12 dict begin My question is, how do we verify the boundaries of properties for this purpose? <20> <7E> <0020> Does the owner have the choice of either getting a meter for each unit or getting one master meter? Would the individual use the company vehicle or his own? 362 13 There should be a calibration or certification of accuracy with the new meter. A new membership fee should be required for each new meter. /Ordering (UCS) Master metering is only applicable when it is a single piece of property, not two different tracts. For example, in Section E, Members Responsibility: d. Therefore, all water usage registering upon and/or damages occurring to the metering equipment owned and maintained by the Corporation shall be subject to charges as determined by the Corporations Tariff as amended from time to time by the Board of Directors. <9D> <9D> <2022> The larger the meter, the greater the amount of system capacity that must be kept in place for that meter. <9A> <9A> <0161> <90> <90> <2022> endbfrange 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. 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. 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. How common are they compared to the traditional positive displacement manual read meters? A: You have a couple different issues to address. <95> <95> <2022> <86> <87> <2020> <99> <99> <2122> <90> <90> <2022> developed and used to calculate the Impact Fee per Equivalent Single Family Connection (ESFC). endcmap %PDF-1.3 % /CMapName /Helvetica-ObliqueOPBaseFont5 def The valve shall meet AWWA standards (a ball valve is preferred). Fax: 512.472.5186 <93> <94> <201C> What should we do? Well get someone to demonstrate the rate template weve designed and provided to systems across the state. <9B> <9B> <203A> Total non -residential 6. /CIDInit /ProcSet findresource begin Other possible solutions the system may suggest to the customer are: move the fence back so the meter is outside the fence; install a separate gate at the location of the meter; or provide a key or code so the meter reader or repair crew can access the water line and meter 24/7. fA=~0xO}wASICHzKnp[o 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. %OEG+HqH\9-:Y2=Ht),h1#d W% `9B-eR+0 Until Saturday there was a higher level called "very high-risk area where there is a variant of concern" but that category . 67.016(d) provides that a corporation may make water or sewer service conditional on ownership of the real estate designated to receive service and from which the membership or other right of participation arises. Subsection (e) authorizes a corporation to cancel a persons membership if he fails to meet a condition of service prescribed by the corporation. We bring together that rare . Finally, it is also important to be clear with the applicant regarding how the drought contingency and water rationing requirements apply to the irrigation meter. I1Aq sa:VAza:o ~6_9d23\@GfqQ H4o?a Z}*B"E}I"}}-}oKk$D%+M?AGPf!Sn$_ WzIj&?K/GrwkIL ( kZPiu-Jbg\N2A;$_J|MS[t7P]"nSx}tcGl>^ZKeKH^ZURCZjVAiU&6mvTAl/wDXIvS-U*Kv[GAWBk'3TnM(u"wP4n": $ ZJ[$+n4b=J}}0_LWjcF;0kc.#1I-u}'[{W}$LSKUnUKI.DW~mR^Np voZNL*aAnh^Xo;kji,5]4>Q/ZhB4cq: TuMBv;M8OPhFGDDDDE_k#[vD4 Dr(~[uk_w~'oa_}2;WdASMS aA aV* 8IxFDDDDD_B""#__O &FF#0B>"(4#c3h*E/#!!80 "Df"qdp%_d$vHf -Uyxn/dqHGci|GE800f:(F/GG0xG#xx DDD-p0 If it is a single tract of land and the plumbing to each of these eight units is all combined into one common line, then a master meter would probably be the better option for this applicant. 1. %PDF-1.5 % It is best to set the meters close to the structure to be served and to always obtain an easement for service lines and meters before new service is established. startxref to TCEQ rules regarding elevated storage, the number of connections that are allocated to the tract will be four, because that allocation is determined on the number of meter connections. ESFCequivalent single-family connection. While it may be difficult for them to claim the second dwelling is vacant if evidence of habitation is obvious, some people might try to claim that the habitation is only intermittent, that no water is being used at the second location, or that water there is being supplied from a separate source. 0000001312 00000 n If there is reason to believe a dangerous or hazardous condition exists, the corporation may conduct a customer service inspection (CSI) to verify the hazardous condition and may notify the local county health office. However, there are some situations where a brand-new meter is installed, and it doesnt register correctly. a@0VZ F8A8!