<83> <83> <0192> Q: Our system is replacing all of our meters. 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. 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. 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. To Top. Hopefully the two figures are the same or within a reasonable margin of error. lmr19a9s;rw;A$PsI@mr+9pB? <002D> Our service agreement states that we only allow one dwelling per connection. <89> <89> <2030> fA=~0xO}wASICHzKnp[o 1 year ago. One note here about equipment costs to replace the assets being removed TCEQ explained this to include the price of a meter, tapping saddle, curb stops, meter box, service tubing and any parts which were purchased by the original applicant when the service was first installed. (x[u!WMt[~}}PNwAzJg"hK#6yot|L ` hp _Gy;:D'#DU!EN4~\6]W=WM0A >4#]a4aS'\!i SM0_h~6$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> 0000006249 00000 n pc#P3C"!GB448]o_ AtCCk*AC)ADc90cLrU a@0VZ F8A8!@!af^""""#o^?l2AD 4i5M=n^/#{B^m^m}5ok8M4M0P aj""# <8C> <8C> <0152> This only works for meter reading and does not solve the issue of access for repairs and emergencies. trailer U0!_bU2S'vB9{h7UM;y>F]6]>_]I;j]R_}I/l endobj <09> <0A> <0009> Would a hose running across the potential users property, across the alleyway, and across about 10 feet of the members property be allowed? 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? The member knows that resale of the water for a profit is not allowed. G{|(> 7 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. Q: How important is the NSF 60 certification on meters or does it even matter? <9F> <9F> <0178> 0000001247 00000 n end <91> <92> <2018> This has an added benefit that the customers will be required to maintain their own service lines from the meter to their houses. begincmap A: This is an issue weve been talking to TCEQ about as far back as 2004. R02 includes a pool and lawn and landscape irrigation of the lot as long as there is no separate irrigation meter. How do we determine base rates for 2- or 3-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. In addition to the cost of the meter installation as well as any upfront impact or buy in fees. 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. s)Q0tWN 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. 0000001086 00000 n One ESFC is defined as equaling a typical detached single-family house. 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. You could also require the applicant to provide this information as part of the application process. 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. Google Map, Tel: 512.472.8591 Would the individual use the company vehicle or his own? (16) Connection--A single family residential unit or each commercial or industrial establishment to which drinking water is supplied from the system. endstream endobj 5 0 obj<>/Width 2550/Height 3300/BitsPerComponent 1/ColorSpace/DeviceGray/Type/XObject/Name/background_2/Subtype/Image>>stream Big problems can occur when either of the properties changes hands. 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. 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. There is no requirement where a WSC can request the landowner to be registered as a business. 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. <<9e8032b06c2c514a87349e8822134d26>]>> endstream endobj 1 0 obj<> endobj 2 0 obj<>/XObject<>/ProcSet 79 0 R>> endobj 3 0 obj<>stream <8D> <8D> <2022> Most manufacturers suggest straight runs of pipe ahead of and following a master meter. (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. ]*U}%GikLf!=ZpcC[RqHL << How common are they compared to the traditional positive displacement manual read meters? <80> <80> <20AC> <9C> <9C> <0153> 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/. Single family Non-Residential Flow (gpd) # Users 2. <00AE> HT <8A> <8A> <0160> B. Multi-Family Residential A twelve-inch (12") water main shall be required to loop through a multi-family district. 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. <00> To your knowledge, are there any parts of the tariff that would prohibit the member from entering into such an agreement or any part of the regulations that would prohibit such an agreement or jeopardize the systems compliance? /Registry (Helvetica-ObliqueOPBaseFont5) <84> <84> <201E> 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. An LUE is assumed to represent 3.5 people living in a residence. The Members use of the Corporations curb stop or other similar valve for such purposes is prohibited. <7F> <7F> <2022> Q: One of our members sold their property and land but did not transfer the membership. Setting the meter on the property owned by the applicant is always the best policy. 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. First, youll want to look at what your tariff and non-standard service agreement state as far as requirements for service and what you have agreed to provide. Your WSC cannot demand that a person pay the entire cost to extend a 6 inch line unless the engineer determines that is the size line it takes to serve that particular applicant. R02 - Single Family House (larger than 5/8 " meter). 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. 0000036396 00000 n <93> <94> <201C> <95> <95> <2022> 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. 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. 