Many times, a customer has a shut off valve installed to the second residence that can be turned off for plumbing repairs or when inspections like these are to be conducted. "Equivalent residential units" or "ERU" is a unit of measurement based upon a standard single-family residential home used to establish rates, fees and charges and volume capacity limits. Not all the time, but it is usually pretty accurate unless another deed or court decree has been issued since the countys records were last updated. A: The property owner may have a single master meter as long as the property is not divided or does not consist of separate tracts of land. However, if your homeowner needs a 1" or larger meter, then the requirements for non-standard service as outlined in Section F. of the TRWA Sample Tariff would apply, including an engineering study for each oversized meter. Published in May/June 2020 (Issue 3 of Quench). Additionally, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) rules require that all public water systems be designed with a minimum of 15 percent extra capacity. Given more information about your utility we may have suggestions regarding ideas on sharing the cost of any upgrade. Also do you have any recommendations for a particular meter read system? xc```a``A2@\(}drBf A: TCEQ rule 290.44(a)(4) explains the purpose of the rule stating: Each community public water system shall provide accurate metering devices at each residential, commercial or industrial service connection for the accumulation of water usage data. This ensures that the water system can document that customers are being billed properly. Afo/.# G(omQb#\9 endstream endobj 75 0 obj<>/BaseFont/Times-Roman/FirstChar 0/LastChar 255/Subtype/Type1/ToUnicode 76 0 R/Widths[0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 250 340 410 500 500 840 785 185 340 340 500 560 250 340 250 290 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 290 290 565 565 565 440 925 720 670 670 725 610 555 720 720 335 390 725 615 880 720 720 560 720 665 555 605 715 715 945 725 725 610 335 275 335 475 500 330 450 500 450 500 450 340 500 500 275 275 500 275 775 500 500 500 500 340 390 285 500 500 720 500 500 450 490 200 490 550 350 500 350 340 500 450 1000 500 500 340 1000 565 340 890 350 610 350 350 340 340 445 445 350 500 1000 340 990 390 340 730 350 450 730 250 340 500 500 500 500 210 500 340 770 280 500 570 340 770 340 410 570 300 300 340 510 460 250 340 300 310 500 750 750 750 445 720 720 720 720 720 720 885 675 615 615 615 615 340 340 340 340 720 720 720 720 720 720 720 565 720 720 720 720 720 720 560 500 450 450 450 450 450 450 670 450 450 450 450 450 280 280 280 280 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 565 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500]>> endobj 76 0 obj<>stream "!#w~[^Mt__^7ea?VU> {9Vh*A!_Q~" [w|V}.f%z[o~di_Yzbb{[Xu]\*lq& <95> <95> <2022> /CIDInit /ProcSet findresource begin The system needs to be aware of the potential liability issues with such an arrangement and should contact the systems insurance provider to find out what, if anything, would be covered if the person is injured while reading meters or causes an accident or damages some customers property. Check to see if this reference is included anywhere and if not, call the supplier or the manufacturer for a copy to keep in your files in case the question comes up in the future. /Ordering (UCS) A4INih9'uC0\!a;OKx[TJ2 7Kie Billable flow (B 1 + B 5) 7. to TCEQ rules regarding elevated storage, the number of connections that are allocated to the tract will be four, because that allocation is determined on the number of meter connections. Over the past year Ive talked to at least a dozen systems with existing AMR meters who are upgrading or replacing them due to older meter batteries not holding up. Use some water out of the storage tank (ground or elevated). But the continued headaches and future problems will not be worth the bad public relations this can cause if anything happens to the service line or meter that is on someone elses property. ~A%b u;_K[O]u?__KVX?p5~5Ka%K}>k47Z=j{u__t After you establish a system's ERU quantity, you can use it to determine the number of ERUs for other types of service connections. developed and used to calculate the Impact Fee per Equivalent Single Family Connection (ESFC). If your 1.5 inch line is already overloaded, then the WSC is responsible for paying for the difference in costs from a two inch line to serve the single applicant to the 6 inch line your engineers say is required to install. You also should consult your system attorney so an agreement can be developed to set out the scope of volunteer work, as well as the timeliness of these meter readings if you decide to enter into this free meter reading arrangement. -tjOXWIR-9L#|qAH)=ya[AXO>_u 9U]](M:?