(A) Required.
(1) Except for extinguishing of fires, no person other than an authorized city employee shall use water from the city water supply system or permit water to be drawn unless the water passes through a meter supplied or approved by the city. Purchase of the first water meter will be made by the city. The owner or customer shall be held responsible for the care of the currently installed meter, and will be required to pay for all meter repair or replacement, caused to meters by himself, herself, his or her agent or the occupants of the premises.
(2) The city’s determination of neglect or intentional damage shall be conclusive and irrefutable.
(B) Water meter setting. Every water meter shall be installed in accordance with the following provisions.
(1) The service pipe from the water main to the meter shall be brought through the floor in a vertical position where the pipe enters the building. The stop and waste valve shall be 12 inches above the floor.
(2) The bottom of the meter shall be between six and 12 inches above the finished floor line. The meter shall be set not more than 12 inches horizontally from the inside line of the basement wall unless a different position is approved by the city. A suitable bracket shall be provided to support the meter in a proper vertical position and prevent noise from vibration.
(3) Each meter installation shall have a stop and waste valve on the street side of the meter. In no case shall more than 12 inches of pipe be exposed between the point of entrance through the basement floor and the stop and waste valve. A stop and waste valve shall also be installed on the house side of the meter.
(4) The water pipe connecting with the main shall not exceed two feet under the basement wall to the water meter connection.
(5) Deviation from the installation specifications in this division (B) shall be by Council approval only.
(C) Meter reading and inspection. The occupants of any building or premises where a water meter is located shall see that the meter is kept and remains free from obstructions, and that it is conveniently accessible at all times for the purpose of reading, inspecting or repairing. Authorized meter readers shall have free access at reasonable hours of the day to all parts of every building and premises connected with the city water supply system.
(D) Failed meters/no meter reads. In case any meter fails to register for any cause, the amount charged for water during the period shall be estimated by the City Council, the estimate to be based on the average amount registered during a like previous period. If a reading is not detected, the city will do an estimated reading based on the previous 12 months of usage.
(E) Maintenance. The city shall maintain and repair, at its expense, any meter that has become unserviceable through ordinary wear and tear and shall replace it if necessary. Where repair or replacement is made necessary by act or neglect of the owner or occupant of the premises it serves, any city expense caused thereby, shall be charged against and collected from the water consumer, and water service may be discontinued until the cause is corrected and the amount charged is paid.
(F) Meter property of the city. Water meters shall be the property of the city and may be removed or replaced as to size and type when deemed necessary.
(2001 Code, § 3.20)