(A) Meters required.
(1) Except for the extinguishment 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 therefrom unless the water passes through a meter approved by the city.
(2) No person not authorized by the City Administrator shall connect, disconnect, take apart, or in any manner change or interfere with any such meter or its use.
(3) The meter shall be supplied by the city. The cost of the meter plus installation charges will be paid by the customer.
(B) Maintenance. The customer shall be responsible for the maintenance and repair of any meter or remote reader that has become unserviceable and shall replace it if necessary. City employees shall perform actual repair of the meter or remote reader. Any expense caused the city thereby shall be charged against and collected from the water customer.
(C) Complaints; meter testing.
(1) When a consumer complains that the bill for any past service period is excessive, the city shall have the meter reread on request.
(2) If the consumer remains dissatisfied, the consumer may, on written request and the deposit in the amount duly established by the City Council from time to time have the meter tested.
(3) The city shall test the meter at the consumer's property, with the consumer being present. Should the consumer request testing of the meter by an outside agency, those expenses shall be borne by the consumer if the meter tests accurate or in favor of the consumer.
(4) If the test shows an error in the city's favor exceeding 5% of the water consumed, the deposit shall be refunded, and the bill shall be adjusted accordingly.
(5) Such adjustment shall not extend back more than 1 service period from the date of the written request.
(D) Meter reading and inspection.
(1) 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 in order to read meters and make inspections.
(2) If the authorized meter reader is unable to get a remote meter reading, due to the following conditions, the customer will be charged the estimating fee.
(3) These conditions include, but are not limited to the following:
(a) Residing a house;
(b) Install a deck over the remote reader;
(c) Fence in the yard in such a way as to prevent access to the remote reader; and
(d) A dog in the yard prevents access to the remote reader.
(E) Installation of a second water meter.
(1) Application.
(a) A property owner may apply to have a water line metered for exterior use only (hereinafter referred to as a water sprinkling service line) in addition to water service metered for use within a building.
(b) Such application shall be on a form prepared by the City Administrator and shall include:
1. Date of inflow/infiltration disclosure form-certificate of compliance;
2. Name and address of applicant; and
3. Location for water meter.
(2) Inspection of water sprinkling service line. Approval of the application shall be granted where an inspection by the Mapleton Public Works Department demonstrates:
(a) The water service line is split immediately upon entry to the building;
(b) Two water meters have been installed behind the split, one on each line from the split;
(c) The line used for water sprinkling service must serve only lines that lead outside the building;
(d) No connection between water lines outside the building and inside the building may exist;
(e) Both water meters must be equipped with a remote reading device;
(f) The building must have no footing drains or roof leaders that discharge directly or indirectly into the sanitary sewer.
(g) If the building has a sump pump, such sump pump must discharge directly into a storm sewer and if no storm sewer is available it must be piped directly out of the building in a manner to insure the discharge will not be entering the sanitary sewer system. The Mapleton Public Works Department will televise the sanitary sewer line or do a dye test along the property foundation to check for foundation tile connected to the sanitary sewer. Property owners must receive a certificate of compliance from the city prior to installation of a second water meter.
(3) Cost of plumbing and meter installation. All costs of the meter, plumbing and meter installation shall be borne by the property owner.
(4) Unlawful to use water sprinkling service line within building. It shall be unlawful for any person to use or permit the use of the water sprinkling service line to supply water within a building.
(5) Water sprinkling service line exempt from sewer charges.
(a) No charge for sewer usage will be made based upon water flowing through a meter monitoring a water sprinkling service line, except that if a water sprinkling service line is found to have been used to supply water within a building, three times the normal sewerage charge for all water supplied through the water sprinkling service line for the 12 months preceding discovery of the illegal use of the water sprinkling service line shall be made.
(b) Additionally, use of the water sprinkling service line to supply water within a building shall result in revocation of the permit to be exempt from sewerage charges for water sprinkling service line for a period of not less than 5 years.
(6) Billing. All water usage from the second water meter shall be billed yearly at the end of the third quarter. The minimum annual charge is 6,000 gallons per year.
(F) Final reading. It shall be the responsibility of the consumer to notify the city to request a final reading at the time of the customer's billing change.
(Ord. passed 8-1-2006; Am. Ord. passed 11-5-2013) Penalty, see §
10.99