AN ORDINANCE CONCERNING THE PROVISION OF
WATER TO MULTIPLE RESIDENTIAL DWELLINGS

Download Original Document PDF

The Board of Commissioners of the Town of Denton finds that in situations where one structure contains multiple family or residential units, and are all metered together on one meter, there exists the potential for numerous developments contrary to the public policy of the Town of Denton. If the monthly billing is not paid by the owner of the real estate, the Town’s usual enforcement mechanism-the interruption of water service-penalizes and punishes innocent third parties, the renters in the individual units. Further, the metering of more than one family through one master meter renders it difficult to determine when a unit is empty during the billing cycle and therefore not subject to the monthly minimum charge for other families or single residential units in the Town’s water system. Additionally, it is difficult for the Town to track water leakages when more than one family or living space user is metered through only one master meter. Finally there exists a potential for misunderstandings and the subsequent unnecessary use of employee resources to sort out the appropriate reconnection charges in any case where disconnection becomes necessary.

              NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ENACTED by the Board of Commissioners of the Town of Denton that the following section shall be added to the Code of Ordinances of the Town of Denton:

              §50.04A METERING TO MULTIPLE FAMILY DWELLINGS.

                      With the exception of currently existing multiple residential units, no future multiple residential unit will be metered by a master meter, but each living unit must be separately metered in the Town’s system as are stand-alone users. As to existing multiple residential units which are metered through a master meter, at such a time as water service is disconnected due to failure of payment of the monthly bill or for any other reason under the policy and ordinances of the Town of Denton due to the conduct of the property owner, the owner of said unit shall be required to install, at his or her expense, a multiple-metering system under which each unit is separately metered in the Town system. Water service will not be re-supplied until such time as payment in received and the replacement metering system is installed.

This ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after the date of passage.

Upon the motion of Commissioner Barbara Hogan, the foregoing ordinance was passed by a vote of 3-0,

This 7th day of September, 2004.