Each building or dwelling unit served by the municipal water system shall be equipped with a functioning water meter furnished by this municipality:
(A) The city will provide water meters as part of the tap on fee. The city will retain ownership of water meters.
(B) The city shall read or cause to be read every water meter in use in this municipality bi-monthly or at such other times as the City Administrator, with the concurrence of the City Council, determines is appropriate.
(C) Location. A proper connection shall be provided upon each property supplied with water in an accessible location at least three feet above the floor and in a manner satisfactory to the Public Services Director or authorized representative. Every water customer shall have a water meter, approved by the city, attached to his water supply pipes at this own expense. On premises where there is no basement or cellar, the meter shall be installed in the utility room or outside in a meter pit, the location of which shall be approved by the city. Where it is necessary to set the meter in a pit, such pit shall be built at the expense of the owners as directed by and to the satisfaction of the city.
(D) New meters. All new water meters shall be provided with remote registers. The remote registers shall be located on the outside of the building approved by the city.
(E) Interfering with meters. No person, except an authorized employee of the city, shall break or injure any water meter seal or change the location of, alter or interfere in any way with any meter.
(F) The owner or occupant of the premises where a water meter is installed shall be held responsible for its care and protection from freezing and from injury or interference with such meter by any person. In case of freezing, injury or damage to the meter, or in case of its stoppage or imperfect operation, the owner or occupant of the premises shall give immediate notice to the City Administrator or a designee. Within 20 days after the date of an invoice from the city, the owner or occupant of premises where a meter has been frozen, injured or damaged shall reimburse the city for the costs for a replacement meter and its installation and for the removal of the old meter, based on current costs as established by the Public Services Department.
(G) Bypassing meter. All water furnished by the city and used on any premises must pass through the meter, and the owner or occupant shall not permit any bypass or connection around the meter to be constructed or maintained.
(H) Out of order; charge. If any meter becomes out of order or fails to register, the consumer will be charged at the average quarterly consumption rate as shown by the meter over the period of the preceding four quarters when the meter was accurately registering.
(I) Testing meters. The accuracy of the meter on any premises will be tested by the Public Services Department upon written request of the owner, who shall pay, in advance, a fee of $75 to cover the cost of the test. If, on such test the meter shall be found to register more than 5% more water than actually passes through it, another meter will be substituted therefor, and the fee of $75 will be refunded, and the water bill may be adjusted as may be fair and just.
(Ord. 98-09, passed 6-9-98; Am. Ord. 07-37, passed 2-26-08; Am. Ord. 08-2, passed 5-13-08; Am. Ord. 08-13, passed 8-12-08; Am. Ord. 11-30, passed 11-22-11; Am. Ord. 13-54, passed 11-12-13)