<> Published in January/February 2020 (Issue 1 of Quench). 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. We have several customers who have gates at the back of their homes and their homes are built at least 500 feet off the road. Then a straight run of pipe at least three times the diameter of the pipe after the meter. Should not effect transit. 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 Master metering is only applicable when it is a single piece of property, not two different tracts. Also do you have any recommendations for a particular meter read system? Ask Larry Archives: Metering and One Meter per Residence Rules. A: Yes, under Chapter 13 of the Texas Water Code you must provide service to the applicant if the location of the request for service lies within your certificated service area and your utility is privately owned or a nonprofit water supply corporation. It is never a good idea to set a meter at one residence with a yard or service line running across the property to the next active connection. Think of it this way: what if that property owner was requesting not one meter, but four new ones? The side benefit of the AMI technology is that when someone reports a leak in the system, this type of meter allows the system to read meters in that section to determine if the leak is from their system lines or from overwatering or leaks on the customers side. Even a temporary hose hook-up is prohibited since that is a violation of the conditions found in your customer service application and agreement. TCEQ assesses the adequacy of a systems capacity on the number of connections on that system and takes into account the number and sizes of larger meters on that system. (x[u!WMt[~}}PNwAzJg"hK#6yot|L ` hp _Gy;:D'#DU!EN4~\6]W=WM0A >4#]a4aS'\!i SM0_h~6$DQ!k5MidcY8*#SB7(3 w!Nb%#{;%mO0ooWdy_Mo{@G6p~_Cum}mPk#]zK >0'|'{vWcH)uOO^ 6$*5?_~Ujq[~V.V^-W{vj^oKV]OW -(i0r#* +IB> Q: We have a customer who has his meter inside a fence. Q: We are revising our tariff. If they want service at a new location, they must purchase another membership and meter tap, and comply with all the new service application procedures. 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. Your board should look at all the different access related issues at customer locations and define in your tariff what the system considers to be reasonable access to the meters. Our service agreement states that we only allow one dwelling per connection. 0000001247 00000 n A. Re: US travelers connecting in AMS what are the rules now? This standard specifies that all chemicals used properly will not cause any health effects for the consumers. <81> <81> <2022> The most immediate issue to address is the potential health hazard caused by the loss of pressure when the booster pump kicks on. These references clearly state that the meter belongs to the corporation and is to be maintained by the corporation. Where to Live in the Netherlands | Expatica Netherlands If a member purchases land other than where the original meter was installed, according to the TRWA Sample Tariff language, they have to transfer the membership to the new property owner and leave the meter in place. Example: A 20-space trailer park with a 2-inch meter has been evaluated by some TCEQ inspectors to be the actual number of trailer spaces available. 362 0 obj 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: 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? By having only one meter to maintain near the road system, the owner would not be responsible for installing and thereafter maintaining individual lines and meters to each of the dwellings, or for disconnecting and reconnecting each individual units separate water meter. During these discussions, we talked about vacant and dormant taps to see how the agency would rule on a cost of service appeal if the system were to remove these dead taps to free up system capacity for other applicants along that water main. TRWA has always recommended in our sample tariff that All meters be installed on the property designated to receive service. Using this policy keeps the system dealing directly with the property owner and member of the WSC or the customer of the district instead of having to deal with a property owner or future property owner that doesnt want someone elses meter and service line on their property. 0000001032 00000 n A: Your question is very common for all rural and some urban systems. A: In the TRWA Sample Tariff, as well as in the USDA-RD Service Application and Agreement Form, it states that a meter shall be installed on a property to serve that single property and water cannot be diverted to another property. TCEQs Chapter 290 requires a meter to accurately determine the usage of each customer unless a master metering arrangement has been made. Even if the customer would only need standard service, TRWAs Sample Tariff includes the requirement that the property of the applicant/ member shall be inspected to ensure compliance with state required Minimum Acceptable Operating Practices for Public Drinking Water Systems as promulgated by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) or successor agency. A: This is a common problem for older systems as they try to come into compliance with newer rules. xc```a``A2@\(}drBf However, there are some situations where a brand-new meter is installed, and it doesnt register correctly. <09> <0A> <0009> 0000000586 00000 n ~A%b u;_K[O]u?