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. <20> <7E> <0020> /Linearized 1.0/O 364/H [ 766 341 ]/L 852074/E 53543/N 18/T 844716>> begincmap In addition to the cost of the meter installation as well as any upfront impact or buy in fees. Re: US travelers connecting in AMS what are the rules now? For water requirements, this includes consumptive uses, such as lawn <82> <82> <201A> If not then the meter accuracy is over or under by that difference since the tank is a definite volume (provided the above calculation and tank dimensions were accurate). 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. \"L&h6AKm5 ZydZ P*dGLr)9 3 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. %PDF-1.7 both the commission's central office, located at 12100 Park 35 Circle, Building C, 1st Floor, Austin, Texas 78753, (512) 239-2545 and at the applicable regional office listed as follows. <88> <88> <02C6> 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. /CMapName /Times-RomanOPBaseFont0 def A: Your question is very common for all rural and some urban systems. $`pi%X. The Members use of the Corporations curb stop or other similar valve for such purposes is prohibited. Would this person also have access to the system office or have keys to the water plants? %%EOF Q: I am going to change out our master meter at the well and replace it with a new one. Irrigation with separate irrigation meter is a separate Type of Use. /Ordering (UCS) <00A0> each new commercial connection and $1,000 for each new residential connection. )-__@u{{z"|RDQG|G2`4Y M6 oaomo[^W[zWJ+wCV The capacity requirement is driven, in part, by the maximum potential amount of water that could be pushed through that meter on a peak day. The NSF 60 standard is for chemicals used in a water system. end CMapName currentdict /CMap defineresource pop Q: One of our members sold their property and land but did not transfer the membership. n``N}@:\_EF-_*p"X;9$W'}',vl#A7.9J uph%(+u n'8i b9XAH03047:|clf`. 6^u9Z{s DraDsio1,m?Ph/&KZlho_ryP You should review this situation with your engineers. hbbd``b`+A| "[@@ebX H0X "$k $BG HI (,HW *##6F0 w TRWA recommends that systems stop floating memberships and meters from one property to another because of the confusion it creates. Q: We have several members who have second living residences at their home, but only one meter. Afo/.# G(omQb#\9 /Supplement 0 s)Q0tWN Either way, the system has to maintain these higher capacities of well production, storage tanks, pumps, lines and so on, or be fined for non-compliance for violations of 30 TAC Section 290.45 of the TCEQs rules. How do we determine base rates for 2- or 3-inch meters? =4$y]/%(%DL Google Map, Tel: 512.472.8591 In order to correct the issue, the system must first have supporting language in its tariff. HT 4Ct?3,RPapG}=>V"vIzJ*m'_ * 04dOvZ% y;a p^u N&?FqCe6MoA #9: "We're already listed as very high risk. Systems are not required to do expensive title searches, but they should require applicants for service to provide a legal deed or ownership proof showing that the person applying for water or sewer service owns that tract of land. 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. end Private or domestic wells can be used for a variety purposes, such as irrigation, drinking water and industrial uses. "!#w~[^Mt__^7ea?VU> {9Vh*A!_Q~" [w|V}.f%z[o~di_Yzbb{[Xu]\*lq& What a system considers to be reasonable access may vary. <8F> <8F> <2022> 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. The member knows that resale of the water for a profit is not allowed. endobj Some systems try to solve this issue by installing remote read meters (AMR) that allow the employee to drive by all the meter locations and the meters transmit the readings to a base unit in the vehicle. For Tract 2, the engineer assumed 24 equivalent single family connections, and a meter connection count will be four. Your WSC cannot demand that a person pay the entire cost to extend a 6 inch line unless the engineer determines that is the size line it takes to serve that particular applicant. Q: What can you tell me about the new "electronic read" meters on the market today? << 0000001032 00000 n 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. These cost-of-service issues have subsequently been transferred to the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT), which has been very pro-consumer when addressing complaints. The most immediate issue to address is the potential health hazard caused by the loss of pressure when the booster pump kicks on. There are many points that need to be addressed before agreeing to this offer. 