@!af^""""#o^?l2AD 4i5M=n^/#{B^m^m}5ok8M4M0P aj""# This allows the water to straighten out and have less turbulence, thereby allowing the meter to register as accurately as possible. 0000005203 00000 n :SYA"e2=pmn':"^Ptvop?L`EekP)H:^OK)XNI )-__@u{{z"|RDQG|G2`4Y M6 oaomo[^W[zWJ+wCV 0000000015 00000 n e. The Corporation shall require each Member to have a cutoff valve within 2 feet of the meter on the Members side of the meter for purposes of isolating the Members service pipeline and plumbing facilities from the Corporations water pressure. Given more information about your utility we may have suggestions regarding ideas on sharing the cost of any upgrade. Based on the level and manner of service being requested by the owner, a 2-inch water meter may or may not be sufficient to provide the water capacity being requested. <8E> <8E> <017D> A: Your question is very common for all rural and some urban systems. <00A0> <96> <97> <2013> >> def Published in January/February 2020 (Issue 1 of Quench). 0000002966 00000 n 0 The inspector would also check for chlorine residuals at any location which the customer says is being supplied water from a private well or other source. <8A> <8A> <0160> 69 12 <00> <00> <0000> Irrigation with separate irrigation meter is a separate Type of Use. <9E> <9E> <017E> 6^u9Z{s DraDsio1,m?Ph/&KZlho_ryP As it relates to the propertys location within or outside of a city, or its participation in any government-assisted or subsidized housing programs, it will be the owners responsibility to notify any necessary authorities of the new source of water, if required, since the system is merely supplying potable water to the property from a master meter. <002D> Example: A 20-space trailer park with a 2-inch meter has been evaluated by some TCEQ inspectors to be the actual number of trailer spaces available. For water requirements, this includes consumptive uses, such as lawn end 4Ct?3,RPapG}=>V"vIzJ*m'_ A standard single-family home is considered a standard ERU with other uses measured against this baseline. Payment of these fees are reimbursable if and when the District sells Bonds for that purpose and the TCEQ . endbfrange <84> <84> <201E> Your board should look at all the different access related issues at customer locations and define in your tariff what the system considers to be reasonable access to the meters. 0 {e9Q $b@;l0$" A particular manufacturer is selling a pretty good meter, but it is not certified and before I invest a lot of money into their radio read system I need someone to answer this question. Some systems opt to offer discounts to customers that have multiple connections or to waive impact or other front-end capital improvement fees. Most of these systems have had positive comments about the dependability of these newer types of meters, and some reported only a 5 percent re-read when the meters were originally installed (this percentage typically went down as they got the bugs worked out). X1'H`7g3a*|f{h00eiF` BVb`+c0 z^ PUC rules also support the tariff stating that customers/members of a WSC are only qualified to receive service when theyve complied with the written provisions included in the WSCs tariff. 0000001388 00000 n What can we do if the owner of the membership denies that someone is living at the second residence? Define Equivalent Single-Family Connection. <9D> <9D> <2022> Hopefully this will help address the customers concerns. Each system has to check references, call neighboring systems that use the same product or professional, and verify to the best of their ability the facts before purchasing materials or entering into a contract. 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. hbbd``b`+A| "[@@ebX H0X "$k $BG HI (,HW *##6F0 w 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. A: This is one of those situations where a little extra effort by the system up front can save them substantial headaches and costs down the road. For customers who have their homes 500 feet or more off the road, meters may be relocated to the edge of the customers property instead of at the house. Q: Our local WSC is planning to implement a policy in order to comply with the one meter per residence rule. Google Map, Tel: 512.472.8591 <85> <85> <2026> I told her that was incorrect and that I would mail her the documentation to prove it. A: This is definitely not a new question - many systems have faced this situation over the years. /CMapType 2 def Q: A member of our WSC has two water meters on his property. Duplexes and triplexes are sufficiently similar to single family homes so that a duplex equals