(A) All premises using water shall be metered, except as otherwise provided for in this chapter. No person, except an authorized representative of the Commission, shall break or injure the seal of, or change the location of, alter or interfere in any way with any water meter.
(B) The General Manager shall have the right to discontinue water service to any premises where there is not easy access to the meter. Any authorized representative of the Commission shall, at all times, have the right to enter the premises where the meters are installed for the purpose of reading, testing, removing or inspecting the meter or for the purpose of inspecting any pipe or fixture connected to the municipal water system. No person shall hinder, obstruct or interfere with the employee in the lawful discharge of these duties under this section.
(C) If any meter shall fail to register properly, the General Manager shall estimate the consumption on the basis of former consumption and adjust the bill accordingly.
(D) A customer may request that the meter serving his or her property be tested. If the meter is found defective, it shall be repaired or another meter installed. No charge shall be made for the repair or replacement of a defective meter.
(E) A meter shall be considered accurate if it registers 5%, more or less, than the quantity of water passing through it. If a meter registers in excess of 5% more than the actual quantity of water passing through, it shall be considered fast to that extent. If a meter registers in excess of 5% less than the actual quantity of water passing through it, it shall be considered slow to that extent.
(F) If a meter has been tested and shall have been determined to register fast, the Commission shall credit the customer with a sum equal to the percent fast multiplied by the amount of all bills incurred by the customer within three months prior to the test. If a meter has been determined to register slow, the Commission may collect from the customer a sum equal to the percent slow multiplied by the amount of all the bills incurred by the customer within the prior three months.
(Ord. 31-2007, passed 9-18-2007) Penalty, see § 51.999