0000002770 00000 n All the meters or at least the material data sheets should state that the materials used to manufacture the meters meet NSF 61. /CIDInit /ProcSet findresource begin In the case of choosing a meter read system, we suggest that the meter supplier provide you with a list of systems that uses their meters so your system can check out the pros and cons with other systems that are using the meters. How do you protect the integrity of the system when you do not know the background or intent of the person performing the volunteer work? 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. 0000001086 00000 n <93> <94> <201C> /CMapType 2 def A4INih9'uC0\!a;OKx[TJ2 7Kie 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. CONTACT 1002 Washington Ave., 3rd floor Houston, TX 77002 832.394.8888 wcrtechs@houstontx.gov 8 am to 3 pm Wastewater Capacity Reservation Letter - Wastewater You, the property owner or authorized agent, must apply for a Wastewater Capacity Reservation letter if you are: Wastewater Capacity Reservation Letter - Water 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. CMapName currentdict /CMap defineresource pop <8A> <8A> <0160> This certificate should meet the TCEQ master meter test requirements for initial installation of the meter. <85> <85> <2026> 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. To Top. 12 dict begin 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. A. A: It is required that water systems verify that all materials and chemicals used in a public water system meet the TCEQ rules. <0D> <0D> <000D> <7F> <7F> <2022> 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. Does the owner have the choice of either getting a meter for each unit or getting one master meter? 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. /Registry (Times-RomanOPBaseFont0) 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. endcodespacerange Some systems do require individual meters to each different apartment, condo or other type business that is all owned by one individual or company. 0000003802 00000 n 5' 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. <8C> <8C> <0152> H_w"'i.wF%P)O This can lead to lawsuits and fights between neighbors and family members, and often the utility ends up bearing the brunt of these clashes. 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. TCEQ assesses the adequacy of a systems capacity on the number of connections on that system and takes into account the number and sizes of larger meters on that system. pSaU0t}% tAkmBxJ _`TzJjzm*cUxh$IRJ\&O N'>Mg2:I&L=w.- ?A~}TmCi6?IV PnzN' k~"KcJMi?kvEw-a]z}k#AUGH}+ImKefXv~i^v0~Lz_ANxO}toc3X] u:^on}{_ZT_[=u?Z-?ZI{_oVVt}U&/z^mZowam}Mc*)Xk}v>51KuR[M45qQQE{N?ToTvM;,t_KvN=< SM4'e`]'vx\R"""""#[l&`Me!0|Ez/hDDDDDDipPL,qD_{nb~@ 7dnUEh(}|Df1emQ|DGX%A7q3+;* 2r'dDg&J":' tQT[NO1;Z" 0a;AS#ii A reason for rate training is so the board can justify the base and gallonage charges to all ratepayer classifications and also to TCEQ in case the rate is appealed. Therefore, existing customers have been paying for extra capacity for many years and these new customers are being asked to provide a portion of the cost associated with the capacity they will be using. The customer must, at his or her expense, properly install, inspect, test, maintain and provide all required documentation of any approved backflow prevention device required by the corporation (30 TAC 290.46(j); Section I Service Application and Agreement). Industrial 3. :RA%_Xo($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 /CMapType 2 def The best way to verify whether a customer has a prohibited second connection is by performing a new customer service inspection (CSI). When setting these new meters, it is important to remember that if the property is subdivided in the future, each meter should be on the property with the residence or structure to be served. <82> <82> <201A> 1 begincodespacerange 362 0 obj Any damage to the Corporations equipment shall be subject to service charges. The capacity is being used either way, and these new meters and customers are utilizing their share of the systems resources. 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. <00AE> <8E> <8E> <017D> After you establish a system's ERU quantity, you can use it to determine the number of ERUs for other types of service connections. These existing capacity components were and are being paid for through monthly water rates. This standard specifies that all chemicals used properly will not cause any health effects for the consumers. 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 339 0 obj <> endobj <9F> <9F> <0178> 389 0 obj <>stream This allows the water to straighten out and have less turbulence, thereby allowing the meter to register as accurately as possible. /CIDSystemInfo %PDF-1.5 % Published in January/February 2020 (Issue 1 of Quench). 