xref <82> <82> <201A> <9E> <9E> <017E> <9C> <9C> <0153> Define Equivalent Single-Family Connection. 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. 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 Q: What can you tell me about the new "electronic read" meters on the market today? developed and used to calculate the Impact Fee per Equivalent Single Family Connection (ESFC). <84> <84> <201E> <8A> <8A> <0160> <00> TRWA has provided numerous training sessions at conferences and at water system offices to demonstrate the impact of larger meters from a revenue impact as well as regulatory requirements. Q: Our system is replacing all of our meters. 71 0 obj<>stream for the single-family residential customer group. <8C> <8C> <0152> Our service agreement states that we only allow one dwelling per connection. %PDF-1.7 Do they have to register as a business with the state or get a water commercial permit? Should not effect transit. The TCEQ rules dont necessarily state that the calibration must take place upon installation but the clock has to start somewhere and the safe option is to calibrate the meter yourself or secure a certificate of accuracy from the meter company. A: This is an issue weve been talking to TCEQ about as far back as 2004. [tF]JJfSHYs8n?G?#ZS^n#E|WHxt2o1BBb.el+Dijwv-7ajcn7mY 6ii>a!0Y7"9ET3 A licensed operator of a water system can calibrate their own master meters regardless of size or type by using the volumetric calibration method. Until they can do that, they dont get a meter. PUC rules also specify the requirements for language that must be included in the rental agreement regarding submetering, how the charges are to be calculated and how billing is to be conducted. \8h;""-[a]_aM7#0dpq6;tDdX)A!BuU ]H#Fjf )aAC;D 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. TRWA suggests that systems tell their customers to add the cost of their meter and impact fee to the cost of their property before they sell in order to fund installing another meter at their new location. 0000001247 00000 n This can make it difficult for maintenance personnel to identify which line is leaking and increase maintenance expenses compared to a situation with a single meter and a single yard line. stream LIVING UNIT EQUIVALENT (LUE) GUIDANCE DOCUMENT Definition: A living unit equivalent (LUE) is defined as the typical flow that would be produced by a single family residence located in a typical subdivision. 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. 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. Again, this is an insurance issue to address with your insurance carrier. Q: What is the purpose of the restriction on multiple connections to a single tap rule? The ERUs would be equivalent to what would be used by typical single-family residences, if they were using the water. Q: We have several members who have second living residences at their home, but only one meter. (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> A: TRWA hasnt tracked the number of systems that have installed electronic read meters, whether they be the AMR (drive-by) or AMI (instrumental gathered information) meters. <89> <89> <2030> \"L&h6AKm5 ZydZ P*dGLr)9 3 Other TCEQ inspectors have assessed the capacity requirements on the 2-inch meter size which industry standards deem to be eight times the normal capacity of the 5/8 x 3/4-inch meter, regardless of the number of trailers on the other side of the meter. connection (living unit equivalent) that for the purposes of this Amended Agreement shall be Six Hundred Fifty An LUE is assumed to represent 3.5 people living in a residence. 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. 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. It appears they have done this to supply water to more than 60 small rental homes on two 5/8 x 3/4 meters. #9: "We're already listed as very high risk. 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? for the single-family residential customer group. G{|(> 7 <8C> <8C> <0152> endcmap 0000000016 00000 n You should review this situation with your engineers. Installing multiple meters on a single undivided property with a line running across the property could lead to easement issues in the future. lF3n~m/O]w@_}!.u5Iul,CeA"Wyac. The CSI inspector should make a note on the CSI form stating that the well has been completely disconnected from all the potable water lines serving the dwelling units. <81> <81> <2022> begincmap 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? <95> <95> <2022> <99> <99> <2122> 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. 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. <83> <83> <0192> 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. 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. 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). Big problems can occur when either of the properties changes hands. Can you help me out with this? g MLu]VxcN[4wosYpe$C4-`#`:euD=G)\IGiuu}o\2kr%Scw#LBSkEkG=] i"a8S7EB=w=N Unless a local governmental authority requires otherwise, or unless otherwise established, an ESFC is defined as 360 gallons per day for average water usage and 300 gpd for average wastewater return flow. 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? 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. <20> <7E> <0020> <9E> <9E> <017E> 12 dict begin In fact, there are laws about meter tampering, damage and diversion if a person is caught or found guilty of messing with a utilitys meters. xref In either case, the utility must ensure that fees are assessed fairly. <86> <87> <2020> Climb the tank and use a steel measuring tape to measure the height of water in the tank to the manway. endstream endobj 1 0 obj<> endobj 2 0 obj<>/XObject<>/ProcSet 79 0 R>> endobj 3 0 obj<>stream {Y 9w,r, 6Q@4Og)nF9c"|A""?__ovt^o_dM`L2,s54#Pj0 TRWA does not recommend any product, supplier or person and leaves that decision up to each system. 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. 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. 0000001107 00000 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. 