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(A) All meters shall be furnished and installed by the Public Utilities Department upon the application of any owner or responsible party for utility service and payment of the minimum service charge as provided in § 51.125, and all meters furnished and/or installed shall be and remain subject to the absolute and exclusive control of the Department.
(B) The Public Utilities Department in every instance reserves the right, at its option, to designate the location and prescribe the size of a water meter either upon original installation of a new connection, or upon any renewal or replacement of any old connection and in any case, where a size of meter other than that applied for by the owner, or previously existing, is so designated and prescribed by the Department, the owner shall be bound thereby.
(C) If, because of a substantial reduction in water consumption through an existing meter, the owner requests a smaller meter, the Building Division shall determine if desired meter size will be adequate. Upon application of the owner, the Public Utilities Department shall install the prescribed meter and the owner agrees to pay all costs including the new meter cost.
(‘72 Code, § 36-29) (Ord. 205, passed - - ; Am. Ord. O-72-206, passed 12-6-72; Am. Ord. O-94-44, passed 9-21-94 ; Am. Ord. O-2005-04, passed 5-4-05)
(A) In every instance of metered water supply service, the owner shall maintain the area in and around the water meter acceptable and accessible to the Public Utilities Department. Property owners who do not provide access to the meter or who do not keep physical access to the meter free and clear of debris and other obstacles so that the city can access the meter will be subject to a field-visit fee per occurrence to be established by resolution of the City Commission as well as the code enforcement citation and special hearing procedures as required by §§ 36.27 and 36.28.
(B) In addition to the code enforcement citation and special hearing procedures, property Owners who:
(1) Impede or otherwise deter access; or
(2) Do not keep physical access to the meter free and clear of any obstacles, so that the City can read, repair, install, remove and do any other action necessary to the meter or to carry out disconnect or reconnect service, will also be subject to the City's right to take any reasonable physical action to secure access and remove obstacles, including but not limited to breaking any lock, removing any gate, and restraining or subduing any dog or other animal, that prevents, interferes with or otherwise impedes access to the meter.
Before the City takes any such action, the City shall provide the Owner (and/or the Customer, if different from the Owner) with a minimum of ten days written notice, by regular mail sent to the address listed on the water account, and by posting of the property, to provide access and remove all obstacles. In securing access and removing obstacles, the City shall not be liable for damage to property as long as the City makes a reasonable effort to minimize such damage.
Any reasonable expense incurred by the City in securing access to its water meter shall be the responsibility of the property Owner and if not paid within 30 days of written demand, shall constitute a lien against the property until paid. Such lien shall be coequal with the lien of all state, county, district and municipal taxes and superior in dignity to all other liens, titles, and claims. In the event that the Public Utilities Department requires the assistance of the City's Police Department to gain access to the meter, a fee per occurrence will be assessed against the utility account. Such fee will be established by resolution of the City Commission.
(C) When any meter has once been placed, its position shall not be changed, except by the Public Utilities Department with its consent and at the cost of the owner, and in the event any owner makes any change in his premises, which in the discretion of the Department requires any change in the location of position of the meter or meter box, such change in location or position shall be made by the Department at the cost and expense of the owner.
(‘72 Code, § 36-30) (Ord. 205, passed - - ; Am. Ord. O-94-44, passed 9-21-94; Am. Ord. O-2005- 04, passed 5-4-05; Am. Ord. O- 2009-08, passed 5-6-09; Am. Ord. O-2014-15, passed 7-16-14; Am. Ord. O-2019-18, passed 9-18-19)
Repairs, renewals and replacements of water meters and meter boxes with connections and appliances shall be made by the Public Utilities Department and billed to the owner or persons responsible for damage if said repairs, renewals or replacements are not the result of normal wear and tear as determined by the Department.
(‘72 Code, § 36-31) (Ord. 205, passed - - ; Am. Ord. O-72-206, passed 12-6-72; Am. Ord. O-94-44, passed 9-21-94; Am. Ord. O-2005-04, passed 5-4-05)
(A) Reading of meters shall be made monthly and if meter is in good order and has been in good condition since the last previous reading, bills shall be rendered in accordance therewith.
