Chapter PSC 185

PSC 185.51 PSC 185.51 Requirement for good engineering practice. The design and construction of the utility’s water plant shall conform to good standard engineering practice and shall conform to the requirements of this chapter and the requirements of appropriate federal, state, and local regulatory authorities.

PSC 185.51 History History: Cr. Register, January, 1997, No. 493, eff. 2-1-97.

PSC 185.52 PSC 185.52 General construction requirements.

PSC 185.52(1) (1) Mains.

PSC 185.52(1)(a) (a) Installed depth. Mains shall be placed at such depth or otherwise protected as shall prevent freezing.

PSC 185.52(1)(b) (b) Dead-ends. Where practical the utility shall design its distribution system to avoid dead-end mains. Where dead-ends are necessary, hydrants or other flushing devices shall be installed to permit flushing. (See s. PSC 185.86.)

PSC 185.52(1)(c) (c) Networked systems. Where practical the distribution system shall be laid out to maximize service reliability.

PSC 185.52(1)(d) (d) Segmentation of system. Valves shall be provided at reasonable intervals and at appropriate locations so that repairs to or maintenance of the mains shall minimize service interruptions.

PSC 185.52(1)(e) (e) Location of mains. Utility-owned mains shall be located either in public right-of-way, or in a readily accessible easement. As much as possible, easements shall be free of pavement, expensive landscaping, mobile home pads, etc.

PSC 185.52(1)(f) (f) Main ownership conditions. A utility may choose whether or not it shall accept for ownership the mains within a mobile home park. Mains may only be accepted if they meet the utility’s construction standards and the requirements of ss. PSC 185.51 and 185.52.

PSC 185.52(2) (2) Service laterals.

PSC 185.52(2)(a) (a) Installed depth. Laterals shall be placed at such depth or otherwise protected as will prevent freezing.

PSC 185.52(2)(b) (b) Single connections. A customer’s lateral shall be directly connected to utility-owned facilities, and there shall be no other customer connection downstream from the utility’s shut-off valve. This does not apply to multi-occupancy premises, such as apartments, condominiums, and shopping centers.

PSC 185.52 History History: Cr. Register, January, 1997, No. 493, eff. 2-1-97.

PSC 185.53 PSC 185.53 Metering configuration.

PSC 185.53(1) (1) Master metering. Unless a utility owns the water distribution facilities within a mobile home park, condominium association, trust, etc., the private system shall be master metered and the park owner, condominium association, trust, etc., shall be the utility’s billable customer.

PSC 185.53(2) (2) Individual metering. A utility may only provide retail service directly to individual dwellings within a mobile home park, condominium association, trust, etc., if the distribution facilities within the mobile home park, condominium association, trust, etc., are owned by the utility on easements. Such facilities may only be accepted for ownership at a utility’s discretion and only if the facilities meet the utility’s construction standards and the requirements of ss. PSC 185.51 and 185.52.

PSC 185.53 History History: Cr. Register, January, 1997, No. 493, eff. 2-1-97.

subch. VI of ch. PSC 185 Subchapter VI — Customer Meters, Accuracy Requirements

PSC 185.61 PSC 185.61 Meters.

PSC 185.61(1) (1) All meters used for measuring the quantity of water delivered to a customer shall be in good working condition. They shall be adequate in size and design for the type of service measured and shall be accurate to the standard specified in s. PSC 185.65. Cold water meters of the turbine type shall be used for metered service only where the actual flow rates fall entirely within the normal test flow limits of the meter.

PSC 185.61(2) (2) Meters and remote reading devices necessary for the billing of utility service shall be owned and maintained by the utility except where otherwise authorized by the commission.

PSC 185.61(3) (3) A utility may sell meters if such meters are to be used solely for nonutility purposes, such as unregulated sewer service. This section does not prohibit the sale of meters between utilities.

PSC 185.61 History History: Cr. Register, January, 1997, No. 493, eff. 2-1-97; CR 23-070: am. (1) Register June 2024 No. 822, eff. 7-1-24.

PSC 185.65 PSC 185.65 Accuracy requirements for meters.

PSC 185.65(1) (1) The test flow limits for positive displacement, compound, and turbine meters shall be as follows:

PSC 185.65 Note Note: See AWWA Standards C-700 (Positive Displacement Meters), C-702 (Compound Meters), and C-701 (Turbine Meters).

PSC 185.65 Note Note: * See s. PSC 185.61 (1).

PSC 185.65(2) (2) Positive displacement meters shall have a percent registration between 98.5 and 101.5 within the range of normal test flow limits before being placed in service. In addition, new meters shall have a percent registration at the minimum test flow between 90 [95] and 101.5. In all other cases, the percent registration shall be between 90 and 101.5 before being placed in service. These requirements, in addition to flow, are shown in the table below.

