[Amended 4-9-2024 by Ord. No. 551]
All meters will be furnished by and remain the property of the Town, which reserves the right to stipulate the size, type and make of the meter to be used as well as the location of the setting. Minimum meter size shall be 3/4-inch meter.
Whenever possible, the meter shall be set in the basement in a convenient place, the location to be provided and maintained by the owner. In the event the customer desires any change in the location or position of the meter, meter box or vault, such change in location shall be made by the Town at the cost and expense of the owner.
All meters shall be maintained by and at the expense of the Town insofar as ordinary wear and tear are concerned, but the owners will be held responsible for damages as a result of freezing, hot water or other external causes, when such damage results directly or indirectly from the negligence of the customer. When such damage occurs, the Town will furnish and set another meter to replace the one frozen or otherwise damaged, and the cost of such repairs, including replaced parts, labor and transportation charges, shall be paid for by the owner.
Any owner may be required to install a suitable check valve and relief valve in the service line on the outlet side of the meter, in such a manner as to prevent the return of hot water to the meter, and any such owner shall pay the cost of all repairs necessitated by failure to do so.
The quantity recorded by the meter shall be taken to be the amount of water passing through the meter, which amount shall be accepted as conclusive by both the owner and the Town, except when the meter has been found to be registering inaccurately or has ceased to register. In such cases, the quantity may be determined by the average registration of the meter in a corresponding past period when in order or by the average registration of the new meter, whichever method is representative, in the opinion of the Town, of the conditions existing during the period in question.
[Amended 11-12-2002 by Ord. No. 363; 4-9-2024 by Ord. No. 551]
The Town reserves the right to remove and test any meter at any time and to substitute another meter in its place. In the case of a disputed account involving the question of accuracy of the meter, such meter will be tested upon the written request of the applicant, and a deposit of $250 shall be collected for a water meter up to 1 1/2 inch. For any meter over 1 1/2 inch, the Town will prepare a written estimate of the required deposit. A meter testing firm selected by the Town shall conduct the test. In the event the meter was accurate or underperforming, the applicant will forfeit the $250 deposit; if the meter was overbilling the applicant, the $250 deposit will be returned to the applicant.
If a meter is found to be inaccurate, it shall be replaced at Town expense. However, if a meter is found to be accurate, the owner will bear all costs of replacement and related expense.
The owner shall permit no one, except an agent of the Town or person otherwise lawfully authorized to do so, to remove, inspect or tamper with the meter or other property of the Town located on his premises. The customer shall notify the Town, as soon as it comes to his knowledge, of any injury to or cessation in the registration of the meter.