0000000825 00000 n 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. 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. 1. We think this might turn into a public relations problem. 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. 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. endbfrange 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. 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. This can be as little as one foot or several feet of water added to the tank. Published in July/August 2020 (Issue 4 of Quench). Google Map, Tel: 512.472.8591 <99> <99> <2122> <9D> <9D> <2022> Should not effect transit. Fax: 512.472.5186 <9E> <9E> <017E> 67.016(d) provides that a corporation may make water or sewer service conditional on ownership of the real estate designated to receive service and from which the membership or other right of participation arises. Subsection (e) authorizes a corporation to cancel a persons membership if he fails to meet a condition of service prescribed by the corporation. 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. 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. The member wants to know if a neighbor can hook up to the meter and if so, under what circumstances. 374 0 obj Our system is more than 40 years old and there are about 20 properties that have more than one residence on a single meter. Published February/March 2021 (Issue 1 of Quench). /Registry (CourierOPBaseFont1) C+vdt\?K(Pwu,Gu-=s-^|8o!$cntc}Egg=/ckY0 \ 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. Q: Our local WSC is planning to implement a policy in order to comply with the one meter per residence rule. 71 0 obj<>stream endstream endobj 1 0 obj<> endobj 2 0 obj<>/XObject<>/ProcSet 79 0 R>> endobj 3 0 obj<>stream <8C> <8C> <0152> Duplexes and triplexes are sufficiently similar to single family homes so that a duplex equals twice the ERU . Would this person also have access to the system office or have keys to the water plants? This eliminates the need for a system to conduct manual drive-bys and allows all meters to be read from the whole system in a matter of minutes from the office. With regard to your 1.5 inch line, please note that the TCEQ Chapter 290 Rules state that a 2 inch main line size is the minimum to be installed on any public water system. Q: I am aware of the rule that requires meters to be located on the property being served. hb```m ea>O)~N7vy)20:sLr 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.. <96> <97> <2013> My question is what is considered access? 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 0000006201 00000 n <91> <92> <2018> Define Equivalent Single-Family Connection. 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 Amstelveen is a leafy, prosperous, family-oriented suburb close to Amsterdam, which has a growing population of international residents. Some meter manufacturers also require strainers or other devices to be installed to protect the meter and straighten or condition the water so that their meters will be as accurate as possible. X1'H`7g3a*|f{h00eiF` BVb`+c0 z^ a@0VZ F8A8!@!af^""""#o^?l2AD 4i5M=n^/#{B^m^m}5ok8M4M0P aj""# endcmap <95> <95> <2022> <7F> <7F> <2022> xc```a``A2@\(}drBf 0000002157 00000 n That availability to use that capacity should be paid for, but not by tacking the costs onto existing customers. This is a hard line for systems to take, but otherwise you are operating on an honor system in which the applicant has little incentive to uphold his or her end of the bargain. 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. <88> <88> <02C6> 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. /CIDSystemInfo Wouldnt it make sense for the owner to have to pay the cost of extending the line(s) out to those structures? 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.. 0000000586 00000 n trailer Sometimes multiple lines from multiple meters can become a maintenance nightmare because all the lines, meters and valves look the same. Q: A current member of our WSC has asked for a second meter on their property. )-__@u{{z"|RDQG|G2`4Y M6 oaomo[^W[zWJ+wCV <84> <84> <201E> 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. Until they can do that, they dont get a meter. Some systems do require individual meters to each different apartment, condo or other type business that is all owned by one individual or company. <98> <98> <02DC> 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. What a system considers to be reasonable access may vary. 