View the PDF version Google Docs PDF Viewer
CITY OF MUSKEGON WATER/SEWER
POLICIES
Purpose
Regulations for providing water and sewer services.
Testing of water meters
1. Test Fee
If any property owner or consumer shall desire to
have the water meter at his or her premises
tested, a fee must be deposited in the amount of
thirty-five dollars. The City Commission may
determine by subsequent resolution another such
amount, and the City shall thereupon cause the
meter to be tested.
2. Inaccurate meter
If such meter shall be found to be inaccurate,
the system shall refund the above deposit, or
credit it toward an under-charge adjustment, if
all one exists as determined by these
regulations. If the meter so tested shall be
found to be accurate, such fee shall be retained
by the City to cover the expense of making the
test.
3. Accuracy
A water meter shall be deemed accurate if, when
subjected by the City standard test, its register
indicates a percentage of error not exceeding one
percent more or less than the actual quantity of
Water passing through it. If its register
indicates an error in excess of one percent more
than the actual quantity or water passing through
it, it shall be considered fast to that extent.
If its register indicates less than ninety-five
percent of actual water passing through it, it
shall be deemed slow to the extent it is fewer
than one hundred percent correct.
American Waterworks Association Manual
The accuracy of a water meter shall be determined
using the standards set forth in the American
Waterworks Association Manual titled C-700-cold
water meter standards, Commission to constitute
industry standards for water meters.
Voluntarily and not requested by property owner
Whenever the City makes a test of a water meter
voluntarily and not pursuant to a request of a
property owner or consumer, it shall be done
without cost to the property owner or consumer,
other than the payment by him or her of the
amount due the City for water used, as provided
in these administrative regulations, if the meter
is found to be slow.
c¢. Meter Equipment Malfunction adjustment.
1. Billing Adjustments
This regulation is to allow for adjustment of
past billings either over or under billed due to
meter failure and to alleviate the effect of
catch up billings due to remote register
malfunctions. These regulations are intended to
ensure consistent and fair treatment of
customers. It is recognized, however, that not
all circumstances can be covered by these
regulations and that the City at times may be
required to make adjustments outside the scope
hereof. Such adjustments may only be authorized
by the City manager.
Type of Adiustments
a) Meter malfunction where through testing a
meter is proved to be over or under
registering and a customer has been either
over or under billed for usage.
b) Remote malfunction where the remote read
device has failed to register all the usage
registered by the water meter.
3. Main meter malfunction
a) If a meter tests fast (in excess of 101%
accuracy) the City shall credit the customer
with a
sum derived by multiplyi
ng the amount
of all water
and sewer charges incurred
over
the period in question prec
eding the test by
the percentage exceeding 100%
(maximum six
years).
b) If a meter tests slow (below 95% accuracy),
the City shall back bill the cust
omer with a
sum derived by multiplying the amount of all
water and sewer charges incurred over the
period in question preceding the test by the
percentage below 100% (Maximum six years.
(1) EXAMPLE: six year usage = 600 meter
tests at 80% accuracy adjustment is
equal to
(2) EXAMPLE: 600 X 20% = adjusted usage x
applicable rates in force during time
in question.
Remote read device malfunction
If a remote read device malfunctions, the City
will that service address for water and sewer use
as metered by the water meter.
a) If ownership has changed during the affected
period, charges will be adjusted for the
number of billing quarters the current
customer has resided at the service address.
The adjustment will be based on a comparison
of previously billed usage for the term of
residency versus the “normal” usage 9as
measured by periodic reads over a period of
1-2 quarters following discovery of the
malfunction).
Tf ownership has not changed during affected
period, charges for water service not will
be adjusted. However, sewer charges will be
relieved for any periods prior to 1993.
This adjustment will be calculated by adding
up total usage over the period of occupancy
up to six years. Then a total of winter
usage over the same period will be
determined. The difference between these
two figures is the amount that will be
subject to adjustment and will the billed
for sewer as if these were winter quarters.
