Utility's policy & procedures for frozen meters

LAWRENCE UTILITIES POLICY & PROCEDURES FOR FROZEN METERS

Due to the increase in frozen meter calls the Utility has received recently, we would like to
revisit the rules and procedures followed by Lawrence Utilities with regard to frozen meter call
response. It is important to note that for commercial services the Utility does not  provide  any 
services  for  thawing  frozen  service  lines  or  meters.  In  apartment
complexes, condominium developments and mobile home parks, customers must contact the property
manager or Management Company in order to address frozen lines or meters.

Customers  occupying  rental  units  should  also  be  aware  of  what  their  responsibilities 
are  under  their  lease agreement.  While  the  Utility  will  respond  to  a  frozen  meter  call
 on  a  single-family  residential  rental,  the customer needs to be aware as to whether or not
the landlord is responsible to safeguard the meter and service plumbing from freezing, or they are,
and who is responsible for the cost of the replacement meter, if required.

The property owner is responsible to protect the meter serving their property and the structures on
their property that are supplied water from the utility. Whether the meter is located inside the
structure, such as in a garage or utility room, or whether it is outside in a meter pit, the
property owner must take appropriate action to ensure that meters do not freeze. Unfortunately, it
is an all too common occurrence that garage doors are left open or meter pit lids are removed or,
in some cases, knocked off the pit completely. It does not take very long in this kind of weather
for a meter to freeze up.

A typical water meter serving residential properties is designed with what is called a frost plate
on the bottom of the meter. The frost plate is designed to give, or break, before the customer’s
actual service line piping freezes and ruptures. This feature often prevents even more damage from
occurring, which would increase repair costs. But there is no guarantee that this will always be
the case. Much depends on how long the meter and associated piping, valves and other fittings are
exposed to freezing temperatures.

Sometimes, taking measures to warm the meter and piping, or insulating it from further cold, will
result in the meter and/or service line piping thawing on its own, thereby avoiding a service call
to the utility. After-hours calls are charged $50 per trip. If a meter is determined to have frozen
and broke requiring replacement, the cost of a replacement meter will be added to the customer’s
account. Customers may contact the Business Office at
(317) 542-0511 to arrange a payment plan for the extra charges if they so desire.

During normal business hours (8:00 am to 4:30 pm) the Utility will attempt to thaw frozen
residential meters located in meter pits outside. Responses are generally pretty quick unless there
are a large number of such calls, and then our service department responds in the order in which
the calls were received into the office. The service technician will generally allow fifteen
minutes of thawing effort for each call. If the call load is light, the technician may allow
additional time unless he/she is obligated to be on another service call at a specific time. There
is no service charge for these calls.

If a customer calls after-hours, the technician responding will generally speak to the customer to
try and get an understanding of the situation and will advise the customer that the after-hours
service charge of $50 will be placed  on  their  account  should  the  customer  desire  a 
technician  to  come  to  the  home.  Upon  arrival  the technician will investigate and take
appropriate action, such as attempting to thaw a meter located in a pit. For liability reasons, the
Utility does not attempt to thaw service lines or meters located inside structures. If the
technician is unsuccessful in thawing the meter and service line inside a meter pit, the customer
will be advised to contact a plumber for additional thawing efforts.

The customer can avoid problems with frozen services by taking relatively simple precautions such
as: insulting pipes and meters located in crawl spaces and garages; being sure to close garage
doors and not leaving them cracked open to allow pets to come in and out (we have seen this);
knowing how to manually disengage an automatic garage door from the drive chain if the door is not
functioning properly so that it can be manually closed; the proper and safe use of heat tape
applied to piping inside a garage or crawl space (contact a licensed plumber to know how to do this
properly and safely); knowing where meter pits are located outside in the yard so that you can
ensure the lids are on securely (a properly secured pit lid will allow the natural ground heat
coming up from the bottom of the pit to keep the meter and service line piping from freezing.

