| (a) Water Service Connections.
(1) Tap Fees. The fees for initiation of service, where
no service previously existed, shall be in accordance with the following:
(A) The fee charged by a utility for connecting a residential
service applicant's premises to the system shall be as stated on the
approved tariff. In determining the reasonableness of a tap fee, the
commission will consider the actual costs of materials, labor, and
administrative costs for such service connections and road construction
or impact fees charged by authorities with control of road use if
typically incurred and may allow a reasonable estimate of tax liabilities.
The commission may limit the tap fee to an amount equal to the average
costs incurred by the utility.
(B) Whether listed on the utility's approved tariff
or not, the tap fee charged for all service connections requiring
meters larger than 3/4 inch shall be limited to the actual cost of
materials, labor and administrative costs for making the individual
service connection and road construction or impact fees charged by
authorities with control of road use and a reasonable estimate of
tax liabilities. The service applicant shall be given an itemized
statement of the costs.
(C) An additional fee may be charged to a residential
service applicant, if stated on the approved tariff, for a tap expense
not normally incurred; for example, a road bore for customers outside
of subdivisions or residential areas.
(2) Installation and Service Connection.
(A) The utility shall furnish and install, for the
purpose of connecting its distribution system to the service applicant's
property, the service pipe from its main to the meter location on
the service applicant's property. See also paragraph (3) of this subsection.
For all new installations, a utility-owned cut-off valve shall be
provided on the utility side of the meter. Utilities without customer
meters shall provide and maintain a cut-off valve on the customer's
property as near the property line as possible. This does not relieve
the utility of the obligation to comply with §24.169 of this
title (relating to Meters).
(B) The service applicant shall be responsible for
furnishing and laying the necessary service line from the meter to
the place of consumption and shall keep the service line in good repair.
For new taps or for new service at a location with an existing tap,
service applicants may be required to install a customer owned cut-off
valve on the customer's side of the meter or connection. Customers
who have damaged the utility's cut-off valve or curb stop through
unauthorized use or tampering may be required to install a customer
owned cut-off valve on the customer's side of the meter or connection
within a reasonable time frame of not less than 30 days if currently
connected or prior to restoration of service if the customer has been
lawfully disconnected under these rules. The customer's responsibility
shall begin at the discharge side of the meter or utility's cut-off
valve if there are no meters. If the utility's meter or cut-off valve
is not on the customer's property, the customer's responsibility will
begin at the property line.
(3) Location of meters. Meters shall be located on
the customer's property, readily accessible for maintenance and reading
and, so far as practicable, the meter shall be at a location mutually
acceptable to the customer and the utility. The meter shall be installed
so as to be unaffected by climatic conditions and reasonably secure
from damage.
(4) Relocation and conversion of meters. If an existing
meter is moved to a location designated by the customer for the customer's
convenience, the utility may not be responsible except for negligence.
The customer may be charged the actual cost of relocating the meter.
If the customer requests that an existing meter be replaced with a
meter of another size or capacity, the customer may be charged the
actual cost of converting the meter including enlarging the line from
the main to the meter if necessary.
(b) Sewer Service Connections.
(1) Tap Fees. The fees for initiation of sewer service,
where no service previously existed, shall be in accordance with the
following:
(A) The fee charged by a utility for connecting a residential
service applicant's premises to the sewer system shall be as stated
on the approved tariff. In determining the reasonableness of a tap
fee, the commission will consider the actual costs of materials, labor,
and administrative costs for such service connections and road construction
or impact fees charged by authorities with control of road use if
typically incurred and may allow a reasonable estimate of tax liabilities.
The commission may limit the tap fee to an amount equal to the average
costs incurred by the utility.
(B) The fee charged for all commercial or nonstandard
service connections shall be set at the actual cost of materials,
labor and administrative costs for making the service connection and
road construction or impact fees charged by authorities with control
of road use and may include a reasonable estimate of tax liabilities.
The service applicant shall be given an itemized statement of the
costs.
(C) A fee in addition to the standard tap fee may be
charged for a new residential service connection which requires expenses
not normally incurred if clearly identified on the approved tariff;
for example, a road bore for service applicants outside of subdivisions
or residential areas.
(D) Tap fees for sewer systems designed to receive
effluent from a receiving tank located on the customer's property,
whether fed by gravity or pressure into the utility's sewer main,
may include charges to install a receiving tank and appurtenances
on the customer's property and service line from the tank to the utility's
main which meets the minimum standards set by the utility and authorized
by the commission. The tank may include grinder pumps, etc. to pump
the effluent into the utility's main. Ownership of and maintenance
responsibilities for the receiving tank and appurtenances shall be
specified in the utility's approved tariff.
(2) Installation and Service Connections.
(A) The utility shall furnish and install, for the
purpose of connecting its collection system to the service applicant's
service line, the service pipe from its main to a point on the customer's
property.
(B) The customer shall be responsible for furnishing
and laying the necessary customer service line from the utility's
line to the residence.
(3) Maintenance by Customer.
(A) The customer service line and appurtenances installed
by the customer shall be constructed in accordance with the laws and
regulations of the State of Texas governing plumbing practices which
must be at least as stringent and comprehensive as one of the following
nationally recognized codes: the Southern Standard Plumbing Code,
the Uniform Plumbing Code, and/or the National Standard Plumbing Code,
or other standards as prescribed by the commission.
(B) It shall be the customer's responsibility to maintain
the customer service line and any appurtenances which are the customer's
responsibility in good operating condition, such as, clear of obstruction,
defects, leaks or blockage. If the utility can provide evidence of
excessive infiltration or inflow into the customer's service line
or failure to provide proper pretreatment, the utility may, with the
written approval of the commission, require that the customer repair
the line or eliminate the infiltration or inflow or take such actions
necessary to correct the problem. If the customer fails to correct
the problem within a reasonable time, the utility may disconnect the
service after notice as required under §24.167 of this title
(relating to Discontinuance of Service). Less than ten days notice
may be given if authorized by the commission
(C) If the customer retains ownership of receiving
tanks and appurtenances located on the customer's property under the
utility's tariff, routine maintenance and repairs are the customer's
responsibility. The utility may require in its approved tariff that
parts and equipment meet the minimum standards set by the utility
to ensure proper and efficient operation of the sewer system but cannot
require that the customer purchase parts or repair service from the
utility.
(c) Line extension and construction charges. Each utility
shall file its extension policy with the commission as part of its
tariff. The policy shall be consistent and nondiscriminatory. No contribution
in aid of construction may be required of any service applicant except
as provided for in the approved extension policy.
(1) Contributions in aid of construction shall not
be required of individual residential service applicants for production,
storage, treatment, or transmission facilities unless that residential
customer places unique, non-standard service demands upon the system,
in which case, the customer may be charged the additional cost of
extending service to and throughout his property, including the cost
of all necessary collection or transmission facilities necessary to
meet the service demands anticipated to be created by that property.
Cont'd... |