__KVX?p5~5Ka%K}>k47Z=j{u__t In addition to the cost of the meter installation as well as any upfront impact or buy in fees. G{|(> 7 You should start by notifying these customers that you have observed people living at these residences and cite them to the relevant TCEQ rules and provisions of your service agreement relating to having only one residence per connection. xref <>/OutputIntents[358 0 R]/Metadata 360 0 R>> The extra 15 percent capacity is supposed to be maintained by the system (not paid for by the new customer), but the system may require applicants requesting service to pay for some of the system upgrades that will be used by that applicant. 69 0 obj<> endobj <20> <7E> <0020> C+vdt\?K(Pwu,Gu-=s-^|8o!$cntc}Egg=/ckY0 \ Q: One of our members sold their property and land but did not transfer the membership. If so, that is another major concern for liability should he interpret this agreement to read the meters as having free reign to the systems facilities. CMapName currentdict /CMap defineresource pop My question is what is considered access? Each systems board will make the final decision on base rates, as well as usage rates and fees. It is not cost effective for us to run a six inch line extension just to supply water to one new house. ]BA Y,bps`>x/@HnqXNZ1yek5Fq8:^bV_W =.*'&0Y5E4oUpcbT6P,SkV/ lliF7LEM]AgDtC,a]oaF![Oi0 qy}>XPN&:VYCp>F0 " These existing capacity components were and are being paid for through monthly water rates. There is an automatic gate that only works by remote and we do not have access to it. <00A0> Written comments about an AO should be sent to the enforcement coordinator designated for each AO at the commission's central office at P.O. Any correspondence you send to this regard should include a deadline for the customers to contact the system to set up a CSI so the utility can verify whether any prohibited interconnection between the two dwellings exists. <9F> <9F> <0178> 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. For years, many rural and municipal systems have opted to install master meters for rental properties such as multiple apartment buildings on the same tract of land, multiple mobile homes or manufactured homes on the same tract of land, as well as multiple RVs or strip/multi-use business centers with a common owner. Where is the middle ground here? 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. They summarized that because there had been a meter at that location, the new applicant should not be responsible to pay for upgrades to the water mains because of new customers being added at other locations along that same water main. fA=~0xO}wASICHzKnp[o 0000001086 00000 n There are many points that need to be addressed before agreeing to this offer. s)Q0tWN A: Master metered accounts are typically used when a landowner wants a single meter to provide water service to multiple buildings, apartments, offices, trailer spaces or other types of business activities. Published in July/August 2020 (Issue 4 of Quench). 0 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 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). <09> <0A> <0009> As a general rule, the only difference should be in base rates based on size of meter as indicated in the TRWA Sample Tariff. The defined area is depicted in Appendix 1. Our engineer says we need to remove these, as we would be responsible for servicing them, including paying for upgrades, if a customer wants a meter for that box in the future. If not, then the system could be charged with trespassing. We have generally required individual meters for each unit, but one owner wants to know if they can put in a 2-inch master meter for all 10 units in five nearby duplexes. "!#w~[^Mt__^7ea?VU> {9Vh*A!_Q~" [w|V}.f%z[o~di_Yzbb{[Xu]\*lq& <002D> <20> <7E> <0020> 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. PDF Water System Service Capacity in Equivalent Residential Units (ERUs) ]*U}%GikLf!=ZpcC[RqHL All public water systems that hold CCNs (or are required to hold CCNs) must plan upgrades to the system when a facility, including distribution lines, reaches 85 percent of total capacity so that the improvement or upgrade is imminent or already in place once the facility item under consideration reaches 100 percent capacity. <90> <90> <2022> 6^u9Z{s DraDsio1,m?Ph/&KZlho_ryP The larger the meter, the greater the amount of system capacity that must be kept in place for that meter. 0000000015 00000 n <9C> <9C> <0153> Some systems try to solve this issue by installing remote read meters (AMR) that allow the employee to drive by all the meter locations and the meters transmit the readings to a base unit in the vehicle. 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. 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. <98> <98> <02DC> <00> -tjOXWIR-9L#|qAH)=ya[AXO>_u 9U]](M:?`^V a/X`jsV60;aC}18Y_{/c%nmVlf.0FVL HWn8}7vR}\d.P`! A: TRWA does not make recommendations for rates, but we do provide rate calculation training so that a system can set proper rates that are equitable to all customers. <8D> <8D> <2022> Finally, if the property owner intends to keep the well for irrigation purposes, it cannot be tied back into any line connected to the systems new master meter. TRWA recommends that systems stop floating memberships and meters from one property to another because of the confusion it creates. 