(A) It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to open, interfere with, injure, deface or in any way impair the working of any water meter. It shall also be unlawful for any person, other than a duly authorized representative of the Water Department, to remove any meter from its setting.

(B) No meter shall be installed or water used through a new consumer's service line until approval therefor has been obtained from the office of the City Plumbing Inspector.

(C) All meters now in service and hereinafter installed shall remain the sole property of the Water Department. Meters shall be installed only in public ways and it shall be unlawful for any person to obstruct access thereto by the Water Department.

(D) The Water Department shall have the right at any time to test meters but if the testing is not in pursuance of request of consumer, it shall be without charge.

(E) Whenever the Water Department finds a meter to be inoperative, an adjustment of charges for the preceding billing period shall be made by averaging the water used for the corresponding billing period of the three prior years, or, if the records are not extant, from the best other method practicable.

(F) Whenever the Water Department shall find a meter not measuring accurately according to the standards of the American Water Works Association, an adjustment of charges for the preceding billing period shall be made.

(Ord. 429, passed 6-14-61; Am. Ord. 1560, passed 2-25-85) Penalty, see § 52.99