twice the ERU . The WSC board can amend the water rates at any board meeting where rate adjustments are posted as an agenda item for action. And what if one or all of those new meters were located on the same property, but a half mile away from the end of your current line? Additionally, many systems didnt want to maintain extended meters and lines within the private property, because in several cases working on these lines proved too intrusive on peoples private property and roads. endcodespacerange The result is an estimate of total A: TRWA hasnt tracked the number of systems that have installed electronic read meters, whether they be the AMR (drive-by) or AMI (instrumental gathered information) meters. The Uniform Plumbing Code does not allow for booster pumps under this condition and TCEQ rule Section 290.44(d)(3) states that service connections that require booster pumps taking suction from the public water system lines must be equipped with automatic pressure cut-off devices so that the pumping units become inoperative at a suction pressure of less than 20 psi (thereby preventing a back siphonage condition). Q: How does a person with multiple mobile homes become a master-metered account? begincmap However, due to some political maneuvering several years ago, some exceptions were included in the Texas Administrative Code that allow the commissions executive director to permit master metering when applicable. <85> <85> <2026> First, the one meter per residence language should be part of your tariff or service policy. endstream endobj 1 0 obj<> endobj 2 0 obj<>/XObject<>/ProcSet 79 0 R>> endobj 3 0 obj<>stream xref D/^&H end CMapName currentdict /CMap defineresource pop <89> <89> <2030> (2) Active connection, as used in this section, means a lot or . endstream endobj 75 0 obj<>/BaseFont/Times-Roman/FirstChar 0/LastChar 255/Subtype/Type1/ToUnicode 76 0 R/Widths[0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 250 340 410 500 500 840 785 185 340 340 500 560 250 340 250 290 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 290 290 565 565 565 440 925 720 670 670 725 610 555 720 720 335 390 725 615 880 720 720 560 720 665 555 605 715 715 945 725 725 610 335 275 335 475 500 330 450 500 450 500 450 340 500 500 275 275 500 275 775 500 500 500 500 340 390 285 500 500 720 500 500 450 490 200 490 550 350 500 350 340 500 450 1000 500 500 340 1000 565 340 890 350 610 350 350 340 340 445 445 350 500 1000 340 990 390 340 730 350 450 730 250 340 500 500 500 500 210 500 340 770 280 500 570 340 770 340 410 570 300 300 340 510 460 250 340 300 310 500 750 750 750 445 720 720 720 720 720 720 885 675 615 615 615 615 340 340 340 340 720 720 720 720 720 720 720 565 720 720 720 720 720 720 560 500 450 450 450 450 450 450 670 450 450 450 450 450 280 280 280 280 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 565 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500]>> endobj 76 0 obj<>stream <9F> <9F> <0178> Where to live in Delft Wedged between The Hague and Rotterdam, Delft is a beautiful historical town that attracts those seeking a quieter lifestyle with good city connections. The result is an estimate of total The sample tariff also allows service to be disconnected, after notice, if access is denied for three consecutive months. Most manufacturers suggest straight runs of pipe ahead of and following a master meter. <9C> <9C> <0153> <93> <94> <201C> At the time of this Agreement, an ESFC of wastewater means 315 gallons per day of water and an ESFC of water means 400 gallons per day of water. The date of construction is not relevant to the issue of whether a single master meter or individual meters would be preferable; however, it is important when considering the required customer service inspection (CSI) which must be completed for all eight units and the tract of property to be served. This has an added benefit that the customers will be required to maintain their own service lines from the meter to their houses. The original member will pay all costs associated with a new meter installation as if they were a new customer, since they are a new customer at this new location. endstream endobj startxref <88> <88> <02C6> 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? 