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. How common are they compared to the traditional positive displacement manual read meters? This is referred to in Section C under the definition of member and proof of ownership, and again in Section E under Rules and Regulations. Texas Water Code Sec. endcodespacerange 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. ESFCequivalent single-family connection. <85> <85> <2026> <90> <90> <2022> endcodespacerange Our system is more than 40 years old and there are about 20 properties that have more than one residence on a single meter. 1. Customers that do not report multiple connections, causing utility employees to have to investigate the matter, are usually denied these waivers. An eight-inch (8") water main will generally be required to distribute water and provide fire protection within the multi-family district provided that the water main does not exceed 600 feet in length or serve more than two You could also require the applicant to provide this information as part of the application process. <8B> <8B> <2039> Others were due to leaks grounding out meters. What options do we have to address this issue? 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. Q: We have a convenience store and a chain restaurant using the same meter. 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. 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. 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. 12 dict begin end Q: One of our members has offered to read meters each month for free. Some systems opt to offer discounts to customers that have multiple connections or to waive impact or other front-end capital improvement fees. <>/OutputIntents[358 0 R]/Metadata 360 0 R>> 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. a@0VZ F8A8!@!af^""""#o^?l2AD 4i5M=n^/#{B^m^m}5ok8M4M0P aj""# <96> <97> <2013> <95> <95> <2022> lF3n~m/O]w@_}!.u5Iul,CeA"Wyac. Payment of these fees are reimbursable if and when the District sells Bonds for that purpose and the TCEQ . <88> <88> <02C6> The two businesses had been in a partnership in the past under one roof. 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. fA=~0xO}wASICHzKnp[o 36 beginbfrange <8D> <8D> <2022> Master metering is only applicable when it is a single piece of property, not two different tracts. 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. Getting customers to understand is sometimes challenging. Commercial 5. <96> <97> <2013> << If the main water line(s) are near the public roads, then the system may offer to move the meter down to the road. A: New meters are supposed to be calibrated and ready to use when shipped to systems. startxref 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. Institutional 4. trailer 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. <09> <0A> <0009> (2) Active connection, as used in this section, means a lot or . Well meters required by 290.41(c)(3)(N) of this title (relating to Water Sources) shall be calibrated at least once every three years.. 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. 1 begincodespacerange The larger the meter, the greater the amount of system capacity that must be kept in place for that meter. or ESFC- shall mean the amount of capacity allocated to a commercial customer expressed in terms of the amount of capacity used by a single-family residence, as determined by the volume and type of wastewater discharge. <9A> <9A> <0161> <002D> 0000005203 00000 n There may be limitations that prevent using the meter when there is an outside water ban or other drought measures are in place. One of these meters is on a 1"water main line and the other meter on a 1 1/2 water main 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. 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. 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. <81> <81> <2022> This has been a troublesome situation for many systems in the past and is a re-occurring problem for systems today. Our service agreement states that we only allow one dwelling per connection. It is best to work with your customers so that a reasonable solution can be found. LIVING UNIT EQUIVALENT (LUE) GUIDANCE DOCUMENT Definition: A living unit equivalent (LUE) is defined as the typical flow that would be produced by a single family residence located in a typical subdivision. 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. Again, this is an insurance issue to address with your insurance carrier. 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. 