Oceanside Municipal Code Div. 2 Meters

Meter sizes shall be based on the latest adopted California Plumbing Code fixture count tables and the maximum operating capacity per American Water Works Association standards C700 and C702 for cold-water meters.

For irrigation. Irrigation meters shall be installed in size according to the highest peak hour irrigation demand at a given time to meet the allowable irrigation period. The selected meter size shall have a maximum operating capacity that is equal to or less than the peak hour irrigation demand. The maximum operating capacities by water meter size are based on the American Water Works Association standards C700 and C702 for cold-water meters. Wastewater fees will not be applied to irrigation water meters.

(Ord. Code, §§ 3641 to 3641.4; Ord. No. 95-017, § 10, 10-18-95; Ord. No. 18-OR0023-1, § 2, 1-10-2018; Ord. No. OR0475-1, § 2, 6-16-2021)

Effective sixty (60) days after adoption of this ordinance, all new connections to the city's water system shall be assessed a water system buy-in fee based on meter size as follows:

These fees shall be indexed to the Engineering News Construction Cost Index, and increased each July 1, commencing July 1, 2026, by the percentage change in the index from the prior year.

(Ord. No. 79-17, § 1, 5-30-79; Ord. No. 99-21, § 8, 10-20-99; Ord. No. 02-OR332-1, § 3, 5-8-02; Ord. No. 05-OR0611-1, § 3, 10-5-05; Ord. No. 07-OR0633-1, § 4, 10-3-07; Ord. No. 09-OR0093-1, § 3, 2-11-09; Ord. No. 15-OR0480-1, § 1, 6-5-2015; Ord. No. 25-OR0381-1, § 1, 6-18-2025)

Editor's note— Ord. No. 02-OR332-1, § 4, adopted May 8, 2002, repealed § 37.56.2 in its entirety. Formerly, said section pertained to water system buy-in fees for approved or pending projects as adopted by Ord. No. 99-21, § 9, adopted Nov. 20, 1999. See the Code Comparative Table.

Each new connection to the city's water system shall be assessed a fee based on meter size to pay the costs for a new meter and installation equipment provided by the city. Such fee shall be established hereafter by resolution of the Oceanside City Council.

(Ord. No. 09-OR0093-1, § 4, 2-11-09)

(a) Capacity fees for increasing meter size. A water user or customer who desires to increase the size of a water meter serving his or her property must submit the property's water demands in accordance with water utilities requirements to determine whether a larger size meter is appropriate. The capacity fee shall be the difference between the fee for the new meter and the fee for the existing meter, based on the latest adopted water and wastewater capacity fee schedule, whether or not any capacity fee was in effect for the existing meter when it was obtained.

(b) Capacity fees for exchange for multiple meters. If a single meter is exchanged for more than one (1) smaller meter to serve property that has been subdivided or otherwise developed, the water and wastewater capacity fees shall be determined based on the difference between the cumulative capacity fees for all the smaller meters and the fee for the exchanged single meter, according to the latest adopted capacity fee schedule, regardless of the capacity fee, if any, in effect when the exchanged meter was first obtained. No credit or refund will be made if the cumulative capacity fees for the small meter is less than the capacity fees for the exchanged meter. The required meter sizes shall be determined in accordance with water utilities requirements.

(c) Capacity fee for reducing meter size. No capacity fee, except for the cost of the new water meter and installation, shall be imposed upon, and no credit or refund shall be made to, a water user or customer replacing an existing water meter for a water meter of smaller size, whether or not any capacity charge was in effect for the larger meter when it was obtained. The property owner will be responsible for all water and wastewater capacity fees associated with any future water meter upsizes.

(Ord. Code, § 3642.1; Ord. No. 69-46, § 2, 10-8-69; Ord. No. 74-63, § 5, 12-18-74; Ord. No. 95-017, § 10, 10-18-95; Ord. No. 99-21, § 11, 10-20-99; Ord. No. 21-OR0475-1, § 27, 6-16-2021)

When a water meter for a single-family residential property is required to provide standby capacity for a fire sprinkler system, the capacity charge shall be determined according to the size of the meter necessary to meet the water use requirements for the property, as determined by meter sizing with the latest adopted California Plumbing Code and the Water Utilities Department flow capacity for each meter, without consideration of additional size necessary to provide stand-by capacity. The determination shall be made at the time the meter is first installed, or at the time a meter is replaced with one (1) of greater size because of the later installation of a fire protection system. This provision shall not apply to meters greater than one (1) inch in size.

(Ord. No. 14-OR0466-1, § 1, 8-6-2014; Ord. No. 21-OR0475-1, § 28, 6-16-2021)

All water connections installed between the meter and the property line shall be either pure copper tubing, or red brass pipe as described in the latest Water, Sewer and Recycled Water Design and Construction Manual; and all such connections must be inspected and approved by the water utilities department before service is permitted through meters.

(Ord. Code, § 3643; Ord. No. 95-17, § 10, 10-18-95; Ord. No. 95-017, § 11, 10-18-95; Ord. No. 21-OR0475-1, § 29, 6-16-2021)

All meters installed by the water department shall remain at all times the property of the city.

(Ord. Code, § 3644; Ord. No. 21-OR0475-1, § 30, 6-16-2021)

All meters shall have been tested by the manufacturer barring results within an acceptable AWWA range of accuracy per meter size. The water department reserves the right to test a representative sample of new meters at its discretion to confirm AWWA accuracy compliance prior to installation.

(Ord. Code, § 3644.1; Ord. No. 21-OR0475-1, § 31, 6-16-2021)

Where replacements, repairs or adjustments of any meter are deemed necessary by the act, negligence or carelessness of the consumer any expense caused the water department thereby, shall be charged against and collected from the consumer. If the consumer or owner fails to pay such charges, water may be shut off until such charges are paid.

(Ord. Code, §§ 3645, 3645.1)

Any consumer may request that the meter, through which water is being delivered, be examined and tested by the water department, for the purpose of ascertaining whether or not it is registering correctly the amount of water which is being delivered through it. Such request shall be made in writing to the water department, and shall be accompanied by a deposit as established by resolution of the Oceanside City Council. Upon receipt of such request, it shall be the duty of the director of the water department to cause the meter to be examined and tested for the purpose of ascertaining whether or not it is registering correctly the water being delivered through it.

(Ord. Code, §§ 3646 to 3646.2; Ord. No. 95-017, § 10, 10-18-95; Ord. No. 21-OR0475-1, § 32, 6-16-2021)

If, on examination and test, the meter is be found to register over three (3) percent more water than actually passes through it, another meter shall be substituted therefor, and the fee charged shall be refunded to the person making the application, and the water bill for the current period adjusted in such manner as the director of the water department may deem fair and just. If the meter shall be found to be accurate, the deposit shall be forfeited to the water department and applied toward the cost of the meter examination.

(Ord. Code, §§ 3646.3, 3646.4; Ord. No. 95-017, § 10, 10-18-95; Ord. No. 21-OR0475-1, § 33, 6-16-2021)

Whenever a meter gets out of order and fails to register correctly, the consumer shall be charged with an average monthly consumption over a six-month period, as shown by the meter when in good working order and registering correctly.

(Ord. Code, § 3647)