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. Would the individual use the company vehicle or his own? 69 12 /CIDInit /ProcSet findresource begin The ERUs would be equivalent to what would be used by typical single-family residences, if they were using the water. \8h;""-[a]_aM7#0dpq6;tDdX)A!BuU ]H#Fjf )aAC;D 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. The nagging question I have is what is the motive for this charity act and how long will it take for the fun to wear off? However, TCEQs 2019 guidance on determining the number of connections served by public water systems defines active connection to include any connection that has the capacity to receive water, even if there is no customer currently receiving water service there. (2) Active connection, as used in this section, means a lot or . He does not want us to move the meter outside the fence for safety reasons. The larger the meter, the greater the amount of system capacity that must be kept in place for that meter. <8C> <8C> <0152> =4$y]/%(%DL <00A0> At the time of this Agreement, an ESFC of wastewater means 315 gallons per day of water and an ESFC of water means 400 gallons per day of water. 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. In either case, the utility must ensure that fees are assessed fairly. A: This is an issue weve been talking to TCEQ about as far back as 2004. <95> <95> <2022> In order to correct the issue, the system must first have supporting language in its tariff. You should always keep the safety of your employees in mind and act within the law. 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. <0D> <0D> <000D> %PDF-1.7 Also do you have any recommendations for a particular meter read system? end Texas Water Code Sec. A: This is definitely not a new question - many systems have faced this situation over the years. 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. You should review this situation with your engineers. 12 dict begin The capacity is being used either way, and these new meters and customers are utilizing their share of the systems resources. <9C> <9C> <0153> for the single-family residential customer group. 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. Hopefully this will help address the customers concerns. 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. connection (living unit equivalent) that for the purposes of this Amended Agreement shall be Six Hundred Fifty <89> <89> <2030> Q: Some of our customers have built duplexes in our system. TRWA does not recommend any product, supplier or person and leaves that decision up to each system. 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. Institutional 4. 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. <95> <95> <2022> Save. Is this legal or what problems could this create? 0 There is also a concern about whether your easement allows system personnel to traverse 500 feet of the owners property. <> It is not cost effective for us to run a six inch line extension just to supply water to one new house. <9D> <9D> <2022> A water well is a hole drilled into an aquifer with a pipe, screen, and pump to pull water out of the ground. 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. A new membership fee should be required for each new meter. There are many different types and uses of wells. 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. This allows the water to straighten out and have less turbulence, thereby allowing the meter to register as accurately as possible. 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. <00AE> 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. 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. 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)). The sample tariff allows the system to estimate a bill and notify the member of the estimate if meter access is hindered or denied. 1 year ago. <96> <97> <2013> <98> <98> <02DC> 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$vHf -Uyxn/dqHGci|GE800f:(F/GG0xG#xx DDD-p0 The two businesses had been in a partnership in the past under one roof. After getting this proof of ownership, the system should at least check the countys tax rolls and property tax maps to see whose name is listed for that property. A: This is commendable for a system member to agree to read all the meters for your system at no cost. The Commercial facilities are calculated by an Equivalent . endstream endobj 340 0 obj <. The one meter per residence just means that a customer can't have two or more residences or businesses on a single meter. Public wells supply drinking water to municipalities. (1) The requirements contained in this section are to be used in evaluating both the total capacities for public water systems and the capacities at individual pump stations and pressure planes which serve portions of the system that are hydraulically separated from, or incapable of being served by, other pump stations or pressure planes. <8B> <8B> <2039> One ESFC is defined as equaling a typical detached single-family house. (This cut-off valve may be installed as a part of the original meter installation by the Corporation.). 