(This cut-off valve may be installed as a part of the original meter installation by the Corporation.). The normal straight run of pipe prior to the meter is five times the diameter of the pipe. The NSF 61 is the standard for all pipes, repair clamps, and any other fitting or material used in a public water system. The sample tariff allows the system to estimate a bill and notify the member of the estimate if meter access is hindered or denied. Does the one meter per residence apply in this situation? endstream endobj startxref trailer 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. endcmap The actual cost of the meter and installation should be assessed as well. During these discussions, we talked about vacant and dormant taps to see how the agency would rule on a cost of service appeal if the system were to remove these dead taps to free up system capacity for other applicants along that water main. \"L&h6AKm5 ZydZ P*dGLr)9 3 /Ordering (UCS) The rules go on to state that once a system begins to use some of that extra capacity, they need to begin designing specific improvements which will replace this used capacity. 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. Define Equivalent Single-Family Connection. endbfrange <<9e8032b06c2c514a87349e8822134d26>]>> One ESFC is defined as equaling a typical detached single-family house. The capacity requirement is driven, in part, by the maximum potential amount of water that could be pushed through that meter on a peak day. <9A> <9A> <0161> <9B> <9B> <203A> <89> <89> <2030> This can make it difficult for maintenance personnel to identify which line is leaking and increase maintenance expenses compared to a situation with a single meter and a single yard line. CMapName currentdict /CMap defineresource pop Section 24.89(a)(1) of the PUC's rules states that, all charges for water service shall be based on meter measurements, except where otherwise authorized by the utilitys approved tariff.. Based on my experience, a great number of systems opt to have a single meter properly sized to meet the service needs requested by the owner instead of having multiple smaller master meters or even individual meters for each apartment. 0000005203 00000 n A: This is certainly a tricky situation but its one that many TRWA systems have faced when trying to enforce their tariff or district service policies. A: Yes, under Chapter 13 of the Texas Water Code you must provide service to the applicant if the location of the request for service lies within your certificated service area and your utility is privately owned or a nonprofit water supply corporation. Since the two businesses have separated and are no longer on the same property, then the convenience store is diverting water to another property, which constitutes an illegal connection or transfer of water from one property to another. Examples of Equivalent Residential Connection in a sentence. Our engineer says we need to remove these, as we would be responsible for servicing them, including paying for upgrades, if a customer wants a meter for that box in the future. <83> <83> <0192> 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 10. * 04dOvZ% y;a p^u N&?FqCe6MoA You also should consult your system attorney so an agreement can be developed to set out the scope of volunteer work, as well as the timeliness of these meter readings if you decide to enter into this free meter reading arrangement. $`pi%X. Public wells supply drinking water to municipalities. Think of it this way: what if that property owner was requesting not one meter, but four new ones? <> Those base rates dont have to be the actual meter size equivalent listed in the TRWA Sample Tariff, but one of the reasons/ justifications for a higher base rate for these larger meters is the TCEQs capacity requirements that each system must maintain. :RA%_Xo($N4jKA$iH~5]_]_W_4_'MAzcbhS Gj,+ NPt%TJMvM'B!41F"#4_M}:C?o_o_Z__^_,bD-CF`s;7Qfdcq12FnfhPM4w*`Rthj7v>N2nAqNtF?ON~kEWTB}WLO'?~_Kjjv?ijpU5l%.^=8I>5jtLd%-A^XABL4"?DDDD~~/a?i{`TG{`_+IW21 ffy./HZU"L3FRCa;5.Z qa?C$;VY!v +rxO%}^F'dvwtkV~JW_k#Nq|o|!mm+DcWS62q}9jQi|:{MT'^K{Ul%kr#x~jBXDvK{!ZoI";NaZa4?AWuAR#kM4Nh0Ai#'A"""!D~" }~},Tv;R*2@YDxw4& f0OeqXYDtc/DCXt(P 4(A|;Z <85> <85> <2026> A: Yes, I've heard of the practice of allowing multiple meters on single properties at multiple systems. All new customers or applicants for water service use some of the systems existing facilities and capacity that was already in place things like pipe lines, tanks, wells, pumps and so on. 0000000766 00000 n Know how, know you | We are IQ-EQ, a leading investor services group employing 4300+ people across 24 jurisdictions worldwide. Q. How should this be handled? We really need to understand the regulations and what action we need to take prior to approaching either business. <9A> <9A> <0161> endcmap However, the applicant or landowner can request a single master meter if they dont want to re-plumb their entire property to accommodate individual meters. Some of this cost will be paid by these new customers once they