The Members use of the Corporations curb stop or other similar valve for such purposes is prohibited. 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. 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. <09> <0A> <0009> 0 A: New meters are supposed to be calibrated and ready to use when shipped to systems. The ERUs would be equivalent to what would be used by typical single-family residences, if they were using the water. Q: A member of our WSC has two water meters on his property. 0000001086 00000 n Chapter 13.07 WATER AND WASTEWATER ASSESSMENTS, RATES, FEES AND CHARGES stream Others were due to leaks grounding out meters. If not, then the system could be charged with trespassing. ~0r; You should always keep the safety of your employees in mind and act within the law. HT >> def C+vdt\?K(Pwu,Gu-=s-^|8o!$cntc}Egg=/ckY0 \ <91> <92> <2018> Until they can do that, they dont get a meter. 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). endstream endobj 4 0 obj<>stream 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? 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. 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. This letter should outline the PUC requirements for an accurate metering of water per connection. 0000001032 00000 n @0A2@p0@T!EQL& L Aa0w"[!-Si7qH>D How should this be handled? Master District that constitutes an Equivalent Single Family Connection, which amount may be changed from time to time. The result is an estimate of total xc```a``A2@\(}drBf /Linearized 1.0/O 364/H [ 766 341 ]/L 852074/E 53543/N 18/T 844716>> endcmap 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. lmr19a9s;rw;A$PsI@mr+9pB? Finally, it is also important to be clear with the applicant regarding how the drought contingency and water rationing requirements apply to the irrigation meter. Any correspondence you send to this regard should include a deadline for the customers to contact the system to set up a CSI so the utility can verify whether any prohibited interconnection between the two dwellings exists. First, the one meter per residence language should be part of your tariff or service policy. It is up to each customer to determine whether they must register as a business with the state or not. Setting the meter on the property owned by the applicant is always the best policy. (x[u!WMt[~}}PNwAzJg"hK#6yot|L ` hp _Gy;:D'#DU!EN4~\6]W=WM0A >4#]a4aS'\!i SM0_h~6$DQ!k5MidcY8*#SB7(3 w!Nb%#{;%mO0ooWdy_Mo{@G6p~_Cum}mPk#]zK >0'|'{vWcH)uOO^ 6$*5?_~Ujq[~V.V^-W{vj^oKV]OW -(i0r#* +IB> Hopefully the two figures are the same or within a reasonable margin of error. <86> <87> <2020> <00> <00> <0000> endcmap The impact fee and other front-end capital improvement fees also remain with the existing tap and location and should never be transferred to another property for the same reasons above. If your engineer has not approved the use of the booster pump or sized the lines and meters to accommodate the 60 rental homes, the customer is not in compliance with the terms of the agreement and your tariff. The customer must, at his or her expense, properly install, inspect, test, maintain and provide all required documentation of any approved backflow prevention device required by the corporation (30 TAC 290.46(j); Section I Service Application and Agreement). My question is what is considered access? The correspondence should also include a date on which service will be disconnected if the customer fails to make arrangements for the CSI. Yu%]OV^jhzUKI51*&;?m'{{~aTV%jkC PM 5#: 5$Gn ma0Mg]q}ZjBT8!t0#HD4"?@taAhDDDDDDDDDD~""""""?YY#ldd#3334k$WT M&=R 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. <8A> <8A> <0160> Again, this is an insurance issue to address with your insurance carrier. Do I need to calibrate the meter? 71 0 obj<>stream Given more information about your utility we may have suggestions regarding ideas on sharing the cost of any upgrade. << Prior to initial connection of any Customer other than a single-family residential Customer, the District's Engineer shall calculate . >> def /CMapName /Helvetica-ObliqueOPBaseFont5 def 0 I told her that was incorrect and that I would mail her the documentation to prove it. The defined area is depicted in Appendix 1. 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. /Registry (Times-RomanOPBaseFont0) Each system has to check references, call neighboring systems that use the same product or professional, and verify to the best of their ability the facts before purchasing materials or entering into a contract. /CMapType 2 def 0 {e9Q $b@;l0$" <9D> <9D> <2022> Fax: 512.472.5186 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. 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. << 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. Published in May/June 2020 (Issue 3 of Quench). 1 year ago. 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)). 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. 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. 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$vHf -Uyxn/dqHGci|GE800f:(F/GG0xG#xx DDD-p0 You also should consult your system attorney so an agreement can be developed to set out the scope of volunteer work, as well as the timeliness of these meter readings if you decide to enter into this free meter reading arrangement. %%EOF As a general rule, the only difference should be in base rates based on size of meter as indicated in the TRWA Sample Tariff. /Registry (Helvetica-ObliqueOPBaseFont5) A: Yes, under Chapter 13 of the Texas Water Code you must provide service to the applicant if the location of the request for service lies within your certificated service area and your utility is privately owned or a nonprofit water supply corporation. We have several customers who have gates at the back of their homes and their homes are built at least 500 feet off the road. Under 30 TAC 290.38(16), "connection" means "A single-family residential unit or each commercial or industrial establishment to which drinking water is supplied" from the PWS. <8A> <8A> <0160> The sample tariff also allows service to be disconnected, after notice, if access is denied for three consecutive months. IQ-EQ | 110,749 followers on LinkedIn. %%EOF E8EVW:?m^_io~Kk^cQ"_fT"KMB!