0000002770 00000 n Our employees drive around the community daily and can tell that there are clearly people living at these second residences. Additionally, many systems didnt want to maintain extended meters and lines within the private property, because in several cases working on these lines proved too intrusive on peoples private property and roads. 0000000903 00000 n We have been mostly going by the word of individual landowners, which has recently resulted in us finding out that some of our meters were not correctly located. s)Q0tWN n``N}@:\_EF-_*p"X;9$W'}',vl#A7.9J uph%(+u n'8i b9XAH03047:|clf`. <9E> <9E> <017E> Know how, know you | We are IQ-EQ, a leading investor services group employing 4300+ people across 24 jurisdictions worldwide. /Ordering (UCS) In addition to the cost of the meter installation as well as any upfront impact or buy in fees. The NSF 60 standard is for chemicals used in a water system. Either way, the system has to maintain these higher capacities of well production, storage tanks, pumps, lines and so on, or be fined for non-compliance for violations of 30 TAC Section 290.45 of the TCEQs rules. From this, they can develop a plan that best provides service to the entire development considering the wishes of the developer and the system. <84> <84> <201E> e. The Corporation shall require each Member to have a cutoff valve within 2 feet of the meter on the Members side of the meter for purposes of isolating the Members service pipeline and plumbing facilities from the Corporations water pressure. <90> <90> <2022> <82> <82> <201A> In the last couple of months, Ive heard from some systems that they were moving to totally enclosed and sealed registers. Do you have a source for best practices when planning to deal with this issue? While this may have been more of an undertaking many years ago, most counties have modernized and this research can now generally be done from the systems office. 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. 3 The Blue ater Contract defines a "LUE" as the capacity necessary to serve a single-family residential . Q: What can you tell me about the new "electronic read" meters on the market today? 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. %PDF-1.3 % (16) Connection--A single family residential unit or each commercial or industrial establishment to which drinking water is supplied from the system. Examples of Equivalent Residential Connection in a sentence. Q: How important is the NSF 60 certification on meters or does it even matter? ]*U}%GikLf!=ZpcC[RqHL 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. 12 dict begin 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. <99> <99> <2122> Yu%]OV^jhzUKI51*&;?m'{{~aTV%jkC PM 5#: 5$Gn ma0Mg]q}ZjBT8!t0#HD4"?@taAhDDDDDDDDDD~""""""?YY#ldd#3334k$WT M&=R Now the member wants the water meter moved to a different property about 100 yards from its original location. 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. /Registry (Helvetica-ObliqueOPBaseFont5) The rules provide some ways for the applicant to opt out of individual meters and having multiple water service lines crisscrossing their tract of land. A: This is certainly a tricky situation but its one that many TRWA systems have faced when trying to enforce their tariff or district service policies. A: This is a common problem for older systems as they try to come into compliance with newer rules. 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 <8D> <8D> <2022> The WSC board can amend the water rates at any board meeting where rate adjustments are posted as an agenda item for action. 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. 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. Therefore, removing the meter box completely could allow the utility to reduce its total number of connections for purposes of determining the systems necessary capacity. Statewide Photo Campaign Promoting Drought Awareness Launches August 5! 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 pc#P3C"!GB448]o_ AtCCk*AC)ADc90cLrU 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. <80> <80> <20AC> Box 13087, {Y 9w,r, 6Q@4Og)nF9c"|A""?__ovt^o_dM`L2,s54#Pj0 By doing this, when they get a few more meters, they can begin replacing the meter tops with these newer AMI tops. 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. 365 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<826B791C035DF141B5FC102546D7A1A5>]/Index[339 51]/Info 338 0 R/Length 113/Prev 168287/Root 340 0 R/Size 390/Type/XRef/W[1 2 1]>>stream "!#w~[^Mt__^7ea?VU> {9Vh*A!