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. n``N}@:\_EF-_*p"X;9$W'}',vl#A7.9J uph%(+u n'8i b9XAH03047:|clf`. /CIDSystemInfo <95> <95> <2022> 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. The best way to verify whether a customer has a prohibited second connection is by performing a new customer service inspection (CSI). One of these meters is on a 1"water main line and the other meter on a 1 1/2 water main line. Most importantly, you should enforce these policies and refuse to set a meter until you are satisfied that the applicant does, in fact, own the property on which the meter will be placed. /CMapType 2 def Systems are not required to do expensive title searches, but they should require applicants for service to provide a legal deed or ownership proof showing that the person applying for water or sewer service owns that tract of land. Further, in the past we have seen many TCEQ investigators count dead taps into the systems overall capacity requirements using the assumption that at any time in the future the system would still be responsible for supplying not only the active connections but previously existing connections also. For customers who have their homes 500 feet or more off the road, meters may be relocated to the edge of the customers property instead of at the house. First, the one meter per residence language should be part of your tariff or service policy. 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. <83> <83> <0192> <9A> <9A> <0161> Systems generally dont want to extend their liability onto or across private property to read meters or make repairs after dark within a private property on the off chance that frequent trips onto that property raises the chance of some type of accident or damage to the owners property or tenants. We would like to have the chain restaurant apply for and install a meter since the convenience store has a meter and active account. In many cases, system staff were simply too timid to enforce their own policies relating to meter locations if a customer raised their voice, said they would sue the system, or used an intimidating attitude. trailer Given more information about your utility we may have suggestions regarding ideas on sharing the cost of any upgrade. Austin, TX 78701 Q: One of our members has offered to read meters each month for free. The result is an estimate of total Based on the level and manner of service being requested by the owner, a 2-inch water meter may or may not be sufficient to provide the water capacity being requested. The wait times at the transit Schengen passport control might be a bit longer but probably not since the border police seems to be managing staff levels. <0D> <0D> <000D> Chapter 13.07 WATER AND WASTEWATER ASSESSMENTS, RATES, FEES AND CHARGES Then, once the system reaches 100 percent capacity, that system should begin constructing these new facilities to replace or build that extra 15 percent or more back into their system for future growth. <80> <80> <20AC> If your board would like for one of TRWAs staff to attend a meeting to do some rate training, please contact our office. <8B> <8B> <2039> for the single-family residential customer group. If the WSC has an easement properly filed at the courthouse for every line and meter, the new property owner cant make the system move the meter. A: If your board has adopted the basic TRWA Sample Tariff language, then the meter costs and impact fee should stay with the property on which the meter was initially installed. When a system sees that there is inequity in their current rate structure causing some customers to subsidize the water usage and capacity requirements for other customers, the board ought to rectify the situation by amending rates. Equivalent Single-Family Connection Definition | Law Insider 12 dict begin %%EOF <82> <82> <201A> Turn off all valves connected to the distribution system so that no water leaves the tank during test period. 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. 12 dict begin endbfrange This can be as little as one foot or several feet of water added to the tank. startxref The normal straight run of pipe prior to the meter is five times the diameter of the pipe. (In fact, conservation rates can escalate, in proportion to the total gallons, for customers using the greatest amounts of water on a monthly basis.) The normal benefit to the applicant and the system is that the applicant/landowner can design their own water system within their property and not have to worry about multiple meters and which service lines goes to which office or trailer space. The NSF 60 standard is for chemicals used in a water system. << If it is a single tract of land and the plumbing to each of these eight units is all combined into one common line, then a master meter would probably be the better option for this applicant. 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. <93> <94> <201C> 0000000536 00000 n 1. Now subtract the first master meter reading from the current meter reading and compare that to the gallons added to the tank. What should we do? each new commercial connection and $1,000 for each new residential connection. A: This is definitely not a new question - many systems have faced this situation over the years. end IQ-EQ | LinkedIn 0 Published February/March 2021 (Issue 1 of Quench). If your system refunds memberships then the original member should get their membership back and the new property owner should pay for a new membership. Examples of Equivalent Residential Connection in a sentence. Fax: 512.472.5186 The WSC board can amend the water rates at any board meeting where rate adjustments are posted as an agenda item for action. <7F> <7F> <2022> The one meter per residence just means that a customer can't have two or more residences or businesses on a single meter. PUC rules also support the tariff stating that customers/members of a WSC are only