`^V a/X`jsV60;aC}18Y_{/c%nmVlf.0FVL Yu%]OV^jhzUKI51*&;?m'{{~aTV%jkC PM 5#: 5$Gn ma0Mg]q}ZjBT8!t0#HD4"?@taAhDDDDDDDDDD~""""""?YY#ldd#3334k$WT M&=R In either case, the utility must ensure that fees are assessed fairly. <86> <87> <2020> The WSC board can amend the water rates at any board meeting where rate adjustments are posted as an agenda item for action. <8C> <8C> <0152> There is nothing that prevents a customer from having a separate meter just for their irrigation system. We want to be fair, but we also want be responsible. endcmap Other systems are installing AMR Meters for the first time, installing AMR Meters in high density or high-traffic areas or upgrading to AMI meters. %OEG+HqH\9-:Y2=Ht),h1#d W% `9B-eR+0 How do we determine base rates for 2- or 3-inch meters? Master District that constitutes an Equivalent Single Family Connection, which amount may be changed from time to time. <9A> <9A> <0161> <83> <83> <0192> Furthermore, Section 290.44(d)(4) states that, each community public water system shall provide accurate metering devices at each residential, commercial, or industrial service connection for the accumulation of water usage data. Section 290.38 defines a connection as a single-family residential unit or each commercial or industrial establishment to which drinking water is supplied from the system. Including this language in a notification letter to all utility customers will help explain why the system is requiring a change for existing multiple connections. <93> <94> <201C> <86> <87> <2020> Most of these systems have had positive comments about the dependability of these newer types of meters, and some reported only a 5 percent re-read when the meters were originally installed (this percentage typically went down as they got the bugs worked out). We had the owner submit a feasibility study and it shows that we can support them. The customer must, at his or her expense, properly install, inspect, test, maintain and provide all required documentation of any approved backflow prevention device required by the corporation (30 TAC 290.46(j); Section I Service Application and Agreement). The problem comes when that good person moves out and someone else purchases the front property and doesnt care for or even know the folks behind their property, and wants the customers service line and meter removed from their property. This saves the systems from having to maintain multiple meters and make multiple service trips to disconnect and reconnect individual rental property meters, allows for a single water bill to be mailed, and saves the property owner money by not requiring them to maintain multiple lines across their property. <00A0> <81> <81> <2022> The customer does not own the meter just like the customer doesnt own the electric meter or gas meter, even though they have to pay all costs for these other metering devices to be installed. 4Ct?3,RPapG}=>V"vIzJ*m'_ The impact fee and other front-end capital improvement fees also remain with the existing tap and location and should never be transferred to another property for the same reasons above. Even a temporary hose hook-up is prohibited since that is a violation of the conditions found in your customer service application and agreement. The regulations of the Public Utility Commission also make clear in Section 24.163(a)(2)(A) & (B)that the system is responsible to furnish and install, for the purpose of connecting its distribution system to the service applicants property, the service pipe from its main to the meter on the service applicants property. Ownership of meters by the retail public utility, whether a district, WSC, city or privately owned system, is essential to the ability of the utility to effectively comply with its regulatory obligations. <82> <82> <201A> Public wells supply drinking water to municipalities. /Registry (Helvetica-ObliqueOPBaseFont5) Throughout my time at TRWA, I have seen too many systems that have allowed customers to dictate where they wanted their meters to be set. My question is what is considered access? endstream endobj 1 0 obj<> endobj 2 0 obj<>/XObject<>/ProcSet 79 0 R>> endobj 3 0 obj<>stream pc#P3C"!GB448]o_ AtCCk*AC)ADc90cLrU A particular manufacturer is selling a pretty good meter, but it is not certified and before I invest a lot of money into their radio read system I need someone to answer this question. If your engineer has not approved the use of the booster pump or sized the lines and meters to accommodate the 60 rental homes, the customer is not in compliance with the terms of the agreement and your tariff. We really need to understand the regulations and what action we need to take prior to approaching either business. 