<8B> <8B> <2039> Do you have a source for best practices when planning to deal with this issue? /CIDInit /ProcSet findresource begin They summarized that because there had been a meter at that location, the new applicant should not be responsible to pay for upgrades to the water mains because of new customers being added at other locations along that same water main. This standard specifies that all chemicals used properly will not cause any health effects for the consumers. A: It is required that water systems verify that all materials and chemicals used in a public water system meet the TCEQ rules. I have visited several systems who have purchased AMR meters that are compatible with the AMI meters. While the board of directors is keeping the old monthly charges and rates, we only have a base rate for 1 -inch meters. 0000000903 00000 n The member knows that resale of the water for a profit is not allowed. Re: US travelers connecting in AMS what are the rules now? 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. There is an automatic gate that only works by remote and we do not have access to it. begincmap <8E> <8E> <017D> For years, many rural and municipal systems have opted to install master meters for rental properties such as multiple apartment buildings on the same tract of land, multiple mobile homes or manufactured homes on the same tract of land, as well as multiple RVs or strip/multi-use business centers with a common owner. 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. 0 Some meter manufacturers also require strainers or other devices to be installed to protect the meter and straighten or condition the water so that their meters will be as accurate as possible. 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. endstream endobj 382 0 obj <>stream 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. Using the formula 3.14 X Radius X Radius X Height X 7.48 (gallons per cubic feet) you can calculate the number of gallons of water added to the storage tank. <80> <80> <20AC> To Top. It is up to each customer to determine whether they must register as a business with the state or not. You should always keep the safety of your employees in mind and act within the law. A: This is definitely not a new question - many systems have faced this situation over the years. <96> <97> <2013> <95> <95> <2022> 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. This can lead to lawsuits and fights between neighbors and family members, and often the utility ends up bearing the brunt of these clashes. 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. <7F> <7F> <2022> C+vdt\?K(Pwu,Gu-=s-^|8o!$cntc}Egg=/ckY0 \ <<9e8032b06c2c514a87349e8822134d26>]>> ~0r; 0000000016 00000 n Extension of pipe(s) to transfer utility service from one property to another, to share, resell, or submeter water to any other persons, dwellings, businesses, or property, etc., is prohibited. << Do they have to register as a business with the state or get a water commercial permit? 0000002770 00000 n <00AE> Can you help me out with this? This eliminates the need for a system to conduct manual drive-bys and allows all meters to be read from the whole system in a matter of minutes from the office. Our engineers say the only way we can meet TCEQ standards for water distribution if we add the meter is with a six-inch line extension. The normal benefit to the applicant and the system is that the applicant/landowner can design their own water system within their property and not have to worry about multiple meters and which service lines goes to which office or trailer space. The valve shall meet AWWA standards (a ball valve is preferred). Setting the meter on the property owned by the applicant is always the best policy. <8F> <8F> <2022> The result is an estimate of total %%EOF For example, in Section E, Members Responsibility: d. Therefore, all water usage registering upon and/or damages occurring to the metering equipment owned and maintained by the Corporation shall be subject to charges as determined by the Corporations Tariff as amended from time to time by the Board of Directors. A: The TRWA Sample Tariff states that a meter is to be set on the property designed to receive service and the owner of the property has to be the member of the corporation. endcmap /CMapType 2 def <99> <99> <2122> 0000000766 00000 n I1Aq sa:VAza:o ~6_9d23\@GfqQ H4o?a Z}*B"E}I"}}-}oKk$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 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. An LUE is assumed to represent 3.5 people living in a residence. <8C> <8C> <0152> Some systems do require individual meters to each different apartment, condo or other type business that is all owned by one individual or company. The inspector may also require the customer to demonstrate or show how water pipes at the secondary home are independent of the piping serving the customers primary residence. The District is subject to the continuing supervision of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (the "TCEQ"). 0000000825 00000 n 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). 