Do they have to register as a business with the state or get a water commercial permit? A: This is one of those situations where a little extra effort by the system up front can save them substantial headaches and costs down the road. The date of construction is not relevant to the issue of whether a single master meter or individual meters would be preferable; however, it is important when considering the required customer service inspection (CSI) which must be completed for all eight units and the tract of property to be served. 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. Some folks opt for wells of around 300 gallons per minute or less to use a fire truck or tanker instead of climbing an elevated tank to do the measuring twice. Now climb the tank again after the well pump is stopped and measure the height of water again at the manway. Now the member wants the water meter moved to a different property about 100 yards from its original location. <8A> <8A> <0160> He does not want us to move the meter outside the fence for safety reasons. PDF Attachment P-5 - Texas <98> <98> <02DC> If not, then the system could be charged with trespassing. <9F> <9F> <0178> Re: US travelers connecting in AMS what are the rules now? The actual cost of the meter and installation should be assessed as well. It is best to work with your customers so that a reasonable solution can be found. This has an added benefit that the customers will be required to maintain their own service lines from the meter to their houses. IN ADDITION - sos.texas.gov If there is reason to believe a dangerous or hazardous condition exists, the corporation may conduct a customer service inspection (CSI) to verify the hazardous condition and may notify the local county health office. HT <00AE> The Members use of the Corporations curb stop or other similar valve for such purposes is prohibited. All the meters or at least the material data sheets should state that the materials used to manufacture the meters meet NSF 61. <95> <95> <2022> Accordingly, at Section 24.169(a)(2) of the PUCs rules, the Commission unequivocally states that unless otherwise ordered by the commission, each utility shall provide, install, own and maintain all meters necessary for the measurement of water provided to its customers.. One of our customers is demanding that she keep her meter since she paid for it and she feels it should be hers to keep. One of these meters is on a 1"water main line and the other meter on a 1 1/2 water main line. 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. First, youll want to look at what your tariff and non-standard service agreement state as far as requirements for service and what you have agreed to provide. These references clearly state that the meter belongs to the corporation and is to be maintained by the corporation. <80> <80> <20AC> endstream endobj 70 0 obj<> endobj 72 0 obj<> endobj 73 0 obj<>/XObject<>/ProcSet 79 0 R>> endobj 74 0 obj<>stream The ERUs would be equivalent to what would be used by typical single-family residences, if they were using the water. Q: We have a customer who has his meter inside a fence. The defined area is depicted in Appendix 1. A water well is a hole drilled into an aquifer with a pipe, screen, and pump to pull water out of the ground. However, the applicant or landowner can request a single master meter if they dont want to re-plumb their entire property to accommodate individual meters. In the last couple of months, Ive heard from some systems that they were moving to totally enclosed and sealed registers. 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. 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. PDF Equivalent Residential Unit Factors - Broward County, Florida The WSC board can amend the water rates at any board meeting where rate adjustments are posted as an agenda item for action. both the commission's central office, located at 12100 Park 35 Circle, Building C, 1st Floor, Austin, Texas 78753, (512) 239-2545 and at the applicable regional office listed as follows. Examples of Equivalent Residential Connection in a sentence. <95> <95> <2022> <8F> <8F> <2022> This includes design, review and approval of all plans and all on-site and off-site service facilities by the corporations engineer and compliance with any applicable municipal or other governmental codes and specifications. 