All water services shall be metered, regardless of the purpose for which they are used, unless otherwise specified.
All meters will be furnished and owned by the Town and shall be subject to the exclusive control and jurisdiction of the Water Department, which may in all cases stipulate the size of the meter to be used in any connection.
The Water Department will be responsible for installing and maintaining all meters and for replacing meters that have become inoperable through ordinary wear and tear. Only the Water Department, or one acting under its direction, shall open, adjust or otherwise disturb any meter. Damage to meters that is the result of an insecure location or of the negligence or carelessness on the part of the owner, occupant, tenant or others, such as failure to protect against damage from freezing, hot water or steam, will be rectified by the Water Department at the expense of the property owner. Payment of the cost of repair or replacement may be required before new meters are provided or existing meters repaired. In the event of damage chargeable to the property owner, the Water Department may discontinue the supply of water without notice and, in addition, provide at the expense of the property owner a meter vault and meter at the curbline or other convenient location between the main and the building on the premises.
The meter shall be set at a location selected or approved by the Water Department. The customer will provide a suitable place that must be free of frost, above groundwater and accessible at all times and properly safeguarded. If it is impractical to place a meter where it will be free from frost, the customer must provide, at his expense, suitable boxing and packing for the meter to prevent damage from freezing. The setting or any subsequent resetting thereof is to be done at the expense of the owner of the premises.
All meters are tested for accuracy before installation. The Water Department may remove and test any meter at its discretion in order to ascertain or maintain the accuracy of the meter. Customers desiring to have their meters tested must pay the expense of such test, unless the meter is proved to be registering in favor of the Water Department, in which case there will be no charge for such test, and the water bill shall be adjusted accordingly.
If a meter gets out of order or fails to register properly, the customer shall immediately notify the Water Department. It shall be repaired or replaced, and the customer will be charged at the average rate of consumption as shown by a meter when in order or according to the consumption during a previous corresponding quarter, at the discretion of the Town Board. If disturbance of the meter seal of an improperly functioning or registering meter is noted by the Water Department, the customer shall pay a penalty of 10% of the sums then due. Said penalty shall not relieve the customer of repair or replacement charges otherwise imposed in § 281-32 of this chapter.
The Water Department may place remote reading registers on any service as an integral part of the meter installation.
The Water Department, or any person acting under its direction, shall have access to meters, as well as all aspects of the water service, at all reasonable hours for purposes of reading, inspecting or service repairs.
Neither the Town nor the Water Department, its officers and employees shall be responsible for damage or injury caused by drainage of water in connection with the testing, repairing or removal of any meter. In addition, they shall not be responsible for any damage or liability caused by a defectively functioning meter.
The Water Department may provide for customer use a hydrant meter. The customer shall make a deposit as security for the meter's return in proper operating condition and pay installation and disconnection charges in a sum established by the Town Board. The customer shall pay for metered usage in accordance with the residential water rate extant at that time. The deposit shall be returned upon payment of all charges, or the Water Department, at its option, may deduct the charges from the deposit and return the balance, if any, to the customer. The customer is responsible for any and all damage to and/or theft of the hydrant during its usage by the customer.