§ 51.071  METERS.
   (A)   All customers metered - no free service. 
      (1)   It shall be mandatory for all customers of the city's municipal sewer system to have a water meter or city approved flow measuring device maintained at the user's expense to determine the amount of the discharge to the city's municipal sewer system. 
      (2)   In the event that a building or premise discharging sewage, water or other waste into the city's municipal sewer system uses water supplied on other than a metered basis from either a private or public water supply, then in such case, the owner or occupant may be required to cause a flow meter or other measuring device acceptable to the city to be installed and maintained at the user's expense to measure the  amount  of the  discharge to the city's municipal sewer system.  No customer will receive or be entitled to free sewer service without paying the full rate herein specified, unless waived in writing by the city.
      (3)   In the event any building or premise uses water in excess of 10,000 gallons per month as shown on the water meter readings for the property for two (2) consecutive months and it can be shown that a substantial portion of the water as so measured does not and cannot enter the city's municipal sewer system, then the city may determine, upon receipt of a written request from the owner of the property, in such manner as may be found practicable, the amount of water entering the municipal sewer system, in which event the charge for the discharge to the city's municipal sewer system shall be based thereon, or the city may require or permit the installation of additional meters or measuring devices maintained at the user's expense to determine the quantity of water or sewerage actually entering the city's municipal sewer system, in which case the charge for the discharge to the city's municipal sewer system shall be based thereon.
   (B)   Meters read monthly.
      (1)   Water meters or city approved flow measuring devices shall be read monthly commencing on the fifteenth day of each calendar month or as soon thereafter as weather and other conditions and circumstances may reasonably permit, and such readings will continue as expeditiously  as  possible  until  all of the water meters and approved  flow measuring devices have been read.   
      (2)   In the event that upon the occasion of a monthly reading, it is found that the water meter of a customer is defective or non-operative, the sewer bill of such customer shall be computed on the basis of the average monthly water consumption of such customer shown by the three (3) preceding monthly water meter readings, provided that if no such readings are then available, the applicable sewer bill may be computed on the basis of an estimate of water consumption made by the Superintendent, subject to adjustment upward or downward according to the average of the next three (3) succeeding monthly water meter readings. 
      (3)   If the flow measuring device fails to register for any period, the amount of sewage discharged will be deemed to be equal to the amount of water delivered in the corresponding period.
(Ord. 6-97, passed 7-14-97)