qualified to receive service when theyve complied with the written provisions included in the WSCs tariff. endstream endobj 1 0 obj<> endobj 2 0 obj<>/XObject<>/ProcSet 79 0 R>> endobj 3 0 obj<>stream 0000036396 00000 n An eight-inch (8") water main will generally be required to distribute water and provide fire protection within the multi-family district provided that the water main does not exceed 600 feet in length or serve more than two PDF Bolivar Peninsula Special Utility District pc#P3C"!GB448]o_ AtCCk*AC)ADc90cLrU 4Ct?3,RPapG}=>V"vIzJ*m'_ Would this person also have access to the system office or have keys to the water plants? =4$y]/%(%DL <8E> <8E> <017D> 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. <91> <92> <2018> 339 0 obj <> endobj H_w"'i.wF%P)O About the District - Cinco MUDs <80> <80> <20AC> u5e` T Can you help me out with this? Amstelveen is a leafy, prosperous, family-oriented suburb close to Amsterdam, which has a growing population of international residents. <002D> For example, in Section E, Members Responsibility: d. Therefore, all water usage registering upon and/or damages occurring to the metering equipment owned and maintained by the Corporation shall be subject to charges as determined by the Corporations Tariff as amended from time to time by the Board of Directors. <86> <87> <2020> <88> <88> <02C6> Google Map, Tel: 512.472.8591 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. To Top. Q: A current member of our WSC has asked for a second meter on their property. In the event that the placement ends up being wrong, the PUC would likely side with the owner in a dispute about relocation costs because they would see it as the utility shirking its responsibility to exercise due diligence when it set the meter in the wrong location in the first place. TRWA does not recommend any product, supplier or person and leaves that decision up to each system. <00> Know how, know you | We are IQ-EQ, a leading investor services group employing 4300+ people across 24 jurisdictions worldwide. Now climb the tank again after the well pump is stopped and measure the height of water again at the manway. All the meters or at least the material data sheets should state that the materials used to manufacture the meters meet NSF 61. Q: Some of our customers have built duplexes in our system. "General Plan" means the General Plan prepared by Developer as submitted to Check to be sure these references are included in your tariff and if so, the member would be prohibited from extending service from one side of the road/alley or across a property line to provide service to a neighbors property not designated to receive service according to your tariff. The ERUs would be equivalent to what would be used by typical single-family residences, if they were using the water. CMapName currentdict /CMap defineresource pop %OEG+HqH\9-:Y2=Ht),h1#d W% `9B-eR+0 A: We get this question from time to time, and the answer as to whether you should have one master meter for each apartment building or one meter per individual apartment is it depends. In general, the Public Utility Commissions (PUC) rules first want separate meters for each unit so each individual users water usage can be measured accurately. Different growth Well meters required by 290.41(c)(3)(N) of this title (relating to Water Sources) shall be calibrated at least once every three years.. 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. 0000001146 00000 n This is the back property customers responsibility. 0000002966 00000 n This allows the water to straighten out and have less turbulence, thereby allowing the meter to register as accurately as possible. <85> <85> <2026> Back in 2004, TRWA staff met with TCEQ to discuss several issues relating to their capacity regulations and interpretations. The elimination of external parts should reduce the need for re-reads due to malfunctions. o0?LgGt{Cifk_Kat2'~ez{*R,r08e0@Bf1+oxG t%&L!XD(gTn6"LXa9t> \8h;""-[a]_aM7#0dpq6;tDdX)A!BuU ]H#Fjf )aAC;D <82> <82> <201A> 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. u6hhOk\GhExG-GMYsjYQC\+8*w}ap|B"[C>B\`y[%s*H X[S.3Sj_S\Z'e5TsAd D>~/mOJ>hnm={^hcb(T-C2bm4M"#Zg7;qqFY(kG1jCA XZ0SRpnNN7aQR7.LX*VAT\pPx(aPs The assumed population equivalent per connection should be indicated. (7#~mz*B TwIewVq_kgcQyQ4Jd/ K3E\_%9=G$#. <85> <85> <2026> Customers that do not report multiple connections, causing utility employees to have to investigate the matter, are usually denied these waivers. However, the applicant or landowner can request a single master meter if they dont want to re-plumb their entire property to accommodate individual meters. Next, the system may want to offer a compliance schedule so that service will not be interrupted during the construction and installation of a second meter on the property designated to receive service.. <20> <7E> <0020> <8E> <8E> <017D> <84> <84> <201E> <98> <98> <02DC> /CIDInit /ProcSet findresource begin <8D> <8D> <2022> The system needs to be aware of the potential liability issues with such an arrangement and should contact the systems insurance provider to find out what, if anything, would be covered if the person is injured while reading meters or causes an accident or damages some customers property. 71 0 obj<>stream pSaU0t}% tAkmBxJ _`TzJjzm*cUxh$IRJ\&O N'>Mg2:I&L=w.- ?A~}TmCi6?IV PnzN' k~"KcJMi?kvEw-a]z}k#AUGH}+ImKefXv~i^v0~Lz_ANxO}toc3X] u:^on}{_ZT_[=u?Z-?ZI{_oVVt}U&/z^mZowam}Mc*)Xk}v>51KuR[M45qQQE{N?ToTvM;,t_KvN=< SM4'e`]'vx\R"""""#[l&`Me!0|Ez/hDDDDDDipPL,qD_{nb~@ 7dnUEh(}|Df1emQ|DGX%A7q3+;* 2r'dDg&J":' tQT[NO1;Z" 0a;AS#ii