0000000016 00000 n %%EOF The impact fee and other front-end capital improvement fees also remain with the existing tap and location and should never be transferred to another property for the same reasons above. Box 13087, Even a temporary hose hook-up is prohibited since that is a violation of the conditions found in your customer service application and agreement. The District is subject to the continuing supervision of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (the "TCEQ"). (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> A: If your board has adopted the basic TRWA Sample Tariff language, then the meter costs and impact fee should stay with the property on which the meter was initially installed. /Ordering (UCS) The system needs to be aware of the potential liability issues with such an arrangement and should contact the systems insurance provider to find out what, if anything, would be covered if the person is injured while reading meters or causes an accident or damages some customers property. Leakage 8. <00AE> <98> <98> <02DC> As a general rule, the only difference should be in base rates based on size of meter as indicated in the TRWA Sample Tariff. Any correspondence you send to this regard should include a deadline for the customers to contact the system to set up a CSI so the utility can verify whether any prohibited interconnection between the two dwellings exists. These waivers usually apply only when the customer voluntarily contacts the system to either install the appropriate number of meters or allow for inspection by system staff to verify that the other connections are not being used. Customers that do not report multiple connections, causing utility employees to have to investigate the matter, are usually denied these waivers. Q: One of our members sold their property and land but did not transfer the membership. %%EOF <81> <81> <2022> <86> <87> <2020> (In fact, conservation rates can escalate, in proportion to the total gallons, for customers using the greatest amounts of water on a monthly basis.) What a system considers to be reasonable access may vary. If your systems tariff contains the same language as TRWAs sample tariff, failure to remedy this hazardous condition is subject to disconnection without notice, and ultimately cancellation of membership due to policy non-compliance in accordance with Section E if the issue is not remedied. Going back to my earlier example, if a current customer wanted a new meter placed at the end of a road a 1/2 mile past the end of the existing water line, that new customer should pay their costs for extending that line and not have that cost be paid for by the rest of the members. end Turn off all valves connected to the distribution system so that no water leaves the tank during test period. Under 30 TAC 290.38(16), "connection" means "A single-family residential unit or each commercial or industrial establishment to which drinking water is supplied" from the PWS. Our employees drive around the community daily and can tell that there are clearly people living at these second residences. H_w"'i.wF%P)O 0 * 04dOvZ% y;a p^u N&?FqCe6MoA \\~;XBM?!GIjM_% ]$N6+ A;#-^V_J_K_Z!m?oW16d pzpDu@N_D}v54}aM,7=?9?rIh:O7U`BVM[np`&6+mC-Ot6)Rz 6+VM?mHAMA5i }l& After you establish a system's ERU quantity, you can use it to determine the number of ERUs for other types of service connections. We have several customers who have gates at the back of their homes and their homes are built at least 500 feet off the road. One of our customers is demanding that she keep her meter since she paid for it and she feels it should be hers to keep. <98> <98> <02DC> TRWA has always recommended in our sample tariff that All meters be installed on the property designated to receive service. Using this policy keeps the system dealing directly with the property owner and member of the WSC or the customer of the district instead of having to deal with a property owner or future property owner that doesnt want someone elses meter and service line on their property. HT <0D> <0D> <000D> 0000003802 00000 n The Members use of the Corporations curb stop or other similar valve for such purposes is prohibited. 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. Finally, if the property owner intends to keep the well for irrigation purposes, it cannot be tied back into any line connected to the systems new master meter. The District currently encompasses 767 acres and is located wholly within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the City of Houston, Texas (the "City") and is located within Katy Independent School District. The NSF 60 standard is for chemicals used in a water system. Requiring employees to climb ladders to get over fences or traverse 500 feet of property may not be reasonable access for your system and could be considered denial of access. 