[Amended 4-17-2019 by Order No. FY 19-125]
The entire supply of the City water furnished through each separate service tap and pipe for any and all premises must be furnished through one primary meter. All water passing through such meters will be charged to the owner of the property supplied, whether the water is used or wasted. Specifically designated fire services do not require meters except in specific circumstances determined by the Director.
[Amended 4-17-2019 by Order No. FY 19-125; 10-16-2019 by Order No. FY 20-047]
The proper size, type, brand of water meter, and associated plumbing hardware required for any given service shall be specified by the City. The City shall standardize brands of meters and associated equipment to be installed.
[Amended 4-17-2019 by Order No. FY 19-125; 9-21-2022 by Order No. FY 23-035]
The meter and associated materials shall be supplied and installed by the City and remain property of the City. If the service is larger than 1.5 inches, the owner shall be responsible for the purchase and installation of the meter and the meter shall become property of the City at the time the water service is turned on. The owner shall provide a shutoff valve at the meter inlet. This shall be the first fitting inside the service building. On the discharge side of the meter the owner will place the appropriate backflow prevention device and then a stop valve in order to facilitate the removal of the meter. There shall be one meter per service and one service per building. Condominium owners, see § 415-78.
[Amended 4-17-2019 by Order No. FY 19-125]
All new service connections shall be equipped with a backflow prevention device on the property side of the meter. The City shall approve the device used. The device shall be purchased and installed by the owner. The device shall remain the property of the owner, who is responsible for the cost of its maintenance, repair, replacement, and testing if required.
[Amended 4-17-2019 by Order No. FY 19-125]
The City shall have the right to remove, calibrate, repair, or replace any meter at any time. The cost of ordinary care and repair of all primary meters is borne by the City; the cost of unusual repairs (necessitated by freezing, hot water, etc.) due or attributable to any carelessness or neglect on the part of the consumer shall be borne by the owner. No person except authorized employees of the DPW or persons expressly authorized by the City shall install, remove, bypass, or repair any primary meter.
[Amended 4-17-2019 by Order No. FY 19-125]
Where necessary in the opinion of the Director, industrial and commercial meter installations shall be equipped with a bypass line. The cost of the bypass line shall be borne by the owner. The bypass is to be sealed and operated only by employees of the DPW. The City may require the installation of a meter and/or a backflow prevention device on the bypass line.
The property owner must execute responsible care to prevent damage to the water metering equipment. All repairs to meters from freezing, hot water, or external causes shall be charged to the owner of the building.
[Amended 9-21-2022 by Order No. FY 23-035]
Authorized employees of the City shall have access to primary meters for reading, testing, repairing, and calibrating. The property owner shall maintain the water meter and entrance valve free from rubbish or other materials which may obstruct access by City employees. The City shall have the right to shut off water in accordance with § 415-62 if the owner refuses access to the water meter.
Where a single meter covers the supply of water through a service, the Department will read and maintain this meter. If additional or auxiliary meters are desired for showing subdivisions of such supply, they may be furnished and installed by the owner, at the expense of the owner, who must assume all responsibility for reading and maintaining the same.
[Amended 4-17-2019 by Order No. FY 19-125]
The accuracy of the meter on any premises will be tested by the City upon written request of the owner, who shall pay in advance a fee to cover the cost of the test. If on such test the meter is found to register over 2% more water than actually passes through it, the meter will be repaired and the fee will be refunded and the water bill for the current period will be adjusted in accordance with the result of the test. If, however, it appears that the person was charged or has paid for less water than he/she should have been charged with or should have paid for, he/she shall from this time forward be charged with the proper additional amount and shall pay the same, together with the expense of the examination and test to the City.
[Amended 4-17-2019 by Order No. FY 19-125]
If, in the opinion of the Director, a meter does not fit the conditions of the service installation, the City has the right to change such meter. Such changes shall be made in accordance with current regulations and shall be paid for by the owner.
No person shall open or in any manner tamper with a water meter or associated devices for the purpose of falsifying the meter reading. Penalties for such action are defined in Article XII.
[Amended 4-17-2019 by Order No. FY 19-125]
When the ownership of a property is to be transferred, the owner must give the City 24 hours' notice for the final meter reading. No sale or other transfer of title of property in the City of Greenfield shall operate to bar the City from collecting any balance due for meter repairs.
[Amended 4-17-2019 by Order No. FY 19-125]
A. 
Condominium associations may choose to accept an exemption from § 415-65, which calls for the entire supply of the City water furnished through each separate service tap and pipe for any and all premises to be furnished through one primary meter.
B. 
If a condominium association chooses to have individual meters for each condominium unit, then it must apply to the Director of Public Works for an exemption from § 415-65.
C. 
Any condominium association which has been granted said exemption must meet the following requirements:
(1) 
The owners of each condominium unit for metered water use shall be responsible for the payment of all charges.
(2) 
The condominium association shall have the full responsibility for all charges to purchase, install, repair, and replace meters, valves, piping, and all related appurtenances from the water main up to and including the meter.
(3) 
Each unit must have a meter installed completely within the unit it services equipped with an outside reader and separate valving.
(4) 
Valving must be installed to allow independent operation of all services and must be contained completely within the unit it services.
(5) 
All meters and valves shall conform to the City of Greenfield requirements in regards to materials used and manner of installation.
(6) 
All other provisions of these Water Use Regulations must be met.