Here is a link to a website with helpful tips to prevent problems associated with freezing
temperatures. If you are unsure of how to do any of these things, call your plumber for
professional advice.

https://www.angieslist.com/articles/how-keep-water-pipes-freezing.htm

The following sections of the Utility Services Board-approved Policy & Procedure Manual  for 
Lawrence  Utilities  cover  the  basic  responsibilities  of  the  property owner for residential
and commercial services with regard to frozen services or meters. This document is available on the
city’s website at:
 

http://www.cityoflawrence.org/sites/default/files/document-group/Policy%20and%20Procedure%20Manual.pdf 

2.07      PROTECTION FROM FREEZING and OTHER DAMAGE (residential service)

The property owner or the occupant of a residential structure is responsible for protecting meters
and associated plumbing located inside the structure, including a garage, from damage due to
freezing temperatures. Adequate measures  should  be  taken  to  protect  the  meter  and 
associated  plumbing  from  freezing.  The  cost  of replacement meters damaged due to freezing
shall be charged to the property owner or occupant for all inside meter sets.

For all new residential construction, the builder is responsible to ensure that a meter installed
in a meter pit outside is adequately protected from freezing. The cost of replacement meters shall
be charged to the builder or account holder, if the property transferred ownership, during the
1-year warranty period following the setting and/or activation of a meter for service.

The property owner or occupant of a residential structure shall be charged a replacement meter
charge when it is shown that the property owner or occupant failed to properly protect the meter
from freezing. The property owner or occupant is responsible to ensure that meter pit lids are
properly closed and secured, are at proper grade  and  that  the  pit  itself  is  not 
structurally  damaged  so  as  to  allow  the  infiltration  of  cold  air/freezing temperatures.
If it is determined that utility personnel accessing the meter for whatever reason failed to
properly close and secure the lid, the utility shall be responsible for any damages resulting from
freezing, either to the meter or to the plumbing and/or fittings inside the meter pit.

3.07      PROTECTION FROM FREEZING (commercial services)

The property owner or occupant is responsible for protecting the meter and associated plumbing from
damage due to freezing temperatures. Adequate measures should be taken to protect the meter and
meter pit plumbing from freezing. These measures include ensuring the meter is at the required
depth (18  to 24- inches below final grade) and insulation from the cold, such as concrete blankets
used for protecting new concrete or straw.

Failure to protect meters and meter pit fittings from freezing will result in the property owner or
occupant being charged for the replacement meter(s). New meters will not be set until all damaged
plumbing is repaired to LU standards and prevailing plumbing codes.

The following sections of the Policy & Procedure Manual for Lawrence Utilities address in more
detail the responsibilities for maintenance, repair and other issues concerning water services for
residential and commercial services and is further broken down into inside meter and outside meter
categories. For the entire document, please visit the website as noted above.

4.00      GENERAL (Residential Services)

1.    OUTSIDE METER PIT INSTALLATIONS

H.  In  situations  where  prolonged  freezing  weather  has  resulted  in  numerous  frozen 
services,  the Utility  will  respond  on  the  basis  of  the  order  in  which  calls  were 
received  in  the  office.  The Utility will not attempt to thaw frozen services after normal
business hours during emergency operations. The customer must take appropriate measures to protect
the meter from freezing. If the customer  attempts to thaw a frozen meter  and damages the meter 
or any of the plumbing inside the meter pit, the customer shall be responsible for repair or
replacement costs.

2. EXISTING INSIDE METER INSTALLATIONS

H. The utility shall set the initial meter. If the meter becomes damaged or broken as a result of
account holder or contractor negligence or tampering, including freezing of the meter resulting in
breakage of the meter, the cost of the replacement meter shall be charged to the account holder.

5.00      GENERAL (Commercial Services)

1.    METER PIT OR VAULT INSTALLATIONS

F.   If a meter becomes damaged or broken as a result of account holder or contractor negligence  
or tampering,  including  freezing  of  the  meter  resulting  in  breakage  of  the  meter,  the 
cost  of  the replacement meter shall be charged to the account.

2.    INSIDE METER INSTALLATIONS

E.   If a meter becomes damaged or broken as a result of account holder or contractor negligence  
or tampering,  including  freezing  of  the  meter  resulting  in  breakage  of  the  meter,  the 
cost  of  the replacement meter shall be charged to the account.