(a) Identification. Inspectors, meter readers or other authorized employees of the Municipality whose duty it may be to enter upon private premises to examine meters, pipes or other fixtures used in connection with the municipal water supply, shall be equipped with proper credentials to identify them as agents of the Municipality.
(b) Meters Subject to Inspection. Water meters shall be subject to inspection only by duly authorized representatives of the Water Department at any reasonable time. Refusal to admit a duly authorized employee of the Water Department at a reasonable hour for the purpose of reading, inspecting, maintaining or changing a meter shall be considered a violation of these regulations and shall be cause for disconnection of service.
(c) Meters Shall be Accessible. Meters shall be freely accessible and shall not be hidden or covered with building materials, boxes or any other obstructions. Exceptions may be obtained from the Director of Public Works or his duly authorized agent.
(d) Testing Meters. The Water Department reserves the right to test for accuracy any and all meters within its water distribution system. Accuracy limits are defined as 2% plus or minus of 100% per American Water Works Association standards.
(1) Residential and commercial meters up to 1 inch in size shall be tested at the discretion of the Water Department, and if found inaccurate shall be recalibrated, if possible. Total replacement to include remote readout units shall be the responsibility of the Municipality.
(2) Commercial and industrial meters sizes one and one-half inches, two inches, three inches, four inches, six inches and eight inches shall be tested at the discretion of the Water Department with all cost for the initial testing being the responsibility of the Municipality. The cost of repairs, replacement and retest of any meter in this section found to be inaccurate shall be the responsibility of the Municipality.
(1980 Code 50.12; Ord. 23-97.)
(3) The City will test a customer’s meter upon the customer’s written request. The customer shall pay a testing fee in an amount as determined from time to time by Council before the meter is removed for testing. If testing shows that the meter’s accuracy was outside the specified limits, the testing fee will be credited to the customer’s account and the customer’s water and sanitary sewer charges for the four (4) months prior to the testing will be adjusted. No fee credit or account adjustments will be made if testing shows that the meter’s accuracy was within the specified limits.
(e) Waterline Leaks/Breaks. In case of leaks or breaks, and/or failure in water mains, tower levels, or problems which may develop in the water transmission lines serving as the City’s water sources, the supply of water may be shut off without prior notice.
(Ord. 25-17. Passed 1-8-18.)