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. 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. 69 12 The ERUs would be equivalent to what would be used by typical single-family residences, if they were using the water. Q: Our local WSC is planning to implement a policy in order to comply with the one meter per residence rule. <00AE> A: The answer is yes, its not only ethical, its also both fair and necessary. 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.. 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. Now subtract the first master meter reading from the current meter reading and compare that to the gallons added to the tank. 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. First, the one meter per residence language should be part of your tariff or service policy. endstream endobj 340 0 obj <. Is this legal or what problems could this create? TRWA recommends that systems stop floating memberships and meters from one property to another because of the confusion it creates. 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. <0D> <0D> <000D> 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 <9D> <9D> <2022> A4INih9'uC0\!a;OKx[TJ2 7Kie In the case of choosing a meter read system, we suggest that the meter supplier provide you with a list of systems that uses their meters so your system can check out the pros and cons with other systems that are using the meters. <90> <90> <2022> 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. After you establish a system's ERU quantity, you can use it to determine the number of ERUs for other types of service connections. Not sure they have a higher level." Yes, his is true but interestingly only since 4 September. /CIDInit /ProcSet findresource begin If not then the meter accuracy is over or under by that difference since the tank is a definite volume (provided the above calculation and tank dimensions were accurate). 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. A: This is a common question. Customers that do not report multiple connections, causing utility employees to have to investigate the matter, are usually denied these waivers. Think of it this way: what if that property owner was requesting not one meter, but four new ones? Does the one meter per residence apply in this situation? 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. 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. Different growth -tjOXWIR-9L#|qAH)=ya[AXO>_u 9U]](M:?`^V a/X`jsV60;aC}18Y_{/c%nmVlf.0FVL << endcmap /Ordering (UCS) X1'H`7g3a*|f{h00eiF` BVb`+c0 z^ CONTACT 1002 Washington Ave., 3rd floor Houston, TX 77002 832.394.8888 wcrtechs@houstontx.gov 8 am to 3 pm Wastewater Capacity Reservation Letter - Wastewater You, the property owner or authorized agent, must apply for a Wastewater Capacity Reservation letter if you are: Wastewater Capacity Reservation Letter - Water 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. Published February/March 2021 (Issue 1 of Quench). Wouldnt it make sense for the owner to have to pay the cost of extending the line(s) out to those structures? 389 0 obj <>stream Fax: 512.472.5186 <]/Info 87 0 R/Prev 844706 >> In the last couple of months, Ive heard from some systems that they were moving to totally enclosed and sealed registers. H|T0WQNd(>3IQb= 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. If not, then the system could be charged with trespassing. TCEQs Chapter 290 requires a meter to accurately determine the usage of each customer unless a master metering arrangement has been made. 8P_zz[__z-os%DtGDrJb"" )A The elimination of external parts should reduce the need for re-reads due to malfunctions. <93> <94> <201C> Some systems opt to offer discounts to customers that have multiple connections or to waive impact or other front-end capital improvement fees. <90> <90> <2022> |pz~0u]MbHw{B|%r4ln'Ur]af2Ia0 fkF0S;@G bYH(?I 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. /Supplement 0 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. Some engineers and systems took this to mean that if we remove the meters at these dormant locations, the system would not have to charge future new customers the price for upgrading their old water mains until the freed-up capacity was allocated to new active connections. Q: We have several members who have second living residences at their home, but only one meter. << <8C> <8C> <0152> Commercial 5. 0000053091 00000 n 0000002966 00000 n <8E> <8E> <017D> ~A%b u;_K[O]u?__KVX?p5~5Ka%K}>k47Z=j{u__t 0000001445 00000 n <00> Published in January/February 2020 (Issue 1 of Quench). /CMapName /Helvetica-ObliqueOPBaseFont5 def <96> <97> <2013> IQ-EQ | 110,749 followers on LinkedIn. 71 0 obj<>stream This has been a troublesome situation for many systems in the past and is a re-occurring problem for systems today. /Ordering (UCS) /Linearized 1.0/O 364/H [ 766 341 ]/L 852074/E 53543/N 18/T 844716>> <9D> <9D> <2022> A new membership fee should be required for each new meter. 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. Other systems are installing AMR Meters for the first time, installing AMR Meters in high density or high-traffic areas or upgrading to AMI meters. Some folks opt for wells of around 300 gallons per minute or less to use a fire truck or tanker instead of climbing an elevated tank to do the measuring twice. #9: "We're already listed as very high risk.