Ventura Municipal Code Ch. 22.130 Water Meters

A. Installation. A separate meter shall be placed upon each separate service connection and the rate to be paid shall be computed separately upon each meter. The department may, in lieu of a single meter and where special operating or service conditions require, install such number of meters on a service connection as shall be necessary to equal the capacity of such a single meter. For billing purposes, the consumption as registered by a battery of meters installed pursuant to this section shall be combined and charged for at such rate as though the water were supplied through a single meter.

B. Bypassing. Where metered services are installed, the water shall pass through the meter, regardless of whether the meter is a primary meter or a submeter, and no bypass or connection between the main and the property shall be made, maintained or permitted except as provided in subsection C of this section.

C. Bypass Meters. There shall be installed on all fire line connections a check valve of a type approved by the department and equipped with a bypass meter. Such installations shall be made at the expense of the owner of the property. (Code 1971, § 4531; Ord. No. 2004-008, § 1, 4-19-04; Ord. No. 2012-014, § 9, 6-4-12)

A. All multi-unit buildings constructed after July 1, 2004, that receive potable water from the city water system, shall be equipped with submeters that separately measure the quantity of hot and cold water consumed by, or for the benefit of, the occupants of each individual unit. All such submeters, together with any piping associated therewith shall be constructed and installed at the building owner’s expense prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy, and thereafter owned and maintained, all at the building owner’s sole cost and expense.

B. When a multi-unit building is equipped with a submeter in the manner required by this section, the owner shall monitor the submeter in the manner and at such times and frequency as the owner deems appropriate, and city shall have no duty or responsibility to monitor the submeter at any time. Moreover, when a multi-unit building is equipped with a submeter, the city water charges for water provided to the building will nevertheless remain the building owner’s responsibility and will be based on the water provided to all units in the building, as measured by the city-owned and city-maintained meter or meters on the water service connecting the building to the city water system, and not on the quantity of water supplied to each unit in the building as measured by the submeters for a building unit. The owner of a multi-unit building equipped with submeters shall be entitled to pass on a pro rata portion of the owner’s cost of the city water service to each occupant of a building unit receiving or otherwise benefiting from the water service.

C. All submeters required by this section, together with all piping associated therewith, shall be considered “plumbing fixtures” for purposes of the building and plumbing standards adopted by Title 12 or any other applicable building or plumbing standards applicable thereto. (Ord. No. 2004-008, § 1, 4-19-04; Ord. No. 2012-014, § 10, 6-4-12)

All meters other than a submeter required by Section 22.130.015 shall be read at intervals of approximately one month, or as near thereto as convenient operation will permit, and the interval between two successive meter readings shall be deemed to be one month for the purpose of Chapter 22.160. Where it is to the benefit of the city or consumer bimonthly readings may be substituted for monthly readings. Bills shall be computed by applying the rates specified in Appendix A to water consumed during the one-month period. (Ord. No. 2021-009, § 3, 5-24-21)

Editor’s note(s): Section 3 of Ord. No. 2021-009 , adopted May 24, 2021, amended Section 22.130.020 in its entirety to read as herein set out. Former Section 22.130.020 pertained to bimonthly readings and derived from the 1971 Code; Ord. No. 2004-008, adopted April 19, 2004; and Ord. No. 2012-014, adopted June 4, 2012.

When a meter or service, other than a submeter installed in a multi-unit building, has been installed as provided for in this chapter, and it is found necessary or advisable, and requested by the consumer, to move same on account of the construction of a driveway, sidewalk, or for any other reason, the work shall be done by the department and a charge made against the property served through said meter or service. The consumer shall pay the cost specified in Appendix A of said work with the department prior to moving said meter. Where a submeter is moved to a new location in the building, the relocation of the meter must be authorized by a permit issued pursuant to this code or any other building or plumbing regulation applicable thereto. (Code 1971, § 4533; Ord. No. 2004-008, § 1, 4-19-04; Ord. No. 2012-014, § 12, 6-4-12)

Whenever a consumer, other than a submetered unit consumer, vacates any premises, the consumer shall give notice thereof to the customer care section of the department. Upon the receipt of such notice, the department shall shut off the water from the premises the next business day and present to the consumer all unpaid bills for water furnished by the city to the consumer up to that time, and said consumer shall thereupon pay said bills. (Code 1971, § 4534; Ord. No. 2004-008, § 1, 4-19-04; Ord. No. 2012-014, § 13, 6-4-12)

A service charge as specified in Appendix A shall be charged to conduct and/or monitor fire flow tests for the purpose of complying with the California Fire Code as adopted by the city. (Code 1971, § 4535; Ord. No. 2004-008, § 1, 4-19-04; Ord. No. 2012-014, § 14, 6-4-12)

It shall be the duty of each consumer to keep the space about the meter or shutoff box serving the consumer’s property free and clean of trash, garbage, barrels or boxes, dirt, oil, building material or other obstructions which may in any way interfere with the free access to same by the employees of the department at any time. Upon failure to do so, the superintendent may give notice in writing or in person to the owner or occupant of the property to remove such obstruction within 24 hours, and on failure to do so the said obstruction may be removed by the department and the cost thereof, plus 20 percent overhead, charged against the consumer. Said cost shall be due and payable at the same time and in the same manner as other charges provided in Chapter 22.160. (Code 1971, § 4536; Ord. No. 2004-008, § 1, 4-19-04)

All service connections and meters other than a submeter installed in a multi-unit building shall remain at all times the property of the city and shall be maintained, repaired and renewed by the department when rendered unserviceable through reasonable use. Where replacements, repairs or adjustments are necessary by the act of negligence or carelessness of the consumer, or any member of the consumer’s household or person in their employ, any expense caused to the city thereby shall be charged and collected from the consumer. (Code 1971, § 4537; Ord. No. 2004-008, § 1, 4-19-04)

A meter installation undertaken by the city shall consist of a meter, meter box and other appurtenances contained within the meter box. Charges shall be as specified in Appendix A. (Code 1971, § 4538; Ord. No. 2004-008, § 1, 4-19-04; Ord. No. 2012-014, § 15, 6-4-12)