4Ct?3,RPapG}=>V"vIzJ*m'_ According to subchapter D, rule 290.46(s)(1), flow measuring devices and rate-of-flow controllers that are required by 290.42(d) of this title (relating to Water Treatment) shall be calibrated at least once every 12 months. <91> <92> <2018> <90> <90> <2022> PDF Determining Connections and Populations Served for Public Water Systems Where is the middle ground here? <9B> <9B> <203A> 363 0 obj Billable flow (B 1 + B 5) 7. There is an automatic gate that only works by remote and we do not have access to it. 12 dict begin By doing this, when they get a few more meters, they can begin replacing the meter tops with these newer AMI tops. 0000001388 00000 n If your new meter is a 2-inch or smaller positive displacement meter, the straight pipe runs are not required for the meter to be accurate. \8h;""-[a]_aM7#0dpq6;tDdX)A!BuU ]H#Fjf )aAC;D Q: One of our members has offered to read meters each month for free. /CIDInit /ProcSet findresource begin The NSF 60 standard is for chemicals used in a water system. It doesnt matter whether the extra capacity is used to supply brand new customers who have never had service or to existing customers seeking an additional meter. PUC rules also support the tariff stating that customers/members of a WSC are only qualified to receive service when theyve complied with the written provisions included in the WSCs tariff. The purpose of an equity buy-in fee is to establish parity between the new customer or applicant and those who have already been receiving service. <8E> <8E> <017D> While it may be difficult for them to claim the second dwelling is vacant if evidence of habitation is obvious, some people might try to claim that the habitation is only intermittent, that no water is being used at the second location, or that water there is being supplied from a separate source. 339 0 obj <> endobj 69 12 Problems also come about if a leak occurs by some accident or digging operation by the front property owner and the back property owner wants them to pay for damages, or have the system discount their water bill because they didnt know they had a leak. It is unclear whether the units are part of any government-assisted or subsidized housing programs for low-income residents. 0000000016 00000 n g MLu]VxcN[4wosYpe$C4-`#`:euD=G)\IGiuu}o\2kr%Scw#LBSkEkG=] i"a8S7EB=w=N 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. This only works for meter reading and does not solve the issue of access for repairs and emergencies. PDF Control Number: 51166 - Texas US travelers connecting in AMS what are the rules now? Those base rates dont have to be the actual meter size equivalent listed in the TRWA Sample Tariff, but one of the reasons/ justifications for a higher base rate for these larger meters is the TCEQs capacity requirements that each system must maintain. These existing capacity components were and are being paid for through monthly water rates. TCEQs Chapter 290 requires a meter to accurately determine the usage of each customer unless a master metering arrangement has been made. %%EOF The system is not responsible for securing or requiring an easement for any service line from the meter to the ultimate customers home. Instead, growth should pay for growth, even if a current member is responsible for the new growth through the addition of a second meter on their property. (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. <00> /CIDSystemInfo Email: info@trwa.org, Water University/Utility Management Certification, TCEQ Requirement All Occupational Licensing, Wastewater Technical Assistance & Training Program, Click Here to Return to the Ask Larry Archives Homepage, Metering & One Meter per Residence Rules (Ask Larry). Do you have a source for best practices when planning to deal with this issue? Texas Administrative Code 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. 8P_zz[__z-os%DtGDrJb"" )A endstream endobj 79 0 obj[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] endobj 80 0 obj<>/Width 2550/Height 3300/BitsPerComponent 1/ColorSpace/DeviceGray/Type/XObject/Name/background_1/Subtype/Image>>stream Requiring employees to climb ladders to get over fences or traverse 500 feet of property may not be reasonable access for your system and could be considered denial of access. 0000002966 00000 n I am not aware of any cost of service appeals dealing with this issue specifically, but systems should be aware that the PUCT might side with the customer if someone complains about being charged new fees to obtain service at a location where service previously existed. 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. H_w"'i.wF%P)O My question is, how do we verify the boundaries of properties for this purpose? 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. Is it ethical for us to charge a second equity buy-in fee for this meter if we already charged such a fee for their first meter? Using the formula 3.14 X Radius X Radius X Height X 7.48 (gallons per cubic feet) you can calculate the number of gallons of water added to the storage tank. Therefore, existing customers have been paying for extra capacity for many years and these new customers are being asked to provide a portion of the cost associated with the capacity they will be using. PDF SECTION 2 - WATER SYSTEM DESIGN REQUIREMENTS - prospertx.gov <00> ]BA Y,bps`>x/@HnqXNZ1yek5Fq8:^bV_W =.*'&0Y5E4oUpcbT6P,SkV/ lliF7LEM]AgDtC,a]oaF![Oi0 qy}>XPN&:VYCp>F0 " 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. 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. %PDF-1.7 How should this be handled? 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? After you establish a system's ERU quantity, you can use it to determine the number of ERUs for other types of service connections. 