¢c) No adjustment will be allowed where there is
evidence that the remote read device was
tampered with.
d) Whenever meters fail to register consumption
of water used, through defects in such
meters, the City may charge the consumer
such sum as shall be estimated by the City,
based on the consumption of water during the
previous year’s billing quarters.
D. Charges for late payments
1. 30 days
Bills not paid within 30 days after the due date
thereof shall be subject to a service charge
equal to ten percent of the billing. In the
event a delinquent bill must be spread on the
taxes, for the purpose of covering associated
administrative costs, an additional service
charge equal to twenty percent of the original
delinquent billing amount shall be charged.
E. Adjustment of bills for major leaks
1. Residential leak adjustment
These regulations are to promote-water
conservation by encouraging customers to promptly
fix leaks and plumbing problems and to establish
guidelines that provide fair and consistent
treatment of customers requesting leak
adjustments.
Types of adjustments
a) Adjustments for leaks where water was
discharged into the sanitary sewer system.
b) Adjustments for leaks where water was not
discharged into the sanitary sewer system.
rules
a) No more than one leak adjustment will be
allowed in any two-year period.
b) No more than two consecutive billing
quarters will be adjusted.
c) The request must be made within 30 days of
the due date for the quarter initially
involved and must be accompanied by the
following:
(1) A written statement from the customer
describing the nature of the problem,
the date repair were completed, and
copies of paid receipts for services
and/or supplies (where applicable)
.
(2) Current readings (at time of request)
from both the meter and remote device
to be furnished by customer.
d) Leak adjustment will be based on metered
usage experience after repairs are made and
will be made only if usage is demonstrably
reduced (after adjusting for any extenuating
circumstances)
.
e) If lost water entered the sanitary sewer
system, leak adjustments to the customer's
water and sewer bill will equal 25% of the
estimated loss for no more than two billing
quarters.
£) If lost water did not enter the sanitary
sewer system water charges will be adjusted
25% of the estimated loss for no more than
two billing quarters and sewer charges will
be adjusted to normal usage based on prior
year’s usage patterns.
g) If a leak is suspected but cannot be
detected by the occupant or owner,
additional assistance may be requested form
the Water Maintenance Department at no
charge to the customer.
F. Shutoff practice and other charges
1. Amount delinquent to determine shutoff.
While the City is authorized to shut off water
service for any delinquent bill, the City will
normally shut off water or sewers service if the
charges to the premises or the meter in question
are delinquent in the amount of fifty dollars.
This amount and practice shall vary, and the
threshold amount for shutoff may be changed by
decision of the City Manager, from time to time,
to an amount less or more than fifty dollars.
The City Manager based on the administrative and
enforcement availability and capability of City
personnel shall make this decision, and the cost
incurred by the city by using this method of
enforcement.
Other charges
a) Customer requested water service shutoffs
performed by city crews, except where
service can only be shut off at the curb box
and there is no inside shutoff valve the
charge will be twenty-five dollars.
b) Customer requested final meter reads
performed by City crews, except where there
is no readily accessible inside meters the
charge shall be twenty-five dollars.
c) Credit applicable where both parties to a
property transaction perform their own final
meter reading acceptable to the City the
charge shall be ten dollars.
d) Where owner files necessary documentation to
avoid the water lien, deposit to be refunded
when services are discontinued and after all
bills are paid, otherwise to be charged off
against the bill. Water and sewer service
shall be one hundred dollars.
e) Where water service has been terminated at a
property for nonpayment of a bill, deposit
shall be two hundred dollars for Water and
sewer service bills.
G. Tenant payment affidavits
1. Affidavits
Affidavits filed with the City Pursuant to MCL
123.165 shall include the date filed, the
expiration date of the lease, and have attached
to them a fully executed, true and exact copy of
the lease, containing the required statutory
language requiring the tenant to pay the water
and sewer charges. The affidavit shall quote and
refer to the language in the lease, and contain a
certification by the owner that the lease is in
full force and effect on the date that
notification of any change, cancellation,
termination or alteration of the lease shall be
immediately communicated to the City as required
by statute.
id to the City, at the time of
avit, the deposit required by
schedule currently in effect on
f:davit is filed.
Sign up for City of Muskegon Emails