0000000586 00000 n What can we do if the owner of the membership denies that someone is living at the second residence? The system is not responsible for securing or requiring an easement for any service line from the meter to the ultimate customers home. 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. endstream endobj 5 0 obj<>/Width 2550/Height 3300/BitsPerComponent 1/ColorSpace/DeviceGray/Type/XObject/Name/background_2/Subtype/Image>>stream Would a hose running across the potential users property, across the alleyway, and across about 10 feet of the members property be allowed? 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. It is not cost effective for us to run a six inch line extension just to supply water to one new house. <0D> <0D> <000D> 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. 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 Q: A current member of our WSC has asked for a second meter on their property. Do I need to calibrate the meter? 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. Now the member wants the water meter moved to a different property about 100 yards from its original location. 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. <8B> <8B> <2039> <9D> <9D> <2022> Published in January/February 2020 (Issue 1 of Quench). 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. 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. 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. 0 <9B> <9B> <203A> lmr19a9s;rw;A$PsI@mr+9pB? <9A> <9A> <0161> 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 1.1 Land Use Assumptions and Projected Population The BPSUD water system operates as 4 independent pressure planes, which requires that each pressure plane be analyzed as a stand-alone system. <8C> <8C> <0152> You should always keep the safety of your employees in mind and act within the law. <7F> <7F> <2022> begincmap /Registry (Times-RomanOPBaseFont0) With this person not being an employee or contractor, exactly what leverage does the system use to require the meter readings to be delivered on time and accurately? 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. startxref Q: I am aware of the rule that requires meters to be located on the property being served. (In fact, conservation rates can escalate, in proportion to the total gallons, for customers using the greatest amounts of water on a monthly basis.) For example, the provisions of TRWAs Sample Tariff regarding non-standard service include the requirement that the corporation approve the design requirements of the applicants required facilities prior to initiation of a non-standard service contract. endcmap <96> <97> <2013> Additionally, many systems didnt want to maintain extended meters and lines within the private property, because in several cases working on these lines proved too intrusive on peoples private property and roads. 0000000536 00000 n If your system already has this language, then TRWA suggests that systems that have several multiple connection issues send out a letter informing all customers of pending changes or stepped up enforcement of existing policies. A water well is a hole drilled into an aquifer with a pipe, screen, and pump to pull water out of the ground. In the last couple of months, Ive heard from some systems that they were moving to totally enclosed and sealed registers. <00> <00> <0000> Q: We have been made aware of a customer who has installed an inline booster pump on their side of the meter. There are many different types and uses of wells. /CIDSystemInfo First, the one meter per residence language should be part of your tariff or service policy. Your tariff should include the requirements for evaluating an application for a master meter. 10. What should we do? TCEQ staff at the time said it would be ok for a system to remove dormant or vacant taps even down to the water main, but the system could not assess any future applicant a new front-end contribution or equity buy-in fee, equipment costs to replace the assets being removed and possibly another membership fee if the system used non-refundable membership fees at those locations where these taps had been removed. <93> <94> <201C> <8B> <8B> <2039> 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. He does not want us to move the meter outside the fence for safety reasons. end My question is what is considered access? 0000001445 00000 n It is unclear whether the units are part of any government-assisted or subsidized housing programs for low-income residents. <91> <92> <2018> 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. Q. What a system considers to be reasonable access may vary. Q: One of our members sold their property and land but did not transfer the membership. end <0D> <0D> <000D> Based on my experience, a great number of systems opt to have a single meter properly sized to meet the service needs requested by the owner instead of having multiple smaller master meters or even individual meters for each apartment. The District is subject to the continuing supervision of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (the "TCEQ"). Private or domestic wells can be used for a variety purposes, such as irrigation, drinking water and industrial uses. 362 13 We think this might turn into a public relations problem. Now climb the tank again after the well pump is stopped and measure the height of water again at the manway. <00A0> a@0VZ F8A8!@!af^""""#o^?l2AD 4i5M=n^/#{B^m^m}5ok8M4M0P aj""# <09> <0A> <0009> <91> <92> <2018> 0000002796 00000 n A: The TRWA Sample Tariff states that a meter is to be set on the property designed to receive service and the owner of the property has to be the member of the corporation. Q: We are revising our tariff. Both of these sections clearly state that an owner of the property to be served is the only person qualified to be a WSC member and that the meter has to be installed on the property designated to be served. 