start paying their monthly water bill, but the previous customers not only have been paying for what it costs for them to receive water delivered to their homes, they have also been paying a bit extra toward the complete debt-service for all existing capacity. (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> According to subchapter D, rule 290.46(s)(1), flow measuring devices and rate-of-flow controllers that are required by 290.42(d) of this title (relating to Water Treatment) shall be calibrated at least once every 12 months. After you establish a system's ERU quantity, you can use it to determine the number of ERUs for other types of service connections. (1) The requirements contained in this section are to be used in evaluating both the total capacities for public water systems and the capacities at individual pump stations and pressure planes which serve portions of the system that are hydraulically separated from, or incapable of being served by, other pump stations or pressure planes. <8B> <8B> <2039> Total non -residential 6. We bring together that rare . The closest thing we have to a bottom line here is that a system can remove the meter, but they still need to maintain capacity at that same location in case a future applicant wants to re-install another water meter there. Re: US travelers connecting in AMS what are the rules now? But the continued headaches and future problems will not be worth the bad public relations this can cause if anything happens to the service line or meter that is on someone elses property. Leakage 8. The short answer is yes, the WSC/district board can change their tariff/service policy to allow for meters to be set on someone elses property. <99> <99> <2122> If your utility is a political subdivision and you do not have a certificate of convenience and necessity, your obligation and requirements are dictated by other state statutes. The best way to verify whether a customer has a prohibited second connection is by performing a new customer service inspection (CSI). IQ-EQ | 110,749 followers on LinkedIn. 0000036396 00000 n [tF]JJfSHYs8n?G?#ZS^n#E|WHxt2o1BBb.el+Dijwv-7ajcn7mY 6ii>a!0Y7"9ET3 Would a hose running across the potential users property, across the alleyway, and across about 10 feet of the members property be allowed? TRWA has provided numerous training sessions at conferences and at water system offices to demonstrate the impact of larger meters from a revenue impact as well as regulatory requirements. xc```a``A2@\(}drBf each new commercial connection and $1,000 for each new residential connection. <0D> <0D> <000D> A reason for rate training is so the board can justify the base and gallonage charges to all ratepayer classifications and also to TCEQ in case the rate is appealed. The normal benefit to the applicant and the system is that the applicant/landowner can design their own water system within their property and not have to worry about multiple meters and which service lines goes to which office or trailer space. Is this a fool-proof verification? xb```a``Jc`f`ed@ Ar,8-O00/2\B;wOg`Xl_SKl}w>5">%QPH2F50e00,c 5RJf5v zn ' +\AF> 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. 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. endcodespacerange 339 0 obj <> endobj 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 {Y 9w,r, 6Q@4Og)nF9c"|A""?__ovt^o_dM`L2,s54#Pj0 0000001445 00000 n The side benefit of the AMI technology is that when someone reports a leak in the system, this type of meter allows the system to read meters in that section to determine if the leak is from their system lines or from overwatering or leaks on the customers side. <7F> <7F> <2022> %%EOF begincmap <8D> <8D> <2022> <81> <81> <2022> Hopefully this will help address the customers concerns. However, if your homeowner needs a 1" or larger meter, then the requirements for non-standard service as outlined in Section F. of the TRWA Sample Tariff would apply, including an engineering study for each oversized meter. These previously existing meter locations had already paid for or been granted capacity from the water main, and therefore they should not be required to pay for system upgrades. The defined area is depicted in Appendix 1. A: The property owner may have a single master meter as long as the property is not divided or does not consist of separate tracts of land. end described above, SWWC currently supplies water to at least 5,465 active LUEs (i.e., single-2 Living Unit Equivalents (LUEs). <89> <89> <2030> The elimination of external parts should reduce the need for re-reads due to malfunctions. 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. |pz~0u]MbHw{B|%r4ln'Ur]af2Ia0 fkF0S;@G bYH(?I He does not want us to move the meter outside the fence for safety reasons. 36 beginbfrange The capacity is being used either way, and these new meters and customers are utilizing their share of the systems resources. Customers that do not report multiple connections, causing utility employees to have to investigate the matter, are usually denied these waivers. There is an automatic gate that only works by remote and we do not have access to it. My question is what is considered access? D/^&H Q: Can we install a meter on land that is not owned by the system member if he gets an easement from the land owner? 