§ 48-72. Same—Ownership, installation, repair, testing, billing.

(a)

The water use of each consumer shall be metered. All piping for meters shall be plumbed by the customer at his own expense. For purposes of this section, the term "water meter" shall include any associated meter reading device.

(b)

The City shall furnish, install, maintain, test and repair all water meters one (1) inch or less in size and used by the City for the purpose of billing public water system customers. The City shall bear all costs so incurred.

(c)

The City shall furnish, install, maintain, test and repair all water meters exceeding one (1) inch in size and used by the City for the purpose of billing public water system customers for new water service initiated after July 1, 2005. The customer shall bear the expense of the new meter acquisition and installation and the City shall bear the expense of future maintenance, repair and, if necessary, replacement of the meter.

(d)

In the event of a change of property use by a customer that results in the need for a replacement meter exceeding one (1) inch in size, the customer shall bear the expense of new meter acquisition and installation and the City shall bear the expense of future maintenance, repair and, if necessary, replacement of the meter.

(e)

Notwithstanding the above, all customers owning water meters for water service initiated before July 1, 2005, that are used by the City for the purpose of billing for use of the public water system and that exceed one (1) inch, which are deemed necessary to be replaced by the Superintendent of Public Utilities or his designee, in his sole discretion, for any reason, including but not limited to old age, obsolescence and/or inaccuracy, shall be furnished, owned, installed, and maintained by the City. As part of the meter installation, the City shall also install radio read devices and shutoff valves, if necessary

(f)

All meters shall be subject to testing by the City at intervals as determined by the Superintendent of Public Utilities, as noted in the most current edition of the American Water Works Association publication entitled "Water Meters—Selection, Installation, Testing and Maintenance," and at such other times as deemed necessary by said Superintendent or his designee, in his sole discretion. Whenever the City conducts a test of a water meter exceeding one (1) inch in size pursuant to the provisions of this subsection, the cost of the test shall be billed to the customer.

(g)

For purposes of this section, meter acquisition and installation costs shall be set by the Superintendent of Public Utilities and shall be generally equivalent to the cost of the meter, radio read device and any other parts required for installation, as paid by the City.

(Code 1961, § 21-44; Ord. No. 232, 8-1-1978; Ord. No. 285, 7-21-1982; Ord. No. 637, 5-3-2005; Ord. No. 717, 11-19-2012)