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John, I used to be the very person you'd talk to back at an old job in Florida working for a local municipality. All letters/emails/calls for this type of request went to me. I'd do some minimal investigation and determine whether or not the home owner would get a break. In no circumstance did the owner get all of the fee waived after a leak occurred for the simple reason that treated potable water (product) flowed through the meter and someone needed to pay for it. What we did was average the last 12 months usage and subtract that number from the high bill amount (the gallons used). That was your new water bill (or at least what we considered your "real" usage). You'd be billed per the regular system on that amount. The remaining balance of usage (the overage above your average bill) was billed at the lowest possible rate. We had a tiered billing structure (much like nearly every municipality has, to penalize high users). So by dropping the consumption down to the lowest tier, it would cut the bill down significantly (especially since the tiers get very pricey as you move up).
I'd throw this idea the city and see what they say.
^^^^Thanks a gazillion. Based on that they would owe ME money b/c the usuage for the past year was zero. Of course they would need to charge me minimus usuage and prob. basic fee for sewer.
I was wondering the same thing. We just put in a sprinkler system. I did not want one installed for this very reason. After reading on here all of the problems I am convinced we should not have installed it. How can I catch a leak early enough not to get caught with a ridiculous bill.
Put in a Master Valve before the backflow preventer (hopefully in an area not subject to freezing)....this will shut off water flow to the irrigation system unless the timer (zone valve) is calling for water. SD
^^^^Thanks a gazillion. Based on that they would owe ME money b/c the usuage for the past year was zero. Of course they would need to charge me minimus usuage and prob. basic fee for sewer.
There is a minimum charge whether you use any water or not. (Base rate + volume which first block is a charge for 0-6000 gallons) This is as long as there is a meter installed. If you are not using water, you can optionally have them pull the meter and you will no longer be a customer of theirs and of course not subject to any further incidents such as this. This has the down side of a re-connect fee when you are ready to have water again so it is probably only worth it for long periods.
I think, generally, if the break occurs on your side of the meter then you are responsible for all the water used. You can however get them to forgive the sewer portion. This is based on water used and pretty much equals the same rate. i.e. it's ~50% of your bill. Presumably this water flowed out onto the property and didn't go into the waste water treatment system for sewage. Sounds like this is what they did for you. They might have also eliminated any fees for excessive use. (not sure if they are in effect now)
If you are going to continue to have an unoccupied house and decide to keep the meter in place, I recommend going to Home Depot or Lowes and get one of those T shaped tools and turn off the water at the meter. This would eliminate any chance this could happen again. You might also want to drain your home so you don't have to keep it heated in the winter. Make sure there is no chance your water heater can come on.
Further to the post re: "T" tool. I didn't know this before but this is the tool that one uses at the curb. I called one of my workers who told me we have that tool and he will shut the water at the curb on all houses if the house does not have shut-off valve.
Be careful...in some cities, operating the meter valve is a criminal offense. Sounds silly, but think of those who get their water shut off. We don't need them running around willy nilly turning their water back on at will.
It may be worth your while to install your own shut off valve immediately after the water meter so you can do it with ease. The alternative is to have the city do it at your demand...but there's a service fee associated with it (for both trips, to turn on and to turn off).
^^^^ Yep, but the tool fell off the truck right along side my curb and I was just trying to see if it worked.
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many thanks.
