(A) If a customer has been overcharged for water service because of a malfunction in the metering system or a billing error, overcharges will be refunded to the customer for the entire period of inaccurate billing, if that period is discernible by the municipality. If the period of inaccurate billing is not discernible, overcharges will be calculated based on a time period that is the shortest of the time elapsed since the customer's service began, the date of installation of the faulty meter or implementation of the error resulting in the overcharge (if applicable), or 365 days.
(B) If a customer has been undercharged for water service because of a malfunction in the metering system or a billing error, undercharges will be billed to the customer, and the customer shall pay the charges for the entire period of inaccurate billing, if that period is discernible by the municipality. If the period of inaccurate billing is not discernible, undercharges will be calculated based on a time period that is the shortest of the time elapsed since the customer's service began, the date of installation of the faulty meter or implementation of the error resulting in the undercharge (if applicable), or 365 days. Undercharges billed to residential customers shall in no event exceed a period of 365 days. Customers shall have the option to pay the amount undercharged in equal payments spread over the same number of months as the charges were accumulated.
(C) This section does not serve as a limitation to billing for undercharges which are the result of tampering with utility equipment or theft of utility service, or where a physical act of a customer of its agent causes inaccurate or no recording of the meter reading, or inaccurate or no measurement of the water rendered.
(Ord. 7-2017, passed 8-7-17)