362 13 12 dict begin <8B> <8B> <2039> He does not want us to move the meter outside the fence for safety reasons. H|T0WQNd(>3IQb= <84> <84> <201E> Q: We have a convenience store and a chain restaurant using the same meter. Finally, it is also important to be clear with the applicant regarding how the drought contingency and water rationing requirements apply to the irrigation meter. An eight-inch (8") water main will generally be required to distribute water and provide fire protection within the multi-family district provided that the water main does not exceed 600 feet in length or serve more than two :RA%_Xo($N4jKA$iH~5]_]_W_4_'MAzcbhS Gj,+ NPt%TJMvM'B!41F"#4_M}:C?o_o_Z__^_,bD-CF`s;7Qfdcq12FnfhPM4w*`Rthj7v>N2nAqNtF?ON~kEWTB}WLO'?~_Kjjv?ijpU5l%.^=8I>5jtLd%-A^XABL4"?DDDD~~/a?i{`TG{`_+IW21 ffy./HZU"L3FRCa;5.Z qa?C$;VY!v +rxO%}^F'dvwtkV~JW_k#Nq|o|!mm+DcWS62q}9jQi|:{MT'^K{Ul%kr#x~jBXDvK{!ZoI";NaZa4?AWuAR#kM4Nh0Ai#'A"""!D~" }~},Tv;R*2@YDxw4& f0OeqXYDtc/DCXt(P 4(A|;Z <9A> <9A> <0161> My question is, how do we verify the boundaries of properties for this purpose? Q. 362 0 obj These cost-of-service issues have subsequently been transferred to the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT), which has been very pro-consumer when addressing complaints. Assuming the meter is the standard size, residential 3/4 x 5/8 meter, you will use the same rate structure for the irrigation meters since the water is the same treated water that is being distributed by your system. <93> <94> <201C> endcodespacerange The closest thing we have to a bottom line here is that a system can remove the meter, but they still need to maintain capacity at that same location in case a future applicant wants to re-install another water meter there. TRWA recommends that systems stop floating memberships and meters from one property to another because of the confusion it creates. 339 0 obj <> endobj endstream endobj startxref Q: Our system is replacing all of our meters. <9B> <9B> <203A> endobj Re: US travelers connecting in AMS what are the rules now? <9C> <9C> <0153> <09> <0A> <0009> The result is an estimate of total 0 {e9Q $b@;l0$" It is best to set the meters close to the structure to be served and to always obtain an easement for service lines and meters before new service is established. Each systems board will make the final decision on base rates, as well as usage rates and fees. Would this person also have access to the system office or have keys to the water plants? <20> <7E> <0020> C+vdt\?K(Pwu,Gu-=s-^|8o!$cntc}Egg=/ckY0 \ Some of this cost will be paid by these new customers once they start paying their monthly water bill, but the previous customers not only have been paying for what it costs for them to receive water delivered to their homes, they have also been paying a bit extra toward the complete debt-service for all existing capacity. One ESFC is defined as equaling a typical detached single-family house. This is referred to in Section C under the definition of member and proof of ownership, and again in Section E under Rules and Regulations. <00AE> This just means that when the new or existing master meter needs to be tested, the operator can either use an existing, on-site storage tank or any large tanker (fire truck if the capacity is large enough) with a known capacity to verify the meter accuracy. Can you help me out with this? <88> <88> <02C6> The base rates for larger meters should be set to pay for these larger required capacities instead of making the customers with standard size meters subsidize the customers with bigger meters that place more demand costs on the system. <00> <00> <0000> The corporation will disconnect without notice if the member refuses to allow access for the purpose of confirming the existence of such condition and/or removing the dangerous or hazardous condition (30 TAC 290.46(i) and 290.46(j)). A: This is definitely not a new question - many systems have faced this situation over the years. Turn off all valves connected to the distribution system so that no water leaves the tank during test period. Q: Can a WSC allow a homeowner to have an additional meter for the sole purpose of running the sprinkler system for their lawn and landscape? 