_ou ]oI_1QdpuOK_-21qWa;_?oN>?/]kD_I'XA_:4}]BhSl'~CA+u_;( m!QVa 8B*t6)(" L-6+$k "gbDF}/?# DWH&J_F#'2,dLj aPh0M0chw&H&; B,"m&_l/@^t\[O;H$w'p!;&C. Section E allows for disconnection without notice when a known dangerous or hazardous condition exists for which service may remain disconnected for as long as the condition exists, including but not limited to a public health nuisance as defined in Texas Health and Safety Code Sections 341.011 or 343.011. 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. Whatever the reason for requesting a second or third meter, they get irritated when they are denied the other meter (or told they will have to pay the cost of paralleling the line) while the person behind their property is enjoying a meter on their property. <85> <85> <2026> The NSF 60 standard is for chemicals used in a water system. 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. )-__@u{{z"|RDQG|G2`4Y M6 oaomo[^W[zWJ+wCV A: This is definitely not a new question - many systems have faced this situation over the years. Q. A: The answer is yes, its not only ethical, its also both fair and necessary. /CIDSystemInfo 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. While the board of directors is keeping the old monthly charges and rates, we only have a base rate for 1 -inch meters. "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. The rules go on to state that once a system begins to use some of that extra capacity, they need to begin designing specific improvements which will replace this used capacity. <8E> <8E> <017D> "!#w~[^Mt__^7ea?VU> {9Vh*A!_Q~" [w|V}.f%z[o~di_Yzbb{[Xu]\*lq& /Ordering (UCS) As it relates to the propertys location within or outside of a city, or its participation in any government-assisted or subsidized housing programs, it will be the owners responsibility to notify any necessary authorities of the new source of water, if required, since the system is merely supplying potable water to the property from a master meter. 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. s)Q0tWN for the single-family residential customer group. Define Equivalent Single-Family Connection. 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. 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. These existing capacity components were and are being paid for through monthly water rates. The member wants to know if a neighbor can hook up to the meter and if so, under what circumstances. startxref <9A> <9A> <0161> "General Plan" means the General Plan prepared by Developer as submitted to <85> <85> <2026> 0000001146 00000 n All new customers or applicants for water service use some of the systems existing facilities and capacity that was already in place things like pipe lines, tanks, wells, pumps and so on. Does the owner have the choice of either getting a meter for each unit or getting one master meter? /Ordering (UCS) We want to be fair, but we also want be responsible. ]*U}%GikLf!=ZpcC[RqHL Additionally, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) rules require that all public water systems be designed with a minimum of 15 percent extra capacity. <>/OutputIntents[358 0 R]/Metadata 360 0 R>> Turn the well control on and fill the tank or until there has been sufficient production from the well into the tank to raise the level of water or for the pump to cut off automatically. 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. 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. trailer What a system considers to be reasonable access may vary. Our system is more than 40 years old and there are about 20 properties that have more than one residence on a single meter. end X1'H`7g3a*|f{h00eiF` BVb`+c0 z^ <8D> <8D> <2022> <81> <81> <2022> Where to Live in the Netherlands | Expatica Netherlands <84> <84> <201E> 0000002770 00000 n <82> <82> <201A> Published in January/February 2020 (Issue 1 of Quench). g MLu]VxcN[4wosYpe$C4-`#`:euD=G)\IGiuu}o\2kr%Scw#LBSkEkG=] i"a8S7EB=w=N 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. <84> <84> <201E> /Supplement 0 <8B> <8B> <2039> 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. You should review this situation with your engineers. /CMapName /CourierOPBaseFont1 def Box 13087, [tF]JJfSHYs8n?G?#ZS^n#E|WHxt2o1BBb.el+Dijwv-7ajcn7mY 6ii>a!0Y7"9ET3 If your board would like for one of TRWAs staff to attend a meeting to do some rate training, please contact our office. There is also a concern about whether your easement allows system personnel to traverse 500 feet of the owners property. end There also is a section in the Service Application and Agreement form RUS-TX Bulletin 1780-9 (05/17) that states: All water shall be metered by meters to be furnished and installed by the Corporation. for the single-family residential customer group. For water requirements, this includes consumptive uses, such as lawn Then when these other services are discontinued those meters are removed by the utility that owns the meters, not the customer. 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. <<9e8032b06c2c514a87349e8822134d26>]>> Development Agreement Between the City of Missouri City, Texas, and 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. He has offered to buy a ladder, but does not want it left all the time, only when the meter is read. 12 dict begin end PDF Attachment P-5 - Texas Hopefully this will help address the customers concerns. It is best to set the meters close to the structure to be served and to always obtain an easement for service lines and meters before new service is established. 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. 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. 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. If the main water line(s) are near the public roads, then the system may offer to move the meter down to the road. There should be a calibration or certification of accuracy with the new meter. 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. He does not want us to move the meter outside the fence for safety reasons. 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. 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. 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. 