A. Meters Required: All water sold or supplied by the city shall be furnished through meters and shall be paid for at the meter rate now established by the city or as may hereafter, from time to time, be so established; prior to said date the owners of all property in the city in which water is used from the city system of water mains shall have installed, as hereinafter provided upon their respective premises, a water meter of the kind hereinafter designated; such meter shall be properly attached to the service pipe so as to correctly measure all city water used on such premises. (Ord. M-38-89, 9-5-1989)
It shall be mandatory to provide a bypass system, complete with full shutoff valves, on all large water meters (11/2" and over in size) to prevent water service interruptions when overhauling said meters and the same shall apply to small sized water meters when the supply of water must be continuously maintained. Any person using the bypass system on such meters, to avoid paying for water, shall be fined as provided in section 9-1-11 of this chapter. All bypass systems must be metered in accordance with this section. (Ord. M-38-89, 9-5-1989; amd. 2002 Code)
B. Type And Installation:
1. Type Of Meters: All meters meeting the American Waterworks Association standards as adopted in 1916, and amended thereafter, are hereby adopted and approved for exclusive use in the city. All meters shall also be equipped with an outside reading device; minimum elevation of said device shall be 42 inches above ground level. This shall include all new and replacement meter installations. Every meter which may be installed shall first be approved by the director of public works before it can be installed. (Ord. M-101-81, 1-4-1982)
2. Meter Tests: All meters shall factory tested and calibrated before installation. If any property owner disputes the accuracy of a water meter, he has the following options:
a. The meter can be tested by the department of public works; or
b. The meter may be tested by an independent state and AWWA certified testing facility. (2002 Code)
3. Installation Of Meters: The Director of Public Works, or their designee, will facilitate setting and sealing of all water meters. In no case will anyone be allowed to remove or replace any water meter without specific authorization from the Director of Public Works, or their designee. The owner and occupant of the premises in which any such meter is installed shall be liable for the theft thereof and breakage by freezing or otherwise, or damage to it in any manner, and shall replace or repair the same or any part thereof within five days after notice by the director of public works or other officer of the city and on failure to so comply with any such notice the water shall be shut off. (Ch. 30 Art. V, 1956 Code)
4. Placement: Upon all premises, the meter shall be set in the structure or basement as near as possible to where the service pipe enters such structure or basement.
C. Conducting Pipes: The conducting pipes of all meters shall be joined with tailpiece type unions or flanges. (2002 Code)
D. Schedule Of Meter Prices: The schedule of prices for meters sold by the city to water consumers shall be as determined from time to time by resolution of the city council. (Ord. M-41-72, 9-5-1972)
E. Repairs To Meters: The owner or occupant of any building or premises where any meter connected with the service pipes of the water supply system of the city is installed shall see that the meter is kept and remains free from obstructions on or around the same and that it is conveniently accessible at all reasonable times for the purpose of reading, inspecting or repairing the same, and the director of public works or other employee or agent of the city shall be permitted at all reasonable hours to inspect or examine the meter for the purpose of reading, replacing or repairing the same; and the water shall be turned off from any service pipe where the meter connected therewith shall not be kept free and accessible and repaired as herein required and the same shall not be turned on again until this subsection and all other provisions of this chapter have been complied with and the cost of turning off and turning on the water shall have been paid. If for any reason the water cannot be turned off, the City may assess a $50 administration fee every month until the customer allows access for the repair. Any breakage to pipes or shutoff valves during a meter change or repair shall be the property owner’s responsibility to repair. (Ord. M-41-97, 7-7-1997)
F. Interference With Meters: No person, unless properly authorized by the city, shall connect, disconnect, remove, repair or otherwise disturb any water meter, and any person who shall turn on the supply of water to the service pipe from which the supply has been turned off by the authority of the city on account of nonpayment of water rents or noncompliance with any of the provisions of this chapter without first obtaining a permit from the director of public works or some authorized officer of the city to do so. (Ord. M-38-89, 9-5-1989; amd. Ord. M-59-93, 12-6-1993; 2002 Code)
G. Faulty Meters:
1. In case a remote meter register for any cause fails to properly register the quantity of water passing through the inside water meter for any period, the amount charged for water used during such period shall be based on the inside meter reading. The charge for turning on or off the water in all cases for the violation of this subsection shall be the same as is now prescribed for such service in other cases.
2. In case a meter for any cause fails to register the quantity of water passing through the same for any period, the amount charged for water during such period shall be estimated by the director of public works or other authorized officer of the city and the estimate shall be based on the average amount registered during the two (2) preceding like periods. The charge for turning on or off the water in all cases for the violation of this subsection shall be the same as is now prescribed for such service in other cases. (Ord. M-41-97, 7-7-1997)
3. The city has the right to mail notices to all water customers requesting the property owner to read the internal meter and the remote read. The property owner has the responsibility to return the notice, with the readings, by the date shown on the mailing. Failure to do so will place the account on delinquent status and may cause the water service to be shut off. Timing of this mailing shall be determined by the director of finance and administrative services and the director of public works. (2002 Code)
H. Maintenance Of Meter Boxes/Vaults: Maintenance of any meter box or vault outside a structure receiving water service shall be the property owner’s responsibility. Likewise, any connection pipes or shutoff valves adjacent to the meter contained in the meter box or vault are the property owner’s responsibility to maintain. (Ord. M-41-97, 7-7-1997; amd. Ord. M-5-24, 4-1-2024)