PSC 185.65 Note Note: It is the intent of the commission that new meters have an accuracy limits percent between 95 and 101.5.

PSC 185.65 Note * Section PSC 185.73 (3) provides that at this flow rate the test quantity may be reduced to that equivalent to one-half revolution of the test dial. For the typical 5/8-inch meter the minimum test quantity would, therefore, be 5 gal. or 1/2 cu. ft.

PSC 185.65(3) (3) Compound meters shall have a percent registration between 97 and 103 throughout the range of normal test flow limits. At flows within the change-over flow range, the percent registration shall not be less than 90%.

PSC 185.65(4) (4) Turbine meters shall have a percent registration between 97 and 103 throughout the range of normal test flow limits and a percent registration of at least 95% at the minimum test flow.

PSC 185.65(5) (5) For meter installations with remote reading devices the above accuracy requirements apply to the metering accuracy of the complete installation.

PSC 185.65 History History: Cr. Register, January, 1997, No. 493, eff. 2-1-97.

subch. VII of ch. PSC 185 Subchapter VII — Meter Testing

PSC 185.71 PSC 185.71 Meter testing facilities and equipment.

PSC 185.71(1) (1) Each utility furnishing metered water service shall own or provide, through contract or otherwise, adequate equipment and facilities to provide for testing all of its water meters in compliance with this chapter.

PSC 185.71(2) (2) The meter testing facility shall, to the extent practical, simulate the actual service condition of inlet pressure and outlet pressure. It shall be provided with the necessary fittings, including a quick-acting valve for controlling the starting and stopping of the test, and a device for regulating the flow of water through the meter under test within the requirements of this chapter.

PSC 185.71(3) (3) The overall accuracy of the test equipment and test procedures shall be sufficient to enable the testing of service meters within the requirements of this chapter and regulations. In any event, the inherent overall accuracy of the equipment shall permit tests with an overall error of not to exceed 0.5% at normal test flows and 1.0% at the stated minimum test flow.

PSC 185.71 History History: Cr. Register, January, 1997, No. 493, eff. 2-1-97.

PSC 185.72 PSC 185.72 Calibration of meter testing equipment.

PSC 185.72(1) (1) Volumetric standards shall be accompanied by a dated certificate of accuracy from an approved laboratory or agency. For any weight standard used, the scales shall be tested periodically by an approved agency and a record maintained of the results of the test.

PSC 185.72(2) (2) A reference meter used for testing domestic or larger meters may be used only if the referenced meter has been tested and calibrated during the preceding 6 months. A record shall be kept of the 2 latest tests of any reference meter. (See also s. PSC 185.73 (1).)

PSC 185.72 History History: Cr. Register, January, 1997, No. 493, eff. 2-1-97.

PSC 185.73 PSC 185.73 Testing of customer meters.

PSC 185.73(1) (1) The test of any customer meter shall consist of a comparison of its accuracy with that of a standard of known accuracy. Where the test standard consists of a previously calibrated reference or service meter, the test results for the customer meter shall be adjusted to compensate for the inaccuracies of the reference meter at the particular flow rates.

PSC 185.73(2) (2) A utility shall test a meter “as found,” or before repair, and, unless the meter must be retained under s. PSC 185.77 (3), “as left,” or after repair.

PSC 185.73(3) (3) The volume of water through the meter at each test flow point shall be sufficient to produce at least one revolution of the test dial except at the “minimum test flow” point when said volume of water shall produce at least one-half revolution of the test dial.

PSC 185.73(4) (4) A meter not meeting the accuracy or other requirements of s. PSC 185.61 or 185.65 shall, unless the meter must be retained under s. PSC 185.77 (3), be repaired or rebuilt to meet those requirements before further use.

PSC 185.73 History History: Cr. Register, January, 1997, No. 493, eff. 2-1-97; CR 13-033: am. (2), (4) Register July 2015 No. 715, eff. 8-1-15.

PSC 185.74 PSC 185.74 Test flows.

PSC 185.74(1) (1) Tests. The minimum test flow and “normal test flow limits” as used herein refer to those listed in s. PSC 185.65. The stated test flows apply for both As Found and As Left tests.

PSC 185.74(2) (2) Positive displacement meters. (See s. PSC 185.65 (2).) For each test, the percent registration shall be determined at each of the following test flows:

PSC 185.74(2)(a) (a) The minimum test flow;

PSC 185.74(2)(b) (b) Two test flows within the normal test flow limits, one to be approximately at the maximum registration and the other to be at a flow as high as practicable within the normal test flow limits.

