otherwise specified in the contract between the town and the customer, the water supplied will be measured by a meter or meters of standard manufacture, furnished and installed by the town according to its requirements in force and effect as amended from time to time. Provided, however, that meters one and one-half inch or larger shall be provided by customer and will become the property of town. The customer shall provide for this purpose, free of expense to the town, a suitable area near the service entrance either in the basement, or in a location which is approved by the town before installation. Residential meters shall be installed three feet to three feet, six inches above the floor, and as shown on standard meter installation drawings which may be obtained from the town. Customers shall provide and maintain suitable means of access to the meter with no obstructions of any kind within three feet of the meter. Customers shall provide and install an approved stop and drain valve on the inlet side of the meter and a shut-off valve on the house side of the meter as specified by the town. One-inch meters shall be installed in yokes. For one and one-half inch and two-inch meters, a spacer and flanges shall be installed as specified by the town. As a convenience, the town stocks yokes, flanges and spacers and will, upon request, sell to the customer. A remote reading device will be installed by the town at a mutually agreeable location. For meters one and one-half inch and larger, the installation shall conform in all respects to standard meter installation details which may be obtained from the town.
(B) A charge will be made for each meter installation. For new services, this charge is included in the connection or tap charge. For customers desiring service where existing taps, service lines and yokes may be used, the charge is included in the contract charge. This charge is based on the average cost of installing meters, and the town may, from time to time, adjust these charges to reflect current charges.
(C) If a customer requests, for his or her convenience, or by his or her actions, requires that town facilities be redesigned, re-engineered, relocated, removed, modified or reinstalled, the town may require the customer to make payment to it of the full cost of performing the service.
(D) (1) The town reserves the right to determine the kind and size of meter that shall be used on any service pipe. The water supplied for each customer's premises shall ordinarily be measured by a single meter of standard manufacture installed by the town. However, for the convenience of the town, more than one meter may be installed for capacity purposes on the same class of service, on the same premises for the same customer. In this case, meter readings shall be aggregated and billed as if from a single meter.
(2) When for the convenience of the customer, water for a premises is metered at more than one service line, each meter shall be billed separately.
(E) When the customer will permanently require for his or her own use and convenience one or more additional meters for the same class of service in any one premises, the customer may purchase the meter or meters from the town. The town will not supply extra meters except for temporary installation. When temporary extra meters are installed at the request of the customer, the customer shall be required to pay the cost, excepting meter, required for the installation and removal. A rental charge, dependent upon size and type of meter, will be made for each extra meter.
(F) The properly authorized agents of the town shall have the right to enter upon the premises of the customer at all reasonable times for the purpose of inspecting, reading, testing, repairing or replacing the meter or meters, appliances and equipment used in connection with its service, and removing the same on the termination of the contract or the discontinuance of the service.
(G) All meters or other appliances and equipment which are furnished by and at the expense of the town and which may at any time be on the customer's premises shall, unless otherwise expressly provided herein, be and remain the property of the town. The customer shall protect the property from freezing and from loss or damage and no one who is not a representative of the utility shall be permitted to remove the property or tamper therewith.
(H) Ordinary repairs to meters will be made by the town without expense to the customer. Repairs of damage caused by carelessness or neglect on the part of the customer, including damage from freezing or from hot water, will also be made by the town, but the cost of the repairs shall be charged to the customer. After a second instance of a damaged meter due to negligence of the customer, the town may discontinue service until the customer properly protects the meter from damage.
(I) A meter will be tested by the town upon request of the customer, but not more frequently than once in 12 months. A report of the results of the test will be made to the customer and a complete record of the test will be kept on file in the office of the town. The customer may be, and is encouraged to be, present or have a representative present when the meter is tested. If a test requested by the customer established that the meter is over-registering more than 2%, no charge will be made for the test, and an adjustment shall be made for the difference during the time of the malfunction up to a period of one year. Otherwise, the town shall charge the customer for making the test in accordance with the schedule on file with the town.
(J) When a residential meter is found to under-register in excess of 2% in tests made at the request of the customer, the town may charge the customer for the water incorrectly metered for a period equal to one-half of the time elapsed since the previous test, but not to exceed six months. If a meter is found not to register for any period, the town shall estimate the charge for the water used by averaging the amounts registered over similar periods, or over corresponding periods in previous years.
(K) For the determination of residential meter accuracy, the town shall use the appropriate test flows specified by the American Water Works Association for the various type of meters. Tests on large meters shall be as recommended by the meter manufacturer. If under-registration, the cost of the test shall be borne by the customer, and if over-registration, the cost will be borne by the town. Cost of water shall be adjusted as with residential meters.
(Prior Code, § 3.1C.9) (Ord. 95-009, passed - -1995)