1.1 Land Use Assumptions and Projected Population The BPSUD water system operates as 4 independent pressure planes, which requires that each pressure plane be analyzed as a stand-alone system. o0?LgGt{Cifk_Kat2'~ez{*R,r08e0@Bf1+oxG t%&L!XD(gTn6"LXa9t> Any damage to the Corporations equipment shall be subject to service charges. <80> <80> <20AC> 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 doesnt matter whether the extra capacity is used to supply brand new customers who have never had service or to existing customers seeking an additional meter. The most immediate issue to address is the potential health hazard caused by the loss of pressure when the booster pump kicks on. A: This is a common problem for older systems as they try to come into compliance with newer rules. In many cases, system staff were simply too timid to enforce their own policies relating to meter locations if a customer raised their voice, said they would sue the system, or used an intimidating attitude. Even a temporary hose hook-up is prohibited since that is a violation of the conditions found in your customer service application and agreement. 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. However, most of the time there isnt an easement filed between the two neighbors for the meter and service line from the front property to the back property being served. <89> <89> <2030> Over the past year Ive talked to at least a dozen systems with existing AMR meters who are upgrading or replacing them due to older meter batteries not holding up. A: Your question is very common for all rural and some urban systems. However, the only leverage we have is to disconnect service to the convenience store in order to compel the chain restaurant to get a separate meter. <20> <7E> <0020> <9E> <9E> <017E> It is best to work with your customers so that a reasonable solution can be found. Is it ethical for us to charge a second equity buy-in fee for this meter if we already charged such a fee for their first meter? endcmap ~A%b u;_K[O]u?__KVX?p5~5Ka%K}>k47Z=j{u__t Until Saturday there was a higher level called "very high-risk area where there is a variant of concern" but that category . Most manufacturers suggest straight runs of pipe ahead of and following a master meter. 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. <9F> <9F> <0178> A4INih9'uC0\!a;OKx[TJ2 7Kie This includes design, review and approval of all plans and all on-site and off-site service facilities by the corporations engineer and compliance with any applicable municipal or other governmental codes and specifications. Some engineers and systems took this to mean that if we remove the meters at these dormant locations, the system would not have to charge future new customers the price for upgrading their old water mains until the freed-up capacity was allocated to new active connections. Language establishing the utilitys ownership of customer service meters runs throughout TRWAs model tariffs and service policies. Connections may be described in terms of single family equivalent connections, living unit of equivalents, or any other generally accepted unit of consumption typically attributable to a single family household. <>/OutputIntents[358 0 R]/Metadata 360 0 R>> /CMapType 2 def A 6 inch line, according to the TCEQ Chapter 290 Rules, can serve up to 250 connections. <88> <88> <02C6> How common are they compared to the traditional positive displacement manual read meters? For example, the Service Rules and Regulations of the TRWA Sample Tariff, Section E, states: An apartment building, condominium, manufactured housing (modular, mobile or RV) community, business center or other similar type enterprise may be considered by the Corporation to be a single commercial facility if the owner applies for a meter as a 'master metered account' and complies with the requirements set forth in PUC rules, this Tariff and applicable law. TRWAs Sample Tariff, Section B provides additional detail, requiring compliance with PUC, Chapter 24, Subchapter H rules pertaining to submetering. One requirement under PUC rules is that the owner who intends to bill tenants for sub-metered or allocated utility service or who changes the method used to bill tenants for utility service must register with the PUC in a form prescribed by the commission. There is nothing in TCEQs Chapter 290 regulations which addresses the above scenario dealing with pre-existing taps that have been removed. Usually, the original person that is allowing the other persons meter to be installed on their property (the front property owner) is agreeable and welcomes the chance to help their neighbor (the back property owner) save some money. If your engineer has not approved the use of the booster pump or sized the lines and meters to accommodate the 60 rental homes, the customer is not in compliance with the terms of the agreement and your tariff. << <93> <94> <201C> B. Multi-Family Residential A twelve-inch (12") water main shall be required to loop through a multi-family district. If your board would like for one of TRWAs staff to attend a meeting to do some rate training, please contact our office. 