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. Where to Live in the Netherlands | Expatica Netherlands Sometimes multiple lines from multiple meters can become a maintenance nightmare because all the lines, meters and valves look the same. 36 beginbfrange <9A> <9A> <0161> <002D> 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). 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. Due to an expansion, the two split and are now serviced by the same meter. HWn8}7vR}\d.P`! for the single-family residential customer group. 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. Q: How does a person with multiple mobile homes become a master-metered account? Q: We have a convenience store and a chain restaurant using the same meter. 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. <96> <97> <2013> An LUE is assumed to represent 3.5 people living in a residence. First, the one meter per residence language should be part of your tariff or service policy. Total non -residential 6. Do we have to provide water to the new meter on this line? Climb the tank and use a steel measuring tape to measure the height of water in the tank to the manway. 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. Present Ave. Daily Flow (B 6 + B 7 ) Single family - include all single family homes, mobile homes and seasonal dwellings in this category. 1 begincodespacerange <98> <98> <02DC> 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. All connections shall be calculated based upon its equivalency to a customary Equivalent Single Family Connection using the City of Houston's equivalency table. I was told the meter was installed when a relative lived in a trailer on the far end of the property, but the meter has not been used for many years. 0000036396 00000 n <8D> <8D> <2022> Irrigation with separate irrigation meter is a separate Type of Use. /CIDSystemInfo PDF Rayford Road Municipal Utility District endcodespacerange 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. <89> <89> <2030> 0000001247 00000 n <82> <82> <201A> The Uniform Plumbing Code does not allow for booster pumps under this condition and TCEQ rule Section 290.44(d)(3) states that service connections that require booster pumps taking suction from the public water system lines must be equipped with automatic pressure cut-off devices so that the pumping units become inoperative at a suction pressure of less than 20 psi (thereby preventing a back siphonage condition). How do you protect the integrity of the system when you do not know the background or intent of the person performing the volunteer work? 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. xref endcmap /Supplement 0 The result is an estimate of total <96> <97> <2013> Does the one meter per residence apply in this situation? The sample tariff allows the system to estimate a bill and notify the member of the estimate if meter access is hindered or denied. Published in January/February 2020 (Issue 1 of Quench). PDF LIVING UNIT EQUIVALENT (LUE) GUIDANCE DOCUMENT - Austin, Texas Then when these other services are discontinued those meters are removed by the utility that owns the meters, not the customer. 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. <80> <80> <20AC> Development Agreement Between the City of Missouri City, Texas, and If not then the meter accuracy is over or under by that difference since the tank is a definite volume (provided the above calculation and tank dimensions were accurate). 0000005203 00000 n B. Multi-Family Residential A twelve-inch (12") water main shall be required to loop through a multi-family district. <9D> <9D> <2022> Published in May/June 2020 (Issue 3 of Quench). end This can be as little as one foot or several feet of water added to the tank. A4INih9'uC0\!a;OKx[TJ2 7Kie There may be limitations that prevent using the meter when there is an outside water ban or other drought measures are in place. The one meter per residence just means that a customer can't have two or more residences or businesses on a single meter. For example, the Service Rules and Regulations of the TRWA Sample Tariff, Section E, states: An apartment building, condominium, manufactured housing (modular, mobile or RV) community, business center or other similar type enterprise may be considered by the Corporation to be a single commercial facility if the owner applies for a meter as a 'master metered account' and complies with the requirements set forth in PUC rules, this Tariff and applicable law. TRWAs Sample Tariff, Section B provides additional detail, requiring compliance with PUC, Chapter 24, Subchapter H rules pertaining to submetering. One requirement under PUC rules is that the owner who intends to bill tenants for sub-metered or allocated utility service or who changes the method used to bill tenants for utility service must register with the PUC in a form prescribed by the commission. <86> <87> <2020> Then a straight run of pipe at least three times the diameter of the pipe after the meter. Our employees drive around the community daily and can tell that there are clearly people living at these second residences. /CIDSystemInfo Q: Our system is replacing all of our meters. <002D> About the District - Cinco MUDs
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