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. Our engineers say the only way we can meet TCEQ standards for water distribution if we add the meter is with a six-inch line extension. /CIDSystemInfo This standard specifies that all chemicals used properly will not cause any health effects for the consumers. Connections may be described in terms of single family equivalent connections, living unit of equivalents, or any other generally accepted unit of consumption typically attributable to a single family household. Id like to offer an observation though, based on the information from the TRWA Sample Tariff. Billable flow (B 1 + B 5) 7. 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. /CIDSystemInfo Some systems opt to offer discounts to customers that have multiple connections or to waive impact or other front-end capital improvement fees. /Registry (Helvetica-ObliqueOPBaseFont5) If not, then the system could be charged with trespassing. The original members account should be closed out at the old address. <81> <81> <2022> Setting the meter on the property owned by the applicant is always the best policy. The correspondence should also include a date on which service will be disconnected if the customer fails to make arrangements for the CSI. 36 beginbfrange /CIDInit /ProcSet findresource begin )-__@u{{z"|RDQG|G2`4Y M6 oaomo[^W[zWJ+wCV <93> <94> <201C> <8E> <8E> <017D> 0000000825 00000 n Our employees drive around the community daily and can tell that there are clearly people living at these second residences. endcodespacerange <98> <98> <02DC> Given more information about your utility we may have suggestions regarding ideas on sharing the cost of any upgrade. 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. <9A> <9A> <0161> 0000005203 00000 n All connections shall be calculated based upon its equivalency to a customary Equivalent Single Family Connection using the City of Houston's equivalency table. Q: How important is the NSF 60 certification on meters or does it even matter? 0000006201 00000 n The TCEQ interprets an "active connection" as a connection that is completed or existing and able to supply drinking water from the PWS to a single-family These references clearly state that the meter belongs to the corporation and is to be maintained by the corporation. 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. 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. This can be as little as one foot or several feet of water added to the tank. ]*U}%GikLf!=ZpcC[RqHL <<9e8032b06c2c514a87349e8822134d26>]>> This certificate should meet the TCEQ master meter test requirements for initial installation of the meter. %OEG+HqH\9-:Y2=Ht),h1#d W% `9B-eR+0 /CMapType 2 def However, there are some situations where a brand-new meter is installed, and it doesnt register correctly. Save. The WSC board can amend the water rates at any board meeting where rate adjustments are posted as an agenda item for action. trailer <85> <85> <2026> 1 year ago. Hopefully this will help address the customers concerns. 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 result is an estimate of total 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. 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. xb```a``Jc`f`ed@ Ar,8-O00/2\B;wOg`Xl_SKl}w>5">%QPH2F50e00,c 5RJf5v zn ' +\AF> Any damage to the Corporations equipment shall be subject to service charges. V)bXAmXki65[I47l0B]jU6)ILRn64-7ZvJ"I7LTaTm,XMU0 aBa h5]A"BxV`fNX6:aRVi"Db03iT+P0MDDCDDDD/tL~~1"g43B6GA_628PL&hi$(pD=-RqGqSA$A%py>$kK/. <00AE> 362 0 obj <85> <85> <2026> Now subtract the first master meter reading from the current meter reading and compare that to the gallons added to the tank. This has an added benefit that the customers will be required to maintain their own service lines from the meter to their houses. Would the individual use the company vehicle or his own? Q: Our system has been asked to serve two quadplexes that were until recently supplied by wells that no longer produce water. hb```m ea>O)~N7vy)20:sLr The customer says there is a gate at the back of his property (more than 500 feet away). 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. If the main water line(s) are near the public roads, then the system may offer to move the meter down to the road. 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. xc```a``A2@\(}drBf The TRWA Sample Tariff addresses this issue and follows the Public Utility Commission (PUC) Chapter 24 rules about the systems ability to access a meter for repairs and normal service. There are many points that need to be addressed before agreeing to this offer. 0000002966 00000 n 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 NSF 60 standard is for chemicals used in a water system. Institutional 4. 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. <8E> <8E> <017D> 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. Would this person also have access to the system office or have keys to the water plants? When setting these new meters, it is important to remember that if the property is subdivided in the future, each meter should be on the property with the residence or structure to be served. If your systems tariff contains the same language as TRWAs sample tariff, failure to remedy this hazardous condition is subject to disconnection without notice, and ultimately cancellation of membership due to policy non-compliance in accordance with Section E if the issue is not remedied. Our system is more than 40 years old and there are about 20 properties that have more than one residence on a single meter. <9B> <9B> <203A> \\~;XBM?!GIjM_% ]$N6+ A;#-^V_J_K_Z!m?oW16d pzpDu@N_D}v54}aM,7=?9?rIh:O7U`BVM[np`&6+mC-Ot6)Rz 6+VM?mHAMA5i }l& A: Your question is very common for all rural and some urban systems. 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. 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. NSF 61 states that all components and materials used to cast or create the water works material/parts not contain any banned substances and that the meter, pipe, and/or parts have been properly constructed with the appropriate base materials. <00> <00> <0000> <00A0> %PDF-1.5 % That availability to use that capacity should be paid for, but not by tacking the costs onto existing customers. 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.
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