SECTIONS 525-529.7 - California Statutes

WATER CODE

SECTION 525-529.7

525. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, every water
purveyor who sells, leases, rents, furnishes, or delivers water
service to any person shall require, as a condition of new water
service on and after January 1, 1992, that a suitable water meter to
measure the water service shall be installed on the water service
facilities in accordance with this chapter. The cost of installation
of the meter shall be paid by the user of the water, and any water
purveyor may impose and collect charges for those costs.
(b) Subdivision (a) applies only to potable water.
(c) Subdivision (a) does not apply to a community water system
which serves fewer than 15 service connections used by yearlong
residents or regularly serves fewer than 25 yearlong residents, or a
single well that services the water supply of a single-family
residential home.

526. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an urban water
supplier that, on or after January 1, 2004, receives water from the
federal Central Valley Project under a water service contract or
subcontract executed pursuant to Section 485h(c) of Title 43 of the
United States Code with the Bureau of Reclamation of the United
States Department of the Interior shall do both of the following:
(1) On or before January 1, 2013, install water meters on all
service connections to residential and nonagricultural commercial
buildings constructed prior to January 1, 1992, located within its
service area.
(2) On and after March 1, 2013, or according to the terms of the
Central Valley Project water contract in operation, charge customers
for water based on the actual volume of deliveries, as measured by a
water meter.
(b) An urban water supplier that receives water from the federal
Central Valley Project under a water service contract or subcontract
described in subdivision (a) may recover the cost of providing
services related to the purchase, installation, and operation and
maintenance of water meters from rates, fees, or charges.

527. (a) An urban water supplier that is not subject to Section 526
shall do both of the following:
(1) Install water meters on all municipal and industrial service
connections located within its service area on or before January 1,
2025.
(2) (A) Charge each customer that has a service connection for
which a water meter has been installed based on the actual volume of
deliveries as measured by the water meter, beginning on or before
January 1, 2010.
(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), in order to provide
customers with experience in volume-based water service charges, an
urban water supplier that is subject to this subdivision may delay,
for one annual seasonal cycle of water use, the use of meter-based
charges for service connections that are being converted from
nonvolume-based billing to volume-based billing.
(b) A water purveyor, including an urban water supplier, may
recover the cost of providing services related to the purchase,
installation, and operation of a water meter from rates, fees, or
charges.

528. Notwithstanding Sections 526 and 527, any water purveyor that
becomes an urban water supplier on or after January 1, 2005, shall do
both the following:
(a) Install water meters on all municipal and industrial service
connections located within its service area within 10 years of
meeting the definition of urban water supplier.
(b) (1) Charge each customer for which a water meter has been
installed, based on the actual volume of water delivered, as measured
by the water meter, within five years of meeting the definition of
urban water supplier.
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), in order to provide customers
with experience in volume-based water service charges, an urban water
supplier that is subject to this subdivision may delay, for one
annual seasonal cycle of water use, the use of meter-based charges
for service connections that are being converted from nonvolume-based
billing to volume-based billing.
(c) For the purposes of this article, an "urban water supplier"
has the same meaning as that set forth in Section 10617.

529. (a) This article addresses a subject matter of statewide
concern.
(b) Subject to subdivision (c), this article supersedes and
preempts all enactments, including charter provisions and amendments
thereto, and other local action of cities and counties, including
charter cities and charter counties, and other local public agencies
that conflict with this article.
(c) This article does not supersede or preempt any enactment or
other local action that imposes additional or more stringent
requirements regarding matters set forth in this article.

529.5. On and after January 1, 2010, any urban water supplier that
applies for financial assistance from the state for a wastewater
treatment project, a water use efficiency project, or a drinking
water treatment project, or for a permit for a new or expanded water
supply, shall demonstrate that the applicant meets the requirements
of this article.

529.7. This article does not limit the authority of a water
purveyor that promotes conservation through volumetric water pricing,
including, but not limited to, an urban water supplier that promotes
conservation through volumetric water pricing, to determine and
impose a rate, fee, or charge in addition to the charge for the
actual volume of metered water delivered.