(A) Meters.
(1) All water service connected with the water system of the city shall have placed thereon a water meter with a remote reading device. The city will furnish to the user a five-eighths’ inch water meter with a remote reading device and meter setter, or in the event a larger meter is requested by the user, then the user will pay to the city the difference in cost between the five-eighths inch meter and the meter size requested. The meter and remote shall remain the property, at all times, of the city, and will not be removed from the premises except by employees of the city.
(2) New customers shall pay to the city the reasonable cost for meter setter with valve, meter with remote and miscellaneous materials, equipment, and labor associated with the installation of the metering system.
(3) No person other than the city or a duly licensed and registered plumber shall be allowed to set meters and make connections to the water service of the city. The meters hereafter placed, replaced or repaired shall be connected with the mains by copper service and no other materials shall be used in making the connection. In the event a meter larger than five-eighths’ inch is installed at the request of the user, the amount of the difference in cost shall be assessed to the user for the larger meter, and will not be refundable in the event that the meter is removed.
(B) Customer deposits. The city, when application for water service is made, shall require applicant to pay a fee, which is adopted by the City Council and on file with the Clerk, as a service deposit to protect the city from loss arising out of water service furnished; the city is hereby empowered to demand and collect the service deposit from any consumer at any time.
(C) Remote reading device required; cost.
(1) All water meters installed for new water services connected to the water system of the city shall have installed as part thereof, a remote reading device which will allow the meter to be read from the outside of the building or premises. The remote reading device shall be furnished by the city along with the five-eighths’ inch water meter. The cost of the remote reading device shall be collected at the time the service deposit is collected.
(2) Consumers having water meters without remote reading devices shall be required to have such a device installed upon receiving written notice by the city. The city shall furnish and install the reading devices at a fee which is adopted by the City Council and on file with the Clerk, the fee may be paid by the consumer upon installation of the reading device or the fee shall be billed on the consumer’s monthly water use bill. Failure to pay the fee may result in the same discontinuance of water service as provided for in failure to pay a water use bill.
(D) Testing; repair; replacement. All meters and remote reading devices so set and installed will be kept in repair at the expense of the city unless the damage done was caused by the negligence or the willful conduct or the act of the user. When the meters or remote meter readers shall be entirely worn out, they will be replaced by the city. Hereafter, all meters shall be sealed in three places, once on the burr connection on each side and on the cover of the registering dial, and no person shall deface, injure or break the seal unless authorized to do so by the city. All water meters may be tested at the expense of the city at any reasonable time. Remote reading devices shall be the property of the city and shall not be removed from the premises by the owner of the premises. The requirement of remote meter reading devices shall apply to all existing meters and all future installations.
(Prior Code, § 51.031) (Ord. 1121, passed 12-11-1978; Ord. 1476, passed 6-8-1992) Penalty, see § 51.999