5' <96> <97> <2013> /Linearized 1.0/O 364/H [ 766 341 ]/L 852074/E 53543/N 18/T 844716>> /CMapName /CourierOPBaseFont1 def If your new meter is a 2-inch or smaller positive displacement meter, the straight pipe runs are not required for the meter to be accurate. The defined area is depicted in Appendix 1. <9C> <9C> <0153> <86> <87> <2020> <>/OutputIntents[358 0 R]/Metadata 360 0 R>> B. Multi-Family Residential A twelve-inch (12") water main shall be required to loop through a multi-family district. <8E> <8E> <017D> There are many points that need to be addressed before agreeing to this offer. If not, then the system could be charged with trespassing. [tF]JJfSHYs8n?G?#ZS^n#E|WHxt2o1BBb.el+Dijwv-7ajcn7mY 6ii>a!0Y7"9ET3 After you establish a system's ERU quantity, you can use it to determine the number of ERUs for other types of service connections. Many times, a customer has a shut off valve installed to the second residence that can be turned off for plumbing repairs or when inspections like these are to be conducted. Next, the system needs to send a copy of that policy to the entities that appear to be in violation of that policy along with a copy of the TCEQ rule requiring accurate measuring of each customers usage. Do you have a source for best practices when planning to deal with this issue? <91> <92> <2018> <20> <7E> <0020> From this, they can develop a plan that best provides service to the entire development considering the wishes of the developer and the system. 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. 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 stream Q: What can you tell me about the new "electronic read" meters on the market today? A: This is an issue weve been talking to TCEQ about as far back as 2004. <8D> <8D> <2022> Afo/.# G(omQb#\9 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. Either way, the system has to maintain these higher capacities of well production, storage tanks, pumps, lines and so on, or be fined for non-compliance for violations of 30 TAC Section 290.45 of the TCEQs rules. It appears they have done this to supply water to more than 60 small rental homes on two 5/8 x 3/4 meters. <85> <85> <2026> The member wants to know if a neighbor can hook up to the meter and if so, under what circumstances. Again, this is an insurance issue to address with your insurance carrier. Present Ave. Daily Flow (B 6 + B 7 ) Single family - include all single family homes, mobile homes and seasonal dwellings in this category. If a system has a trailer park, RV park, apartments, and so on being served by one meter, the TCEQ doesnt count it as one connection but either counts the number of spaces being served or calculates the capacity needed by size of meter. Setting the meter on the property owned by the applicant is always the best policy. Big problems can occur when either of the properties changes hands. Therefore, removing the meter box completely could allow the utility to reduce its total number of connections for purposes of determining the systems necessary capacity. <8A> <8A> <0160> (This cut-off valve may be installed as a part of the original meter installation by the Corporation.). /Registry (Times-RomanOPBaseFont0) Additionally, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) rules require that all public water systems be designed with a minimum of 15 percent extra capacity. The capacity is being used either way, and these new meters and customers are utilizing their share of the systems resources. How do we determine base rates for 2- or 3-inch meters? endobj These references clearly state that the meter belongs to the corporation and is to be maintained by the corporation. While this may have been more of an undertaking many years ago, most counties have modernized and this research can now generally be done from the systems office. <9C> <9C> <0153> Q: Some of our customers have built duplexes in our system. We encourage you to consider options for providing service and, most immediately, to ensure compliance with the 85 percent requirement. IQ-EQ | 110,749 followers on LinkedIn. "!#w~[^Mt__^7ea?VU> {9Vh*A!_Q~" [w|V}.f%z[o~di_Yzbb{[Xu]\*lq& <81> <81> <2022> As an example, the number of service connections in an apartment complex would be equal to the number of individual apartment units. /CIDInit /ProcSet findresource begin The TCEQ interprets an "active connection" as a connection that is completed or existing and able to supply drinking water from the PWS to a single-family described above, SWWC currently supplies water to at least 5,465 active LUEs (i.e., single-2 Living Unit Equivalents (LUEs). startxref 0000000766 00000 n