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: I am aware of the rule that requires meters to be located on the property being served. endstream endobj 340 0 obj <. TCEQs Chapter 290 requires a meter to accurately determine the usage of each customer unless a master metering arrangement has been made. <91> <92> <2018> A: TCEQ rule 290.44(a)(4) explains the purpose of the rule stating: 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. This ensures that the water system can document that customers are being billed properly. xref There is an automatic gate that only works by remote and we do not have access to it. This is the back property customers responsibility. <89> <89> <2030> <00> <00> <0000> 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. 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. 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/. 0000001107 00000 n We don't know what size the line is behind the meters or how they have them hooked up. Does the one meter per residence apply in this situation? 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. Published in July/August 2020 (Issue 4 of Quench). By having only one meter to maintain near the road system, the owner would not be responsible for installing and thereafter maintaining individual lines and meters to each of the dwellings, or for disconnecting and reconnecting each individual units separate water meter. Accordingly, at Section 24.169(a)(2) of the PUCs rules, the Commission unequivocally states that unless otherwise ordered by the commission, each utility shall provide, install, own and maintain all meters necessary for the measurement of water provided to its customers.. 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. 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. <8B> <8B> <2039> <84> <84> <201E> 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. One note here about equipment costs to replace the assets being removed TCEQ explained this to include the price of a meter, tapping saddle, curb stops, meter box, service tubing and any parts which were purchased by the original applicant when the service was first installed. <00AE> 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 There is also a concern about whether your easement allows system personnel to traverse 500 feet of the owners property. /Ordering (UCS) %%EOF <91> <92> <2018> A 6 inch line, according to the TCEQ Chapter 290 Rules, can serve up to 250 connections. 1 year ago. The problem comes when that good person moves out and someone else purchases the front property and doesnt care for or even know the folks behind their property, and wants the customers service line and meter removed from their property. This can be as little as one foot or several feet of water added to the tank. endbfrange (16) Connection--A single family residential unit or each commercial or industrial establishment to which drinking water is supplied from the system. <00> <00> <0000> If the customer still feels that the meter belongs to her then it may be helpful to give her the phone number to the PUC so she can discuss her concerns. <00> <00> <0000> <83> <83> <0192> -tjOXWIR-9L#|qAH)=ya[AXO>_u 9U]](M:?`^V a/X`jsV60;aC}18Y_{/c%nmVlf.0FVL By doing this, when they get a few more meters, they can begin replacing the meter tops with these newer AMI tops. 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. u6hhOk\GhExG-GMYsjYQC\+8*w}ap|B"[C>B\`y[%s*H X[S.3Sj_S\Z'e5TsAd D>~/mOJ>hnm={^hcb(T-C2bm4M"#Zg7;qqFY(kG1jCA XZ0SRpnNN7aQR7.LX*VAT\pPx(aPs 0000000825 00000 n You should always keep the safety of your employees in mind and act within the law. 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. <9E> <9E> <017E> In the event that the placement ends up being wrong, the PUC would likely side with the owner in a dispute about relocation costs because they would see it as the utility shirking its responsibility to exercise due diligence when it set the meter in the wrong location in the first place. endstream endobj 70 0 obj<> endobj 72 0 obj<> endobj 73 0 obj<>/XObject<>/ProcSet 79 0 R>> endobj 74 0 obj<>stream Unless a local governmental authority requires otherwise, or unless otherwise established, an ESFC is defined as 360 gallons per day for average water usage and 300 gpd for average wastewater return flow. w;A`@3YceL 0a0DD8T#_ _~qd"D|%U0 a`q]HEWls!G29h4 <86> <87> <2020> The system is not responsible for securing or requiring an easement for any service line from the meter to the ultimate customers home. In fact, there are laws about meter tampering, damage and diversion if a person is caught or found guilty of messing with a utilitys meters. First, the one meter per residence language should be part of your tariff or service policy. The elimination of external parts should reduce the need for re-reads due to malfunctions. A: You have a couple different issues to address. Then when these other services are discontinued those meters are removed by the utility that owns the meters, not the customer. Box 13087, Save. <9A> <9A> <0161> 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.
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