Section 407-620-4 - METERSA.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 Setting1. 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.Testing1. 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 Adjustment1. 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.65-407 C.M.R. ch. 620, § 4