(A) For the purpose of this section, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
CITY. The City of Mt. Vernon, Indiana, including its departments and utilities.
MASTER METER. The water meter which is installed on the service line nearest to the municipal water main tap. The master meter will measure the total amount of water which is delivered to the multi-unit development.
MULTI-UNIT DEVELOPMENT. A residential development which receives its water supply from the city, which is comprised of more than one residential unit, and each unit is serviced by a separate and distinct water service line originating from the master meter.
REMOTE READ METER. A meter which is capable of transmitting the volume of water used by remote recall.
UNIT METERS. The water meter installed on the service line at a point after the master meter that shall measure the amount of water delivered to a residential unit.
(B) (1) An owner or developer of a multi-unit development may design the development as to allow each unit’s water usage to be separately metered. An owner/developer who designs the multi-unit development for separate metering, and the unit users receiving the municipal service, shall follow the provisions of this section, along with all other city ordinances governing customers and users of the municipal utilities, which are not inconsistent with this section.
(2) When an owner/developer develops a multi-unit development with unit meters the following requirements shall apply in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other construction standard of the City Water, Waste Water, and Street Departments and all rules, regulations and requirements of the State Board of Health, State Department of Environmental Management, or other local, state or federal agency:
(a) The owner/developer will be responsible for and bear all costs of installing the unit meters.
(b) All individual unit meters must be remote read meters.
(c) The owner/developer must maintain a master meter.
(d) All meters must be installed in a location near the main roadway or in a location easily accessible to the city. The owner/developer shall submit three copies of the utility plans for the multi-unit development to the City Water Works. Unit and master meter placement shall be subject to the approval of the city. By installing unit meters, the owner/developer grants the city authority to enter onto the owner/developer’s multi-unit development for the purpose of reading the unit meters.
(e) All occupants in the multi-unit development served by a unit meter shall pay the standard meter deposit charged to like customers.
(f) With the first meter reading cycle that occurs after all occupants in a multi-unit development served by a unit meter have paid the required meter deposit, the city will issue utility billings based on unit meter readings to the unit occupants.
(g) The city may, at its option, read the master meter for the purpose of confirming that all water used is being metered through the unit meters. If the master meter reading is higher than the total of all unit meters combined, the city shall notify the owner/developer and the owner/developer shall be responsible for the additional utility cost equivalent to the difference between the master meter reading and the combined unit meter readings.
(C) (1) The owner/developer and unit occupants shall be governed by all other local, state and federal ordinances, rules, regulations and laws applicable to the utility users of the city.
(2) Nothing shall preclude the city from collecting delinquent utility charges by all means available under the law, including real estate liens for delinquent sewer charges.
(Ord. 02-03, passed 2-11-02)