_Q~" [w|V}.f%z[o~di_Yzbb{[Xu]\*lq& While the board of directors is keeping the old monthly charges and rates, we only have a base rate for 1 -inch meters. 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. CMapName currentdict /CMap defineresource pop <8A> <8A> <0160> 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. %OEG+HqH\9-:Y2=Ht),h1#d W% `9B-eR+0 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? 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. >> def <93> <94> <201C> Q: I am going to change out our master meter at the well and replace it with a new one. However, there are some situations where a brand-new meter is installed, and it doesnt register correctly. 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. E8EVW:?m^_io~Kk^cQ"_fT"KMB!_ou ]oI_1QdpuOK_-21qWa;_?oN>?/]kD_I'XA_:4}]BhSl'~CA+u_;( m!QVa 8B*t6)(" L-6+$k "gbDF}/?# DWH&J_F#'2,dLj aPh0M0chw&H&; B,"m&_l/@^t\[O;H$w'p!;&C. /CIDInit /ProcSet findresource begin The result is an estimate of total <00> <00> <0000> Master metering is only applicable when it is a single piece of property, not two different tracts. The Uniform Plumbing Code does not allow for booster pumps under this condition and TCEQ rule Section 290.44(d)(3) states that service connections that require booster pumps taking suction from the public water system lines must be equipped with automatic pressure cut-off devices so that the pumping units become inoperative at a suction pressure of less than 20 psi (thereby preventing a back siphonage condition). The most immediate issue to address is the potential health hazard caused by the loss of pressure when the booster pump kicks on. One of our customers is demanding that she keep her meter since she paid for it and she feels it should be hers to keep. These existing capacity components were and are being paid for through monthly water rates. As an example, the number of service connections in an apartment complex would be equal to the number of individual apartment units. u5e` T <8E> <8E> <017D> (x[u!WMt[~}}PNwAzJg"hK#6yot|L ` hp _Gy;:D'#DU!EN4~\6]W=WM0A >4#]a4aS'\!i SM0_h~6$DQ!k5MidcY8*#SB7(3 w!Nb%#{;%mO0ooWdy_Mo{@G6p~_Cum}mPk#]zK >0'|'{vWcH)uOO^ 6$*5?_~Ujq[~V.V^-W{vj^oKV]OW -(i0r#* +IB> An LUE is assumed to represent 3.5 people living in a residence. 36 beginbfrange Can you help me out with this? Climb the tank and use a steel measuring tape to measure the height of water in the tank to the manway. The customer does not own the meter just like the customer doesnt own the electric meter or gas meter, even though they have to pay all costs for these other metering devices to be installed. "Equivalent residential units" or "ERU" is a unit of measurement based upon a standard single-family residential home used to establish rates, fees and charges and volume capacity limits. Q: We have several members who have second living residences at their home, but only one meter. A. In the event that the placement ends up being wrong, the PUC would likely side with the owner in a dispute about relocation costs because they would see it as the utility shirking its responsibility to exercise due diligence when it set the meter in the wrong location in the first place. What should we do? Published in May/June 2020 (Issue 3 of Quench). <81> <81> <2022> <8D> <8D> <2022> If your system refunds memberships then the original member should get their membership back and the new property owner should pay for a new membership. Prior to initial connection of any Customer other than a single-family residential Customer, the District's Engineer shall calculate . Some systems try to solve this issue by installing remote read meters (AMR) that allow the employee to drive by all the meter locations and the meters transmit the readings to a base unit in the vehicle. <80> <80> <20AC> >> def -C BiOUuI jL33Vl4N2ZMA z&;~^*9KDzBW~Q(p7rp>dIi=7}%I~y[$+q_3i-#yzqwTxj/,Rz@S| (~x@dn 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. Id like to offer an observation though, based on the information from the TRWA Sample Tariff. 0000000536 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. hbbd``b`+A| "[@@ebX H0X "$k $BG HI (,HW *##6F0 w Q: Our 1.5-inch water line is at capacity and someone who is building a home in the area asked to add a meter to our line. There is nothing in TCEQs Chapter 290 regulations which addresses the above scenario dealing with pre-existing taps that have been removed. 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. xb```a``Jc`f`ed@ Ar,8-O00/2\B;wOg`Xl_SKl}w>5">%QPH2F50e00,c 5RJf5v zn ' +\AF> 1616 Rio Grande 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. Well get someone to demonstrate the rate template weve designed and provided to systems across the state. /CMapName /Helvetica-ObliqueOPBaseFont5 def
Timothy Brecht Big Brother, Fuzenet Technical Support, Articles T