New York Codes, Rules and Regulations
Title 21 - Miscellaneous
Chapter XXX - Niagara Falls Water Board
Part 1950 - Water Regulations
Section 1950.7 - Water meters

(a) Water shall be furnished to all users through metered services only, except as otherwise provided in this Part.

(b) The supply of water through separate service must be recorded by one meter only. If additional meters are desired for recording the subdivision of such supply, they must be furnished and set by the owners or users at their own expense. Furthermore, the water board shall not be required to read such meters nor to subdivide water bills in view of the existence of such subdividing meters.

(c) All water meters installed after August 1, 1988, including remote reading devices, shall be purchased by the water board and shall remain the property of the water board. All costs of inspection, testing and installation, where applicable, shall be borne by the water board and shall be recovered through the establishment of equitable rates and charges for water service.

(d) Water meters shall not be removed from one service to another except by the water board. The water board reserves the right to remove and replace any meter at the director's determination. Meters shall be tested and repaired as necessary by the water board.

(e) Water meters less than two inches in size shall be placed inside the basement wall or indoors whenever possible. When it is necessary to install a water meter in any other location, a water control structure of such size and construction as is approved by the director must be provided and paid for by the owner of the property served thereby.

(f) Water meters less than two inches in size shall be installed by the water board only, and the cost of such installation shall be borne by the water board. A place must be provided by the owner where such meters and remote reading devices will be protected from frost and other damage and in readily accessible locations for reading, examination, repair and removal. A brass "stop and waste" type valve must be provided just ahead of, and on the supply side of the meter.

(g) Unless otherwise permitted by the director, meters of two-inch size or larger must be placed inside a building or in a water control structure of such design and dimensions, and at such a location, as is approved by the director. Meter assemblies must be protected from frost and other damage, and be readily accessible for reading, examination, testing, repair and removal. The property owner is responsible for the construction or modification of all required structures, piping, and appurtenances, including the provision of approved backflow prevention, required by the water board. The water meter shall be provided by the water board and shall remain the property of the water board.

(h) Installation or replacement of water meters two inches in size or larger shall be performed at the water board's option, either by the water board at real cost to the property owner, or by the property owner or his contractor subject to all requirements of the water board.

(i) All water meters two inches in size or larger must be provided with a suitable by-pass of such size as will provide a continuous supply of water during such time as the water meter is undergoing repairs, testing or replacement. The property owner shall be billed for meter testing with the first water bill rendered after the date of such test.

(j) A suitable check and relief valve may be required by the director in the service pipe after the meter, at the property owner's expense, when there is a possibility of hot water backing up into the water meter.

(k) Each application for a water or fire service which is two inches in size or larger must be accompanied by five copies of a detailed dimensional plan, drawn to scale, and acceptable to the director, which must show the exact manner of installation of the service, including an acceptable backflow prevention device, and the water meter, if applicable.

(l) The director is hereby authorized to make such determinations or interpretations of these regulations and specifications regarding the installation of water meters as are deemed necessary by the director. Prints of the standard type of water control structure installations and by-passes acceptable to the water board are available upon request.

(m) Whenever a service is to interconnect in any manner with any other supply of water, a separate detail of such interconnection must be clearly shown. Such interconnection must comply with requirements of the State Department of Health Sanitary Code. The application for any interconnected service as heretofore described shall not be granted nor any connection made to any water main until the plan of installation has been approved by the director, the Niagara County Health Department, and the State Department of Health.

(n) All water meters and by-pass valves shall be sealed by the water board when they are placed in service. Such seals shall not be removed except by the water board unless permission is first obtained in writing from the director. If a broken seal is discovered by the water board, for which permission was not obtained, a violation of this Part will be presumed, resulting in appropriate enforcement action by the water board in accordance with this Part.

(o) It shall be the duty of the property owner to report to the water board any broken or missing seals, including meter seals. If the director determines that the seal was broken accidentally, then the water board shall set a new seal, without charge or other enforcement action.

(p) The water board reserves the right to enter, at any reasonable time, and with reasonable notice, any premises where a water meter is installed, for the purpose of testing, examining, repairing, removing, replacing or modifying such meter and its appurtenances when, in the opinion of the director, such action is necessary.

(q) The water board shall repair, without cost to the property owner, any water board-owned water meter located on a water service within the city corporate limits, provided that such meter has not been damaged by freezing, hot water or other act or omission by the property owner. If the property owner or his agent, employees, or tenants are determined to be responsible for damages by the director, then the real cost of repairing or replacing the water meter and/or remote reading device shall be borne by said property owner.

(r) Water meters may be tested by the water board periodically. The costs of all such testing shall be borne by the water board.

(s) A meter may be tested at the request of a property owner without charge if the test reveals that the meter is not within the limits of accuracy as determined by the director. The director may rely upon the standards of the American Water Works Association or such other similar standards as he or she deems appropriate. For a water meter less than two inches in size, a small meter testing fee as identified in the board schedule of rates will be charged if the meter is found to be within the limits of accuracy. For meters two inches in size or larger, the real cost of requested testing shall be paid by the property owner.