12 dict begin /CIDSystemInfo If your system refunds memberships then the original member should get their membership back and the new property owner should pay for a new membership. One of the main reasons for a turbine or propeller master meter to register incorrectly is improper piping configurations from the well to and past the meter location. The larger the meter, the greater the amount of system capacity that must be kept in place for that meter. Statewide Photo Campaign Promoting Drought Awareness Launches August 5! o0?LgGt{Cifk_Kat2'~ez{*R,r08e0@Bf1+oxG t%&L!XD(gTn6"LXa9t> <00> The one meter per residence just means that a customer can't have two or more residences or businesses on a single meter. These previously existing meter locations had already paid for or been granted capacity from the water main, and therefore they should not be required to pay for system upgrades. =4$y]/%(%DL Service will be restored when a CSI confirms no health hazard exists, the health hazard has been removed or repaired, or the health hazard has been isolated from the corporations water system. fA=~0xO}wASICHzKnp[o The inspector may also require the customer to demonstrate or show how water pipes at the secondary home are independent of the piping serving the customers primary residence. Some engineers and systems took this to mean that if we remove the meters at these dormant locations, the system would not have to charge future new customers the price for upgrading their old water mains until the freed-up capacity was allocated to new active connections. Then a straight run of pipe at least three times the diameter of the pipe after the meter. <8D> <8D> <2022> Climb the tank and use a steel measuring tape to measure the height of water in the tank to the manway. /Supplement 0 ]*U}%GikLf!=ZpcC[RqHL xref Now the member wants the water meter moved to a different property about 100 yards from its original location. The original member will pay all costs associated with a new meter installation as if they were a new customer, since they are a new customer at this new location. The short answer is yes, the WSC/district board can change their tariff/service policy to allow for meters to be set on someone elses property. The systems and engineers said that if these old dormant tap locations wanted to be re-serviced and if upgrades were required, the present landowners where service had previously existed would have to pay for those upgrades. Texas Water Code Sec. Installing multiple meters on a single undivided property with a line running across the property could lead to easement issues in the future. <98> <98> <02DC> The District currently encompasses 767 acres and is located wholly within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the City of Houston, Texas (the "City") and is located within Katy Independent School District. Whatever the reason for requesting a second or third meter, they get irritated when they are denied the other meter (or told they will have to pay the cost of paralleling the line) while the person behind their property is enjoying a meter on their property. And what if one or all of those new meters were located on the same property, but a half mile away from the end of your current line? end Payment of these fees are reimbursable if and when the District sells Bonds for that purpose and the TCEQ . endstream endobj 382 0 obj <>stream If your utility is a political subdivision and you do not have a certificate of convenience and necessity, your obligation and requirements are dictated by other state statutes. Published February/March 2021 (Issue 1 of Quench). This can lead to lawsuits and fights between neighbors and family members, and often the utility ends up bearing the brunt of these clashes. <9F> <9F> <0178> We have some meter boxes that do not have a meter as they were either pulled for non-payment or the owner requested them to be removed. Usually, the original person that is allowing the other persons meter to be installed on their property (the front property owner) is agreeable and welcomes the chance to help their neighbor (the back property owner) save some money. <91> <92> <2018> After getting this proof of ownership, the system should at least check the countys tax rolls and property tax maps to see whose name is listed for that property. IQ-EQ | 110,749 followers on LinkedIn. It is not cost effective for us to run a six inch line extension just to supply water to one new house. There is an automatic gate that only works by remote and we do not have access to it. Present Ave. Daily Flow (B 6 + B 7 ) Single family - include all single family homes, mobile homes and seasonal dwellings in this category. ~0r; Id like to offer an observation though, based on the information from the TRWA Sample Tariff. Turn the well control on and fill the tank or until there has been sufficient production from the well into the tank to raise the level of water or for the pump to cut off