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. (2) Active connection, as used in this section, means a lot or . 69 12 <99> <99> <2122> What should we do? xref <99> <99> <2122> u5e` T We had the owner submit a feasibility study and it shows that we can support them. "!#w~[^Mt__^7ea?VU> {9Vh*A!_Q~" [w|V}.f%z[o~di_Yzbb{[Xu]\*lq& Not sure they have a higher level." Yes, his is true but interestingly only since 4 September. <95> <95> <2022> Q: What is the purpose of the restriction on multiple connections to a single tap rule? Furthermore, Section 290.44(d)(4) states that, each community public water system shall provide accurate metering devices at each residential, commercial, or industrial service connection for the accumulation of water usage data. Section 290.38 defines a connection as a single-family residential unit or each commercial or industrial establishment to which drinking water is supplied from the system. Including this language in a notification letter to all utility customers will help explain why the system is requiring a change for existing multiple connections. The ERUs would be equivalent to what would be used by typical single-family residences, if they were using the water. The extra 15 percent capacity is supposed to be maintained by the system (not paid for by the new customer), but the system may require applicants requesting service to pay for some of the system upgrades that will be used by that applicant. Systems generally dont want to extend their liability onto or across private property to read meters or make repairs after dark within a private property on the off chance that frequent trips onto that property raises the chance of some type of accident or damage to the owners property or tenants. Q: A member of our WSC has two water meters on his property. A: TRWA does not make recommendations for rates, but we do provide rate calculation training so that a system can set proper rates that are equitable to all customers. The customer must, at his or her expense, properly install, inspect, test, maintain and provide all required documentation of any approved backflow prevention device required by the corporation (30 TAC 290.46(j); Section I Service Application and Agreement). 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. First, the one meter per residence language should be part of your tariff or service policy. 0 Q: A current member of our WSC has asked for a second meter on their property. This saves the systems from having to maintain multiple meters and make multiple service trips to disconnect and reconnect individual rental property meters, allows for a single water bill to be mailed, and saves the property owner money by not requiring them to maintain multiple lines across their property. This is a hard line for systems to take, but otherwise you are operating on an honor system in which the applicant has little incentive to uphold his or her end of the bargain. Q: We have a convenience store and a chain restaurant using the same meter. end <9B> <9B> <203A> V)bXAmXki65[I47l0B]jU6)ILRn64-7ZvJ"I7LTaTm,XMU0 aBa h5]A"BxV`fNX6:aRVi"Db03iT+P0MDDCDDDD/tL~~1"g43B6GA_628PL&hi$(pD=-RqGqSA$A%py>$kK/. <]/Info 87 0 R/Prev 844706 >> I am not aware of any cost of service appeals dealing with this issue specifically, but systems should be aware that the PUCT might side with the customer if someone complains about being charged new fees to obtain service at a location where service previously existed. In order to correct the issue, the system must first have supporting language in its tariff. 1 begincodespacerange Q: How does a person with multiple mobile homes become a master-metered account? (7#~mz*B TwIewVq_kgcQyQ4Jd/ K3E\_%9=G$#. Private or domestic wells can be used for a variety purposes, such as irrigation, drinking water and industrial uses. <8B> <8B> <2039> These existing capacity components were and are being paid for through monthly water rates. /Registry (CourierOPBaseFont1) <81> <81> <2022> <90> <90> <2022> Payment of these fees are reimbursable if and when the District sells Bonds for that purpose and the TCEQ . If they want service at a new location, they must purchase another membership and meter tap, and comply with all the new service application procedures. Fax: 512.472.5186 Turn off all valves connected to the distribution system so that no water leaves the tank during test period. The correspondence should also include a date on which service will be disconnected if the customer fails to make arrangements for the CSI. For Tract 2, the engineer assumed 24 equivalent single family connections, and a meter connection count will be four.
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