WATER METERS (11-12-210 et seq.)

Municipal Code of Chicago tit. 11, ch. 11-12, art. III

in effect

Municipal Code of Chicago § 11-12-210 Installation.

11-12-210 Installation. Water meters shall be required on all service pipes to all new buildings and on any new services to existing buildings in the City of Chicago, and shall be installed at the time the building is connected to the city's water system. Water meters shall be required on service pipes supplying city water to all existing buildings, structures or premises other than private residences within the City of Chicago in which only one family resides, or in two- flat buildings in which only two families reside. Water meters shall be required on service pipes supplying city water to existing private residences in the City of Chicago in which only one family resides, and existing two-flat buildings in which only two families reside, if devices which require large quantities of water are installed therein or if a new water service of larger size is installed. Water meters may be installed on any existing service pipe supplying city water to any existing building not otherwise required to have a meter where written request is made by the owner or agent of the premises supplied. Water meters previously installed on service pipes to comply with the requirements of Section 11-12-210 of this chapter or water meters previously installed by the owner or agent of the premises supplied may not be removed because the requirement for the meter has been removed or because the owner or agent wishes it removed. Except as provided in Section 11-12-540 of this chapter, the city shall furnish and maintain at its own expense all water meters authorized and required hereunder, but where a meter is required to control additional service pipes for auxiliary or emergency water supply, or where such meter is installed on service pipes to which private supply pipes are connected, or where it is so provided in this chapter, said meter shall be furnished by the owner or consumer, but it shall be maintained by the city at the cost and expense of said owner or consumer. Whenever leaks, waste, unauthorized or excessive use of water are found and in the judgment of the commissioner metering will effectively reduce the waste of water, the commissioner shall require installation of meters on service pipes to consumers of water not already metered as required in this Code. All meters should be installed by the owner's plumbing contractor. (Prior code § 185-21; Amend Coun. J. 12-4-02, p. 99026, § 1.12; Amend Coun. J. 7-29-15, p. 3537, § 1)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 11-12-212 Voluntary Water Meter Installation Program.

11-12-212 Voluntary Water Meter Installation Program. (a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Voluntary Water Meter Installation Program". The Commissioner shall develop a program to promote the voluntary installation of water meters by the owners of single-family homes and residential two-flats. (b) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply: "Dwelling unit" has the same meaning ascribed to that term in Section 17-17-0248. "Metered rate" means the amount assessed for metered water service pursuant to Section 11-12-310, but does not include any late charges, interest, or penalties. "Non-metered rate" means the amount assessed for non-metered water service pursuant to Sections 11-12-270 and 11-12-280, but does not include any late charges, interest, or penalties. "Residential Building" means a building used exclusively for residential occupancy. "Single-family home" means any single-family type structure with separate and distinct plumbing, consisting of a separate and independent means of controlling the water supply to the unit. "Two-flat" means a residential building that contains two dwelling units. (c) The terms of the program shall be as follows: (1) The Commissioner is authorized to designate geographic areas dispersed within the City, as determined by the Commissioner. (2) In those areas designated by the Commissioner pursuant to paragraph (b)(1), the owner of a single-family home or a two-flat may request the installation by the City of a water meter on the property occupied by the single-family home or two-flat. (3) The number of yearly installations pursuant to this program shall be limited to no more than twenty-five thousand, or to the extent that funds are appropriated to it. (4) There shall be no charge to the owner for the cost of the installation of the water meter of for any minor carpentry work required to create an access door to the service pipe. Such charges and costs shall be paid by the City. (5) For the first seven years after the date of the installation of the water meter, the City shall bill the owner the metered rate, provided (i) that the total amount charged for the metered rate shall not exceed the annual non-metered rate for water service that would have been in effect at the property at the time of the billing if no water meter had been installed, and (ii) that subsection (5)(i) only applies if the following conditions are met during the entire seven year period: (A) the owner does not sell or otherwise transfer the property; (B) the owner remains current on the water bills for the property; (C) the owner permits reasonable access to the property by the City for the purpose of installing, reading, and maintaining the water meter; (D) the owner does not remove or tamper with the meter; and (E) there are no leaks, broken water pipes, or other plumbing problems at the property with regard to which the owner has received notice from the City. (6) Any owner who participates in the program will receive, subject to availability, at no cost to the owner, a water saving device or kit for the property, if the property is suitable for a water saving device; provided that if all eligible owners of a block request the installation of water meters, then an owner on the block will be eligible to receive two water saving devices or kits. For purposes of this subsection, "block" means both sides of any street between street intersections. (7) An owner shall not remove, or request the removal of, the water meter after its installation. (8) By participating in the voluntary water meter installation program, the owner agrees to give the City access to the property for the purpose of installing the water meter and necessary water meter related devices. (d) The terms of the program shall not apply to any water meter installed prior to April 1, 2022. (e) Those sections of the Municipal Code of Chicago related to water meters and water meter service, including installation, water rates, or billing, shall be applicable to this program except to the extent that those sections are inconsistent with this ordinance, in which case subsection (c)(5) shall prevail. (f) No water meter shall be installed under this program unless the Commissioner has determined that adequate funding for such installations has been appropriated. (g) The Commissioner is authorized to adopt such rules as the Commissioner may deem necessary for the proper implementation, administration, and enforcement of this section. (Added Coun. J. 5-23-22, p. 47631, § 1)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 11-12-220 Metered and unmetered service for same premises.

