A.
Application. A customer may
receive water through a meter, in accordance with the water utility's
application process and its terms and conditions. The person applying for
service must submit to the water utility all necessary information (as
determined by the water utility) to enable the water utility to determine
and/or approve the size of the meter.
B.
Meter Setting
1. All meters must be set as close as
practicable to the point of entrance of the service line to the establishment.
The water utility must require the customer to provide a warm, dry, and
accessible location for the meter. The location of the meter, once set, may be
changed at the request and expense of the customer, but the change may be made
only by the water utility or an appropriately licensed plumber hired by the
customer and approved by the water utility. For new installations of meters,
the piping arrangement must be in accordance with the requirements of the water
utility.
2. The cost of the meter,
related meter reading equipment, and installation must be apportioned according
to Chapter 65 of the Commission's Rules.
3. If a customer does not furnish a suitable
location for a meter inside a building or if it is necessary to locate the
meter outside the building, a water utility may require the customer to provide
and maintain a suitable vault or enclosure. Installation may be performed by
the water utility on a jobbing basis, by an appropriately licensed contractor
approved by the water utility, or by the customer's appropriately licensed
contractor under the supervision of the water utility.
C.
Meter Repairs. Repairs and
replacement of meters and related meter reading equipment owned by the water
utility, necessitated by ordinary wear must be paid for by the water utility.
Meter repair and replacement due to damage other than ordinary wear and tear
may be charged to the customer, including the associated labor cost.
D.
Testing
1. A water utility furnishing water on a
metered basis must have provisions in its terms and conditions for testing its
meters in a manner acceptable to the Commission.
2. Meters placed in service by a water
utility must be tested by the manufacturer, with proper certification of such
testing furnished to the water utility, or by the water utility before
installation. Thereafter, meters must be tested in accordance with this
Subsection or more frequently if requested by the customer.
All meter tests are at the expense of the water utility
unless the customer requests more than one test in 18 months, in which case the
water utility may require the customer to make a reasonable deposit, if
authorized by the water utility's tariffs, to cover the cost of the test. The
water utility must provide a written report of the test results, which includes
the flow rates at which the meters were tested, the volume of water used to
test at each of those flow rates and the accuracy of the meter (expressed as %
registration) to the customer.
If a meter tested at the request of a customer does not
conform to the standards below, the water utility must refund the customer's
deposit, if provided. If the meter conforms to the standards below, the
customer's deposit may be retained by the water utility, and the meter may be
continued in use at the same location.
3. To determine the accuracy of mechanical
and electromagnetic and ultrasonic meters, the water utility must follow the
standard specifications of the most recent AWWA Manual M6 or the table below or
use the manufacturer's recommended testing procedures.
FLOW IN GALLONS PER MINUTE
Mechanical Meters
|
Nominal Meter Size
|
Low
|
Intermediate
|
High
|
|
1/2"
|
0.25
|
2
|
8
|
|
5/8"
|
0.25
|
2
|
15
|
|
3/4"
|
0.50
|
3
|
25
|
|
1"
|
0.75
|
4
|
40
|
|
1 1/2"
|
1.50
|
8
|
50
|
|
2"
|
2.00
|
15
|
100
|
Electromagnetic and Ultrasonic Meters
|
Nominal Meter Size
|
Low
|
Intermediate
|
High
|
|
1/2"
|
0.11
|
0.35
|
8
|
|
5/8"
|
0.25
|
2
|
15
|
|
3/4"
|
0.50
|
3
|
25
|
|
1"
|
0.75
|
4
|
40
|
|
1 1/2"
|
1.50
|
8
|
50
|
|
2"
|
1.00
|
5
|
100
|
A water utility must not place or continue in service any
meter that registers more than 2% above or below the intermediate or high flows
or below 90% of the low flow.
A water utility must replace meters on a schedule determined
by manufacturer warranties, specifications, and limits or adopt the schedule
below.
|
Nominal Size of Meter
|
Max. Interval between Tests (in years)
|
Cubic Feet
|
|
5/8"
|
10
|
100,000
|
|
3/4"
|
10
|
150,000
|
|
1"
|
10
|
300,000
|
|
1 1/2"
|
8
|
|
2"
|
8
|
|
3"
|
4 Field
|
|
4"
|
2 Field
|
|
6" or Larger
|
1 Field
|
H.
Rate Adjustment
1. For purposes of computing rate
adjustments, a water utility must use an overall weighted accuracy. To
determine an overall weighted accuracy for a meter a water utility must add 15%
of the low flow test accuracy percentage plus 70% of the intermediate flow test
accuracy percentage plus 15% of the high flow accuracy percentage.
2. If the meter over-registers, the water
utility must determine the corrected usage amount by dividing 100 by the
overall weighted accuracy and multiplying that amount by the usage read by the
meter. The water utility must then use this corrected usage amount to determine
the customer's bill for the applicable portion of the current billing period
and the most recent full billing period. If a meter is under-registering in
favor of the customer, the water utility must not bill the customer for the
difference.