(B) Should the customer, at any time, question the accuracy of the reading of his or her meter, unless that reading is an estimated reading, the utility customer service office shall, upon the customer's request, reread the meter. If it is determined that the reading was correct, a service charge to be established by resolution of the City Commission will be made for the rereading service on the next billing. In the event that the meter is found to be faulty or the reading is found to be erroneous to the extent that it is outside the standard specifications of 98.5% to 101.5% of the actual flow, the customer shall not be required to pay a service charge and the bill will be adjusted in accordance with § 51.075(B).
(‘72 Code, § 36-32) (Ord. 205, passed - - ; Am. Ord. O-69-143, passed - - ; Am. Ord. O-72-23, passed 2-16-72; Am. Ord. O-94-44, passed 9-21-94; Am. Ord. O-2005-04, passed 5-4-05; Am. Ord. O-2014-15, passed 7-16-14)
(A) The Public Utilities Department reserves the right to routinely test or replace existing meters at any time for any reason.
(B) Meters under three inches in size. Should the owner, at any time, question the accuracy of the meter on his or her service, the Department shall, upon his or her written request, remove the meter and test it. If it is determined that the meter is accurate within specifications (98.5% to 101.5% of the actual flow), the city will charge the customer a service fee to be established by resolution of the City Commission based on meter size.
As a result of the test, if it is determined that the meter is over-registering (>101.5% of the actual flow) or under- registering (<98.5% of the actual flow), the customer will not be charged the service fee to test the meter.
In addition, if it is determined that the meter is registering above 101.5% of the actual flow (over- registering), the customer will receive a credit for the overbilling that is above the 101.5%. If it is determined that the meter is registering below 98.5% of the actual flow (under-registering), the customer will be billed for the additional consumption that is under 98.5%. The city will calculate the credit or charge by determining the adjusted average monthly consumption, then determining the difference between tested consumption and average monthly consumption, then multiplying this difference by the appropriate consumption rate. The city can bill for past unbilled usage or credit for past overcharges for a period of up to 12 months.
(C) Meters that are three inches or more in size. The Department shall test all meters of three inches or more in size once each year and the customer shall incur the cost of said test. The Department will notify the customer at least five working days in advance of its intent to test a meter. The Department will test the meter in the field on location. The cost of said test will be established by resolution of the City Commission, and an additional charge per month, to be established by resolution of the City Commission, will appear on the customer's bill to pay the cost of the test. If it is determined that the meter is not functioning within acceptable parameters of accuracy, the city will repair or replace the meter. Additional tests within the same annual period shall be performed upon the written request of the customer at a cost per test to be established by resolution of the City Commission.
(D) The Department reserves the right to remove and test any meter at any time, and if such meter is found to be inaccurate, to substitute another meter of the same size in its place, either permanently or temporarily. In the event of such test as last mentioned, the Department further reserves the right to make any correction in the bill rendered based on the last reading of such meter, in accordance with the result of such test.
(‘72 Code, § 36-33) (Ord. 205, passed - - ; Am. Ord. O-68-12, passed - - ; Am. Ord. O-69-143, passed - - ; Am. Ord. O-94-44, passed 9-21-94; Am. Ord. O-2005-04, passed 5-4-05; Am. Ord. O-2014-15, passed 7-16-14)
(A) The quantity of water recorded by the meter shall be conclusive on both the customer and the city except when the meter has been found to be defective, or ceases to register.
(B) In case the meter has been found to be defective or has ceased to register, the amount of usage to be billed for the period that the meter was not functioning properly shall be determined by taking the average monthly usage for the previous 12 months with records of water consumption or records of less than 12 months if 12 monthly records are not available. The City can bill for past unbilled usage as herein determined for a period of up to 60 months.
(‘72 Code, § 36-34) (Ord. 205, passed - - ; Am. Ord. O-72- 206, passed 12-6-72; Am. Ord. O-2005-04, passed 5-4-05; Am. Ord. O-2014-15, passed 7-16-14; Am. Ord. O-2019-18, passed 9-18-19)
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