§ 5.2. Universal metering and meter testing/replacement.

Metering is widely recognized as an essential requirement for any water utility's efforts to measure and monitor water demand. All water users in Irving, including public and municipal facilities are metered. Section 41-10 of the City Code stipulates that "it is unlawful for any person to receive and use water from the city water system if that water is not metered by a city-authorized water meter." This requirement for universal metering of water users will be continued. (The only unmetered water is for uses such as fire-fighting, main flushing, and street sweeping, which by nature do not accommodate a permanent meter location. Water use due to flushing and maintenance of the system is estimated with the use of Pitot gauge measurements or other temporary metering units.)

All meters three (3) inches and larger are tested every three (3) years by an independent meter testing firm. The only exception to this approach is regarding high usage accounts, which are tested annually. The city will continue testing large meters and is evaluating the possibility of testing some large meters in a city testing facility.

The city typically replaces small residential or business meters (five-eighths-inch to two (2) inches) based on abnormally high or low registered water usage, feedback from meter readers, and when the meter register appears broken or scratched. From 2005 to 2009, water utilities department personnel replaced five thousand seven hundred thirty-six (5,736) meters. In addition to in-house replacements, the city maintained a contract with an outside vendor for replacement of meters which resulted in replacement of fifteen thousand one hundred nineteen (15,119) meters between 2005 and 2008. Using these approaches, replacements totaled twenty thousand eight hundred fifty-five (20,855) meters, or approximately 48.5 percent of all meters over the past four (4) years. The city began, in 2005, using the Automated Meter Reading (AMR) program to improve meter reading efficiency and accuracy.

The city maintains a meter repair and testing shop where meters are brought in from the field when a problem is suspected or a customer complaint is made. The meters are tested and may be replaced or repaired depending on the problem.

(Ord. No. 2011-9302, § 1, 12-8-11)