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. A new membership fee should be required for each new meter. <00> <00> <0000> 0000000536 00000 n <9E> <9E> <017E> There may be limitations that prevent using the meter when there is an outside water ban or other drought measures are in place. <20> <7E> <0020> Climb the tank and use a steel measuring tape to measure the height of water in the tank to the manway. Each systems board will make the final decision on base rates, as well as usage rates and fees. First, youll want to look at what your tariff and non-standard service agreement state as far as requirements for service and what you have agreed to provide. The ERUs would be equivalent to what would be used by typical single-family residences, if they were using the water. <0D> <0D> <000D> Our employees drive around the community daily and can tell that there are clearly people living at these second residences. <9E> <9E> <017E> 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. <00> A: In the TRWA Sample Tariff, as well as in the USDA-RD Service Application and Agreement Form, it states that a meter shall be installed on a property to serve that single property and water cannot be diverted to another property. -C BiOUuI jL33Vl4N2ZMA z&;~^*9KDzBW~Q(p7rp>dIi=7}%I~y[$+q_3i-#yzqwTxj/,Rz@S| (~x@dn endstream endobj 70 0 obj<> endobj 72 0 obj<> endobj 73 0 obj<>/XObject<>/ProcSet 79 0 R>> endobj 74 0 obj<>stream begincmap Both of these sections clearly state that an owner of the property to be served is the only person qualified to be a WSC member and that the meter has to be installed on the property designated to be served. 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. w;A`@3YceL 0a0DD8T#_ _~qd"D|%U0 a`q]HEWls!G29h4 The most immediate issue to address is the potential health hazard caused by the loss of pressure when the booster pump kicks on. 362 13 I have also seen frustration when the front property owner requests a second meter from the system and the line is at capacity. <91> <92> <2018> (In fact, conservation rates can escalate, in proportion to the total gallons, for customers using the greatest amounts of water on a monthly basis.) We want to be fair, but we also want be responsible. 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. <91> <92> <2018> Written comments about an AO should be sent to the enforcement coordinator designated for each AO at the commission's central office at P.O. After you establish a system's ERU quantity, you can use it to determine the number of ERUs for other types of service connections. )-__@u{{z"|RDQG|G2`4Y M6 oaomo[^W[zWJ+wCV for the single-family residential customer group. A: Master metered accounts are typically used when a landowner wants a single meter to provide water service to multiple buildings, apartments, offices, trailer spaces or other types of business activities. It is unclear whether the units are part of any government-assisted or subsidized housing programs for low-income residents. each new commercial connection and $1,000 for each new residential connection. 365 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<826B791C035DF141B5FC102546D7A1A5>]/Index[339 51]/Info 338 0 R/Length 113/Prev 168287/Root 340 0 R/Size 390/Type/XRef/W[1 2 1]>>stream <9A> <9A> <0161> :RA%_Xo($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 NSF 61 states that all components and materials used to cast or create the water works material/parts not contain any banned substances and that the meter, pipe, and/or parts have been properly constructed with the appropriate base materials. Back in 2004, TRWA staff met with TCEQ to discuss several issues relating to their capacity regulations and interpretations. Use some water out of the storage tank (ground or elevated). Institutional 4. Present Ave. Daily Flow (B 6 + B 7 ) Single family - include all single family homes, mobile homes and seasonal dwellings in this category. 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. Austin, TX 78701 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. 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. 0000005203 00000 n Q: Our 1.5-inch water line is at capacity and someone who is building a home in the area asked to add a meter to our line. Now subtract the first master meter reading from the current meter reading and compare that to the gallons added to the tank. %PDF-1.5 % The main billing consideration is normally that meters for irrigation purposes only are typically not charged a sewer bill and if your system provides sewer service this could reduce the overall revenue if enough of these meters are installed. <>/OutputIntents[358 0 R]/Metadata 360 0 R>> How common are they compared to the traditional positive displacement manual read meters? /CMapName /Times-RomanOPBaseFont0 def <89> <89> <2030> 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. /Registry (Times-RomanOPBaseFont0) 0000003802 00000 n The sample tariff allows the system to estimate a bill and notify the member of the estimate if meter access is hindered or denied. 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. <00> The system is not responsible for securing or requiring an easement for any service line from the meter to the ultimate customers home. #9: "We're already listed as very high risk. A. lF3n~m/O]w@_}!.u5Iul,CeA"Wyac. <95> <95> <2022> ESFCequivalent single-family connection. Until they can do that, they dont get a meter. 