§ 25-46. Meter tests and meter profiles.

(a)

The finance director may remove any meter for routine testing, repairs, or replacement, at no charge to the customer. Any customer may request to have the water meter in use by the customer examined or tested by notifying the finance director, who shall cause an accurate test of the water meter to be made. If the test shows that the meter is or was correct, the cost of the test shall be paid by the customer. If the meter is tested by the city, then the cost of the test shall be twenty-five dollars ($25.00). If the meter is tested by an independent testing agency, then the cost of the test shall be the actual amount charged for the test. If the test shows that the meter is not or was not correct, there will be no charge to the customer for the test, and the customer's bill will be adjusted as provided for in section 25-46(b).

(b)

Whenever, upon testing by the finance director, any water meter is found to have an average error of not more than one and one-half (1.5) percent, the meter shall be considered to be accurate and correct, and no adjustment shall be made to any charge or bill for service prior to the date of the test. If, upon testing by the finance director, any water meter is found to have an average error of more than one and one-half (1.5) percent, the meter shall be corrected or replaced, at the option of the finance director, and an appropriate correction or charge in keeping with the percentage of error found upon the test of the meter, shall be made to the bills or charges for water service measured through the meter during a period of not more than sixty (60) days prior to the date of the test.

(c)

If it be found that, during any period of time, a water meter has failed to register for any reason, the customer provided water through the meter shall be billed by the finance director, and shall pay to the finance director, a charge for water estimated by the finance director on the basis of:

(1)

The amount of water provided to the customer accurately measured, during the period of thirty (30) days preceding or succeeding the time when the meter was discovered to have failed to register or before the same was found to be in error; or,

(2)

Any other available information needed to properly calculate the customer's usage during the period when the meter failed to properly register.

(d)

In the event a meter is oversized for its current use due to past use and metering demands, the owner may make request to the city finance director that there be a differential cost adjustment if the meter is a model that is dated within the prior five (5) years, tests out at one hundred (100) percent accuracy, and is one that the city can use or re-use.

(e)

Any customer may request a meter profile be obtained if the customer believes there are inaccuracies with the meter readings. The cost of the meter profile will be the same as the cost to test a water meter by the city. If the profile shows the meter was not correct, there be no charge to the customer for the profile and the customer's account will be adjusted as provided for in section 25-46(b).

(Ord. No. 12227, § 4, 1-9-2017)