11-12-220 Metered and unmetered service for same premises. The Commissioner shall not permit any building, structure or premises which is or are controlled by meter to have in any portion thereof a pipe connected with the City waterworks system which is not also controlled by meter. If it shall be found that any portion of such building, structure or premises is not controlled by meter, the owner, agent or person in possession, charge or control thereof shall be notified to bring such portion under meter control within ten days from date of such notice, and upon failure to do so, the supply of water shall be shut off. The Commissioner shall assess the amount due for the water service used in violation of the provisions of this section and the cost and expense of cutting off or stopping such water supply and advise the Comptroller of the total amount assessed. No water service shall be turned on until the total amount assessed, and any late charges or other charges authorized by this code are paid, as determined by the Comptroller; or the owner or occupant enters into an approved payment plan with the Department of Finance for said amounts determined by the Comptroller. (Prior code § 185-22; Amend Coun. J. 12-4-02, p. 99026, § 1.12; Amend Coun. J. 12-2-09, p. 78837, Art. 5, § 5; Amend Coun. J. 11-16-11, p. 13798, Art. I, § 9; Amend Coun. J. 7-20-22, p. 50569, § 4)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 11-12-230 Design, type and size of meters and other appurtenances and maintenance.

11-12-230 Design, type and size of meters and other appurtenances and maintenance. Each water meter, proportional, indicating or recording device, including meters for domestic supply, for fire lines, submeters, or any other kind, which is connected or is to be connected with any pipe supplied by the Chicago Waterworks System shall be of a type, design and size recommended by the commissioner, and approved by the city council. Except as otherwise specified in this Code, all meters or detecting devices, including vaults, whenever required, installed on any pipeline greater than one inch in diameter to be used for domestic water service, or on any pipeline to be used for combination water services, shall be constructed, installed and maintained by and at the expense of the owner or consumer. (Prior code § 185-23; Amend Coun. J. 12-4-02, p. 99026, § 1.12; Amend Coun. J. 7-29-15, p. 3537, § 1)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 11-12-240 Private fire protection systems.

11-12-240 Private fire protection systems. The supply of water through any service pipe on which there are installed or maintained for fire protection purposes, and within the premises of the consumer, either standpipes, fire hydrants, pumps, fire protection tanks or any other outlets or devices from which water may be drawn to extinguish fire, shall, except as hereinafter provided in this section, be entirely controlled by a meter or meters which shall accurately measure all of the water used through said service pipe. The commissioner may, at his discretion and in order to insure more accurate measurement of water supplied through said service pipe, require the installation of separate meters and separate lines leading from said meters to said premises, one or more of said lines to be connected only to fire protection devices and one or more of said lines to be used for supplying water for domestic or industrial purposes. Or the commissioner may, at his discretion, require the installation of separate pipe line for the domestic or industrial uses of water and for fire protection purposes, installing on the former lines a meter or meters to register accurately all of the water used for said domestic or industrial purposes; and installing on the line or lines which are to be used only for fire protection, devices capable of detecting and recording every instance in which any water may be drawn through said fire protection lines, said devices being so constructed and installed as to permit, in case of necessity, an uninterrupted flow through said fire protection lines. All meters or detecting devices installed on any pipeline to be used only for fire protection, including vaults, whenever required, shall be constructed, installed and maintained by and at the expense of the owner or consumer. All such meters or detecting devices installed or replaced on or after July 15, 2010, shall be equipped with remote reading technology in accordance with regulations promulgated by the commissioner. There shall be no charge for any registration occasioned on any meter as the result of the use of water for fire purposes and the commissioner is authorized to reduce by an amount corresponding to such registration the charge for metered water against the consumer. No water for other than fire purposes shall be used through any fire line. It shall be the duty of the commissioner to read, or cause to be read, all fire meters or detecting devices and to inspect seals on same, at least annually. For any violation of any of the provisions of this section, the commissioner may, at his discretion, cause the water supply to be shut off. (Prior code § 185-24; Amend Coun. J. 12-4-02, p. 99026, § 1.12; Amend Coun. J. 6-30-10, p. 95374, § 1)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 11-12-250 Interference with meters or other devices.

11-12-250 Interference with meters or other devices. No person shall be permitted to tamper, test, repair, remove, relocate or in any way interfere with any water meter, proportional, indicating or recording device, installed in any building, structure or premises for the control of the water supply thereto, excepting under authority granted by the commissioner. The owner of the building, structure or premises for which such meter is installed shall be held responsible for any unauthorized tampering or interference in violation of this section. Such owner shall be subject to a fine of not less than $500.00 nor more than $750.00 for each violation; and the water supply to such owner's building, structure or premises may be cut off, and shall not again be permitted to be turned on until such owner or person shall have paid to the department of finance the cost and expense of cutting off and turning on such water supply; provided, however, where such owner can show that such tampering was done contrary to his efforts to prevent same there shall be no such cutting off of the water supply nor shall such owner be subject to a fine. (Prior code § 185-25; Amend Coun. J. 12-4-02, p. 99026, § 1.12; Amend Coun. J. 12-2-09, p. 78837, Art. 5, § 5; Amend Coun. J. 11-16-11, p. 14596, Art. IV, § 1)

Source: City of Chicago, Municipal Code of Chicago (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2656768Fetched: 10/24/2026