Title
Committee action on meter installation option for flat rate customers.
Staff Summary
• Customers on the County’s sewer and water systems are billed either on a per usage basis or a flat rate basis.
• A customer that has a water meter (approximately 20, 000 customers) is charged on a per use basis with usage recorded by the meter.
• Those customers that do not have a water meter because they are on a private water system (approximately 5,000 customers) are charged a flat rate, with an average water use of 8,000 gallons per month as the basis of charge.
• Mr. Denis Darida, a sewer, a sewer customer in Highland Lake, has requested that a more equitable method of billing be allowed for flat rate sewer customers because those customers that are low water users could benefit from a reduced flat rate.
• Public Works recommends allowing rate sewer customers to install a water meter on their private water systems, where applicable, to obtain actual usage and allow for more accurate sewer usage billing.
• Public Works further recommends that no connection or inspection fee be charged for any flat rate sewer customers seeking to install water meters so long as they obtain the necessary Public Works permit, pay the meter cost, and provide plumbing modifications for installation of a meter.
• Committee discussion and direction on this item is requested.