1 begincodespacerange xref 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. << 36 beginbfrange If a system has a trailer park, RV park, apartments, and so on being served by one meter, the TCEQ doesnt count it as one connection but either counts the number of spaces being served or calculates the capacity needed by size of meter. 374 0 obj CMapName currentdict /CMap defineresource pop %PDF-1.7 The closest thing we have to a bottom line here is that a system can remove the meter, but they still need to maintain capacity at that same location in case a future applicant wants to re-install another water meter there. 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. <0D> <0D> <000D> However, due to some political maneuvering several years ago, some exceptions were included in the Texas Administrative Code that allow the commissions executive director to permit master metering when applicable. 0000000536 00000 n B. Multi-Family Residential A twelve-inch (12") water main shall be required to loop through a multi-family district. 12 dict begin In either case, the utility must ensure that fees are assessed fairly. endbfrange R02 - Single Family House (larger than 5/8 " meter). endstream endobj 1 0 obj<> endobj 2 0 obj<>/XObject<>/ProcSet 79 0 R>> endobj 3 0 obj<>stream 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. 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). <002D> endcodespacerange a@0VZ F8A8!@!af^""""#o^?l2AD 4i5M=n^/#{B^m^m}5ok8M4M0P aj""# Is this legal or what problems could this create? <09> <0A> <0009> I have also seen frustration when the front property owner requests a second meter from the system and the line is at capacity. trailer Language establishing the utilitys ownership of customer service meters runs throughout TRWAs model tariffs and service policies. 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. 36 beginbfrange Sometimes multiple lines from multiple meters can become a maintenance nightmare because all the lines, meters and valves look the same. The result is an estimate of total If the customer still feels that the meter belongs to her then it may be helpful to give her the phone number to the PUC so she can discuss her concerns. 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. 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. 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. 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. -tjOXWIR-9L#|qAH)=ya[AXO>_u 9U]](M:?`^V a/X`jsV60;aC}18Y_{/c%nmVlf.0FVL All the meters or at least the material data sheets should state that the materials used to manufacture the meters meet NSF 61. The NSF 61 is the standard for all pipes, repair clamps, and any other fitting or material used in a public water system. fA=~0xO}wASICHzKnp[o <0D> <0D> <000D> 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.. 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. A new membership fee should be required for each new meter. 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 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. A licensed operator of a water system can calibrate their own master meters regardless of size or type by using the volumetric calibration method. 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. 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. <96> <97> <2013> Also, since the lead ban was in effect when the units were constructed in 2006, the CSI inspector should use swabs to test the plumbing for led. Next write down the master meter reading on the meter to be tested. <88> <88> <02C6> 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. <8A> <8A> <0160> The capacity is being used either way, and these new meters and customers are utilizing their share of the systems resources. HWn8}7vR}\d.P`! <002D> Q: What can you tell me about the new "electronic read" meters on the market today? /CIDInit /ProcSet findresource begin :SYA"e2=pmn':"^Ptvop?L`EekP)H:^OK)XNI <20> <7E> <0020> Next, the utility should contact the systems engineer to obtain a study showing how the number and location of the different dwellings are situated on the tract of land. 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. First, the customer must supply the system a final plat showing the intended use and ultimate development of the property to be served. Duplexes and triplexes are sufficiently similar to single family homes so that a duplex equals twice the ERU . My question is, how do we verify the boundaries of properties for this purpose? Most of the re-reads were because the brand of meters the system had installed used exterior-mounted antennas, which were susceptible to a variety of hazards, such as gophers, dogs or lawn mowers. 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. % 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. Big problems can occur when either of the properties changes hands. The elimination of external parts should reduce the need for re-reads due to malfunctions. Master metering is only applicable when it is a single piece of property, not two different tracts. US travelers connecting in AMS what are the rules now? endobj Present Ave. Daily Flow (B 6 + B 7 ) Single family - include all single family homes, mobile homes and seasonal dwellings in this category. A4INih9'uC0\!a;OKx[TJ2 7Kie 69 0 obj<> endobj How do we determine base rates for 2- or 3-inch meters? Then a straight run of pipe at least three times the diameter of the pipe after the meter. Amstelveen is a leafy, prosperous, family-oriented suburb close to Amsterdam, which has a growing population of international residents. 363 0 obj This has an added benefit that the customers will be required to maintain their own service lines from the meter to their houses. Most manufacturers suggest straight runs of pipe ahead of and following a master meter. <9E> <9E> <017E> (This cut-off valve may be installed as a part of the original meter installation by the Corporation.). <88> <88> <02C6> A. 1. 362 0 obj 0000000016 00000 n That availability to use that capacity should be paid for, but not by tacking the costs onto existing customers. Impact Fee Administration | Houston Permitting Center
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