PSC 185.74(3) (3) Compound meters. For each test it shall be determined whether or not the by-pass unit operates at the minimum test flow and, in addition, the percent registration shall be determined at each of the following test flows as determined from accuracy curves for the particular type and size of meter:

PSC 185.74(3)(a) (a) The flow for maximum registration of the by-pass unit;

PSC 185.74(3)(b) (b) A flow near the point of minimum registration within the change-over range;

PSC 185.74(3)(c) (c) At least 3 flows within the normal test flow limits of the current unit, one of which is to be at the flow for maximum registration, one at approximately 50% of such flow but above the change-over range, and one at as high a flow as practicable.

PSC 185.74(4) (4) Turbine meters. For each test the percent registration shall be determined at each of the following test flows:

PSC 185.74(4)(a) (a) The minimum test flow;

PSC 185.74(4)(b) (b) At least 3 flows within the normal test flow limits, one of which is to be at or near the lower limit, another as near as practicable to the upper limit, and one at an intermediate flow rate.

PSC 185.74 History History: Cr. Register, January, 1997, No. 493, eff. 2-1-97.

PSC 185.75 PSC 185.75 Required tests of customer meters. Meters shall be tested by the utility at the following times:

PSC 185.75(1) (1) Before use or sample tests in accordance with s. PSC 185.751 shall include:

PSC 185.75(1)(a) (a) Rebuilt meters;

PSC 185.75(1)(b) (b) New Meters which are not certified accurate by the vendor.

PSC 185.75(2) (2) Periodically to insure accuracy, (see s. PSC 185.76);

PSC 185.75(3) (3) Upon customer request or complaint, (see s. PSC 185.77);

PSC 185.75(4) (4) When damaged or otherwise suspected of being inaccurate;

PSC 185.75(5) (5) If a meter is removed while a usage dispute is pending.

PSC 185.75 History History: Cr. Register, January, 1997, No. 493, eff. 2-1-97; CR 01-033: am. (5), Register October 2001 No. 550, eff. 11-1-01.

PSC 185.751 PSC 185.751 Alternate sample-testing plan for “before-use” test for 5/8-, 3/4-, and 1-inch meters.

PSC 185.751(1) (1) All rebuilt meters must be tested before use.

PSC 185.751(2) (2) Meters as received from the supplier without a certificate of accuracy shall be divided into lots of 36 or less. Each lot shall consist of meters of the same make, type, and size.

PSC 185.751(3) (3) A random-selected sample of 4 meters from each lot shall be selected and tested.

PSC 185.751(4) (4) If any of the tested meters in a given lot fail to meet the accuracy requirements of s. PSC 185.65 (2) for new meters, either the entire lot shall be rejected, or the utility shall test all meters in the lot, rejecting or correcting those found to be inaccurate.

PSC 185.751(5) (5) Records shall be maintained showing the identification numbers of all meters in each lot and the test results for the meters tested per s. PSC 185.19.

PSC 185.751 History History: Cr. Register, January, 1997, No. 493, eff. 2-1-97.

PSC 185.76 PSC 185.76 Periodic tests.

PSC 185.76(1) (1) Customer meters (“in-use” meters) shall be tested as frequently as is necessary to maintain their accuracies within requirements set forth in s. PSC 185.65. Unless otherwise authorized by the commission, each utility shall observe a test schedule such that the intervals between tests do not exceed the following:

PSC 185.76(2) (2) Where local water conditions are such that meters shall not retain the required accuracy for the periods indicated, appropriate shorter test intervals shall be observed and may be specifically required by the commission.

PSC 185.76(3) (3) Where local water conditions permit and with specific commission approval, the test interval for 5/8-, 3/4-, and 1-inch meters may be extended. This contemplates that the utility shall demonstrate that the accuracy of its meters shall be retained for such period.

PSC 185.76(4) (4) For 3- and 4-inch meters, the above test interval may be extended to 4 years where the utility shall demonstrate that the accuracy of its meters shall be retained for this period.

PSC 185.76(5) (5) In lieu of testing every meter as required under sub. (1), a utility may satisfy the requirements of this section by testing meters according to s. PSC 185.761.

PSC 185.76(6) (6) When system losses are less than the prescribed percentages under s. PSC 185.85 (4), a utility in lieu of testing every meter as required under sub. (1), may satisfy the requirements of this section for 5/8, 3/4, and 1-inch meters by adopting a new meter replacement program that results in each meter being replaced within 20 years of the original date of installation.

PSC 185.76 History History: Cr. Register, January, 1997, No. 493, eff. 2-1-97; CR 01-033: cr. (6), Register October 2001 No. 550, eff. 11-1-01.

PSC 185.761 PSC 185.761 Alternative sample-testing plan for in-use meters.