All water furnished by the water utility to its consumers shall
be measured by meters. The size, type and right to own and control
all meters installed or used by consumers shall be determined by the
water utility.
(Ordinance 2021-02 adopted 2/23/21)
(a)
Inoperable/faulty meter.
Should any meter fail to register
correctly the amount of water used by a consumer since the previous
reading, the right shall exist on the part of the water utility to
average the month and charge for water on the basis of any three months’
average; provided, however, that the months used for the purpose of
making the average are comparable to the month(s) the water is used.
The director is authorized to adjust disputed charges upon evidence
satisfactory to the director of a meter malfunction, misreading or
other documented error.
(b)
Water leak.
(1)
Conditions arise that could merit a bill adjustment in the event
of a water leak. The customer is asked to complete a leak adjustment
form for the necessary details and acknowledge that an adjustment
will be made only once in a 12-month period. A portion of the leak
will be absorbed by the water utility. The remaining balance will
be the current bill owed by the customer. Adjustment is conducted
on water charge only, not sewer charge. The leak adjustment policy
is used to calculate the adjustment. Leak adjustment policy is as
follows.
(2)
The total adjusted water bill will be calculated using the following
formula:
(A)
An adjusted leak water volume cost is first calculated which is derived
from taking a volume average from the previous three months, subtracting
the average from the actual billed gallons for the leak month, and
multiplying the current rate charged to the city by the City of Arlington.
This calculation will show the cost the city will pay regardless of
any adjustment passed on to the customer.
(B)
A three month volume average is then calculated by taking the three
month volume average but subtracting the first 2,000 gallons, and
multiplying by the current rate the city charges the customer.
(C)
The total adjusted water bill is then calculated using the adjusted
leak water volume cost, the three month average volume cost, and the
minimum charge.
|
Diagram: Example Calculation
| ||
|---|---|---|
|
Leak month
|
Aug-20
|
|
|
Leak month billed gallons
|
105,454
|
|
|
Water leak adjustment calculation
|
|
|
|
Previous 3 months:
|
|
|
|
July
|
89,413
|
|
|
June
|
53,000
|
|
|
May
|
37,000
|
|
|
3 month avg.
|
59,804
|
|
|
Leak month billed gallons
|
105,454
|
|
|
3 month avg.
|
(59,804)
|
|
|
Gallons above avg.
|
45,650
|
|
|
Current Arlington Rate per 1K Gal
|
$2.30
|
|
|
Adjusted leak water volume cost
|
$104.99
|
A
|
|
3 month avg volume (less 2K gal)
|
57,804
|
|
|
Current DWG rate per 1K Gal
|
$4.00
|
|
|
3 month avg volume cost
|
$231.22
|
B
|
|
Minimum charge
|
$30.00
|
C
|
|
Total adjusted water bill
|
$366.21
|
=A+B+C
|
|
Actual billed water amount
|
$443.82
|
|
|
Water leak credit adjustment
|
$(77.61)
|
|
(c)
When it is observed that a meter registers “0” usage
where service is known to be active, the following is used to estimate
the billing adjustment for the water consumed but not metered: The
account’s historical-use data is utilized to find the lowest
usage observed for the subject month(s). This same amount will be
used in estimating the usage for the month it was not metered. If
there is insufficient historical data for the subject month, use the
best available data.
(Ordinance 2021-02 adopted 2/23/21)
