§ 51.07. WATER METERS.

(A) Meters required; use; purchase from village.

(1) With the exception of fire suppression lines, all premises served by the Water Supply System shall be metered. Connections made to the Water Supply System for fire suppression purposes are required to have a village-approved backflow prevention device per § 51.08 below.

(2) Water meters shall be purchased from the village and shall be maintained by the property owner at the owner's expense.

(3) Each water meter shall be served by its own water connection and water service pipe unless another system incorporating exterior valves to control water flow to each meter is approved by the village.

(B) Water meters; type; size determination.

(1) Unless otherwise authorized by the village, all meters shall be of the disc type and shall be of the make and model as approved by the village.

(2) All meters shall be under the control of the village and shall be equipped with an instrument capable of being remotely connected and read away from the meter itself. The instrument shall be installed on the exterior of the building as directed by the village.

(3) All new meters will require an outside touch pad and a unit capable of being remotely connected and read away from the meter such as a meter interface unit (MIU) or a meter transceiver unit (MXU), as approved by the village.

(4) When requesting connection to the Water Supply System, the user shall furnish information about the amount of the user's contemplated water demand and the type and size of meter to be installed. The type and size of meter shall be subject to approval by the village.

(a) For usual domestic use and consumption of water, a three-quarter-inch meter shall be purchased from the village and installed by the user.

(b) For multiple dwellings, the size shall be one inch for two to eight dwellings and one and one-half inches for nine to 16 dwellings.

(c) Except as provided above, when application is made for a meter larger than three-quarter inch, the village shall determine whether a meter of the size is required or authorized.

(d) The use of meters larger than one and one-half inches will be permitted only upon specific written approval by the village after due consideration of pertinent factors, such as the probable effect of demand on the installed capacity of water mains, water supply and the means of sewage disposal.

(C) Water meters; installation; location regulations.

(1) Meters shall be installed in a readily accessible location and in a manner satisfactory to the village. A meter shall never be installed in a place where it cannot be readily repaired or read by the village.

(2) All meters shall be installed horizontally in a dry, clean, sanitary location and in the places that small leaks and the spilling of water will do no damage.

(3) All users shall place the meter in a suitable location to prevent the pipes and meters from freezing in cold weather.

(4) If a suitable and readily accessible location is provided in a dry basement sufficiently well heated to prevent freezing of the meter during the winter, the meter may be placed in the basement; provided, however, that the meter shall be installed no lower than 12 inches above the basement floor and no higher than 48 inches above the basement floor unless otherwise approved by the village.

(5) When the premises contains no basement or cellar, the meter shall be installed in a location which shall be approved by the village or its authorized agent. When it is necessary to install the meter in a pit inside a building, the pit shall be built as directed by the village. When a sump pump or drain is provided, meters may be installed below grade line in a brick or first floor meter pit upon approval by the village and/or the Livingston County Building Department. All meter pits shall be of a type approved by the village and built in accordance with the Village Technical Standards, with cover openings directly over meters.

(6) Devices designed for use in lieu of wells may be used if approved by the village.

(D) Failure to register; estimated water usage. If any meter or metering system fails to register properly or if a meter is inaccessible for reading, the village shall estimate consumption based on former consumption. In the event, the quantity of water used shall be determined by the amount used during the corresponding period of the preceding year, or by averaging the amount for the period immediately preceding and subsequent to the period wherein the meter registered quantities of water usage.

(E) Tests; inspections.

(1) Any duly authorized agent or employee of the village shall have access to each user's premises at all reasonable times for the purpose of reading meters or for testing, inspecting, maintaining, repairing or replacing meters and related equipment and appurtenances.

(2) The accuracy of the meter on any premises will be tested by the village upon written request of the owner and/or user who shall pay in advance, a fee to cover the cost of the test and providing the equipment is available. If on the test, the meter shall be found to register over 3% more water than passes through it, another meter will be substituted therefore, and the fee will be refunded and the water bill will be adjusted for the preceding and current billing periods.

(3) All premises with fire suppression are required to submit proof of inspection of the device every two years or as determined by the fire marshal.

(F) Meter repairs; termination of service for failure to timely repair or replace. The expense of maintaining meters will be borne by the user. The village shall have the right to terminate water service to any user which fails to repair or replace in a timely manner a meter which has failed to register properly upon giving notice of the termination in accordance with § 51.09(B).

(G) Seals; tampering and the like prohibited. Meters shall be sealed by the village and no person except an authorized employee of the village shall break the seals. No unauthorized person, including the user, shall change the location of, alter or interfere in any way with any meter or its components.

(Ord. 69, passed 10-24-2005; Ord. 79, passed 2-25-2008) Penalty, see § 51.99