automatically. Our system is more than 40 years old and there are about 20 properties that have more than one residence on a single meter. Do you have a source for best practices when planning to deal with this issue? Different growth Until they can do that, they dont get a meter. hbbd``b`+A| "[@@ebX H0X "$k $BG HI (,HW *##6F0 w <83> <83> <0192> There may be limitations that prevent using the meter when there is an outside water ban or other drought measures are in place. (1) The requirements contained in this section are to be used in evaluating both the total capacities for public water systems and the capacities at individual pump stations and pressure planes which serve portions of the system that are hydraulically separated from, or incapable of being served by, other pump stations or pressure planes. There are many points that need to be addressed before agreeing to this offer. Is this a fool-proof verification? n``N}@:\_EF-_*p"X;9$W'}',vl#A7.9J uph%(+u n'8i b9XAH03047:|clf`. Do I need to calibrate the meter? A: This is an issue weve been talking to TCEQ about as far back as 2004. A. Extension of pipe(s) to transfer utility service from one property to another, to share, resell, or submeter water to any other persons, dwellings, businesses, or property, etc., is prohibited. endstream endobj 4 0 obj<>stream In addition to the cost of the meter installation as well as any upfront impact or buy in fees. <90> <90> <2022> Fax: 512.472.5186 HWn8}7vR}\d.P`! Most of the re-reads were because the brand of meters the system had installed used exterior-mounted antennas, which were susceptible to a variety of hazards, such as gophers, dogs or lawn mowers. Does the owner have the choice of either getting a meter for each unit or getting one master meter? 1 begincodespacerange I am not aware of any legal or state regulations that would prohibit this, but I caution your board to look at every conceivable contingency and try to address them before agreeing to this free meter reading offer. The meter and/or wastewater connection is for the sole use of the Member or customer and is to provide service to only one (1) dwelling or one (1) business. /Ordering (UCS) In that case, the system may need to check the hot water heater to see if it has water in it or, as stated above, have the customer demonstrate that water in the second dwelling is from another source and not a water hose from the first house. Q: How does a person with multiple mobile homes become a master-metered account? All usage rates per thousand gallons should be the same across all classes of ratepayers, although conservation rates, designed to encourage efficient and non-wasteful water use practices by customers, can assess higher usage rates per thousand gallons for customers using more than a specified amount each month. 0000000766 00000 n I1Aq sa:VAza:o ~6_9d23\@GfqQ H4o?a Z}*B"E}I"}}-}oKk$D%+M?AGPf!Sn$_ WzIj&?K/GrwkIL ( kZPiu-Jbg\N2A;$_J|MS[t7P]"nSx}tcGl>^ZKeKH^ZURCZjVAiU&6mvTAl/wDXIvS-U*Kv[GAWBk'3TnM(u"wP4n": $ ZJ[$+n4b=J}}0_LWjcF;0kc.#1I-u}'[{W}$LSKUnUKI.DW~mR^Np voZNL*aAnh^Xo;kji,5]4>Q/ZhB4cq: TuMBv;M8OPhFGDDDDE_k#[vD4 Dr(~[uk_w~'oa_}2;WdASMS aA aV* 8IxFDDDDD_B""#__O &FF#0B>"(4#c3h*E/#!!80 "Df"qdp%_d$vHf -Uyxn/dqHGci|GE800f:(F/GG0xG#xx DDD-p0 For water requirements, this includes consumptive uses, such as lawn <80> <80> <20AC> (7#~mz*B TwIewVq_kgcQyQ4Jd/ K3E\_%9=G$#. 12 dict begin * 04dOvZ% y;a p^u N&?FqCe6MoA A: The answer is yes, its not only ethical, its also both fair and necessary. <98> <98> <02DC> The main billing consideration is normally that meters for irrigation purposes only are typically not charged a sewer bill and if your system provides sewer service this could reduce the overall revenue if enough of these meters are installed. How common are they compared to the traditional positive displacement manual read meters? /Supplement 0 0 Should not effect transit. Going back to my earlier example, if a current customer wanted a new meter placed at the end of a road a 1/2 mile past the end of the existing water line, that new customer should pay their costs for extending that line and not have that cost be paid for by the rest of the members. /CIDSystemInfo 0000003802 00000 n CMapName currentdict /CMap defineresource pop 0000053091 00000 n Next, the system needs to send a copy of that policy to the entities that appear to be in violation of that policy along with a copy of the TCEQ rule requiring accurate measuring of each customers usage. xb```a``Jc`f`ed@ Ar,8-O00/2\B;wOg`Xl_SKl}w>5">%QPH2F50e00,c 5RJf5v zn ' +\AF> Due to an expansion, the two split and are now serviced by the same meter.
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