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.. %%EOF 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. 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). <9B> <9B> <203A> All public water systems that hold CCNs (or are required to hold CCNs) must plan upgrades to the system when a facility, including distribution lines, reaches 85 percent of total capacity so that the improvement or upgrade is imminent or already in place once the facility item under consideration reaches 100 percent capacity. Some systems opt to offer discounts to customers that have multiple connections or to waive impact or other front-end capital improvement fees. <85> <85> <2026> You should review this situation with your engineers. Q: We have a customer who has his meter inside a fence. Customers that do not report multiple connections, causing utility employees to have to investigate the matter, are usually denied these waivers. This letter should outline the PUC requirements for an accurate metering of water per connection. 36 beginbfrange Q: One of our members has offered to read meters each month for free. Think of it this way: what if that property owner was requesting not one meter, but four new ones? CMapName currentdict /CMap defineresource pop Next, the utility should contact the systems engineer to obtain a study showing how the number and location of the different dwellings are situated on the tract of land. In this case, applicants pay for what is necessary to provide them with their individual service, including his or her part of line upgrades, wells, tanks or treatment capacities before receiving service or entering into a service contract; the system pays for any facility capacity in excess of what the individual needs. <00AE> With this person not being an employee or contractor, exactly what leverage does the system use to require the meter readings to be delivered on time and accurately? 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. <9E> <9E> <017E> <82> <82> <201A> First, the one meter per residence language should be part of your tariff or service policy. 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. We encourage you to consider options for providing service and, most immediately, to ensure compliance with the 85 percent requirement. <09> <0A> <0009> endstream endobj 4 0 obj<>stream If so, that is another major concern for liability should he interpret this agreement to read the meters as having free reign to the systems facilities. <9D> <9D> <2022> It is never a good idea to set a meter at one residence with a yard or service line running across the property to the next active connection. <9C> <9C> <0153> 0000036396 00000 n 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. xref trailer I am not aware of any legal or state regulations that would prohibit this, but I caution your board to look at every conceivable contingency and try to address them before agreeing to this free meter reading offer. U0!_bU2S'vB9{h7UM;y>F]6]>_]I;j]R_}I/l All usage rates per thousand gallons should be the same across all classes of ratepayers, although conservation rates, designed to encourage efficient and non-wasteful water use practices by customers, can assess higher usage rates per thousand gallons for customers using more than a specified amount each month. described above, SWWC currently supplies water to at least 5,465 active LUEs (i.e., single-2 Living Unit Equivalents (LUEs). Q: Our system has been asked to serve two quadplexes that were until recently supplied by wells that no longer produce water. 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. /Supplement 0 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. 374 0 obj Q: Some of our customers have built duplexes in our system. Wouldnt it make sense for the owner to have to pay the cost of extending the line(s) out to those structures? Define Equivalent Single-Family Connection. Hopefully the two figures are the same or within a reasonable margin of error. <81> <81> <2022> 0 {e9Q $b@;l0$" What can we do if the owner of the membership denies that someone is living at the second residence? endobj 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 Know how, know you | We are IQ-EQ, a leading investor services group employing 4300+ people across 24 jurisdictions worldwide. Texas Water Code Sec. X1'H`7g3a*|f{h00eiF` BVb`+c0 z^ <09> <0A> <0009> 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. IQ-EQ | 110,749 followers on LinkedIn. 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. /CMapName /CourierOPBaseFont1 def trailer <9C> <9C> <0153> TRWA does not recommend any product, supplier or person and leaves that decision up to each system. There is nothing in TCEQs Chapter 290 regulations which addresses the above scenario dealing with pre-existing taps that have been removed. 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. First, the customer must supply the system a final plat showing the intended use and ultimate development of the property to be served.