How do you get a Chandler water meter tested for accuracy?

Section 50-18 is titled "Water meter testing fee." Its first part is the quote above, and the schedule is short: "2-inch or smaller" is $35.00, and "3-inch or larger" is the "Actual cost of materials and labor, including administrative costs." Part 50-18.2 says all tests "shall conform with requirements set forth by the American Water Works Association." Part 50-18.3 reads: "If the meter's performance is found to be outside the acceptable standard as set forth by the American Water Works Association, the test fee shall be waived."

Three nearby rules shape how a test goes:

• Access (50-8(B)): water meter boxes must be installed and maintained so the access cover is exposed and not lower than finished grade. The consumer has to keep landscape materials, vehicles or any other obstruction off the meter. After 10 business days of written notice, the city removes the obstruction and charges time and materials.
• Ownership (50-9.4): all water meters remain city property, and the city is responsible for maintaining them.
• Meter type (52-4(A)): the City Engineer approves the type and size of meter based on proposed use, and meters of 3 inches or over are compound meters unless the City Engineer approves otherwise.

• Accuracy test: a check of how closely the meter's reading matches the water that passed through it. The code leaves the method to the American Water Works Association (AWWA) requirements.
• Outside the acceptable standard: the AWWA standard the code points to. The section does not state a percentage.
• Actual cost: for large meters the code sets no dollar amount, only that the fee covers materials, labor and administrative costs.

Any Chandler customer can request the test, and the section does not limit it to homes. It does not give you a right to a bill adjustment: 50-18 says nothing about correcting past bills, so a failed meter's effect on what you were charged is a separate question for the city. It also does not apply to meters you own. A commercial or industrial customer with a privately owned, city-approved sewer meter has a different duty under 50-12(C): the meter must be calibrated annually to city-required standards with a testing certification provided to the city, and if a malfunction is not fixed within 60 days, sewer charges revert to the water-metered rates.

A restaurant with a 1 1/2 inch meter and a bill that doubled. The owner requests the test and pays $35.00. If the meter reads outside the AWWA standard, the fee is waived. If it is within the standard, the owner paid $35.00 to learn the usage is real.

A warehouse with a 4 inch compound meter. The test fee is the actual cost of materials, labor and administrative costs. Because the code sets no number, the owner should ask the city what the test will cost before requesting it.

A buried meter box. The lid is under decorative rock. After 10 business days of written notice the city clears it and bills time and materials.

The edge case: a leak, not a bad meter. The meter tests fine, because the water really went through it. Under 52-11 the leak on the building side is the owner's repair. A meter leak test before you pay for a meter test can save the fee.

1. 1Run a leak check at the meter first. Shut every fixture and watch whether the meter still moves.
2. 2Clear the meter box so the cover is at or above grade and nothing blocks it.
3. 3Request the test. The code names no office for requests. The Water Distribution line on the city's water FAQ page is 480-782-3700.
4. 4Ask the city what the cost will be if your meter is 3 inches or larger.
5. 5If the meter is outside the AWWA standard, ask the city how it will treat the bills affected, because 50-18 does not say.

• Myth: A test is free. For 2 inches or smaller it is $35.00 unless the meter fails.
• Myth: A failed meter fixes my past bills. Section 50-18 says nothing about correcting past bills.
• Myth: The meter is mine to repair. Meters stay city property under 50-9.4, and the city maintains them. The city's FAQ says replacing a meter or meter box costs the homeowner nothing.
• Myth: Every city handles it the same. Gilbert sets a three percent accuracy line and credits the fee, and Surprise waives its fee only above two percent over-registration.

This page explains the code. The adopted text on Municode governs.