Delcambre deals with residents breaking water meters

DELCAMBRE — In the Town of Delcambre, any water meter that is damaged by no fault of the city is to be replaced at the homeowners expense.
In an effort to protect the town, Delcambre council adopted an ordinance placing the homeowner responsible for repairs or replacements of water meters and its parts.
During July’s meeting, Mayor Pam Blakely urged the town to be mindful when working around these water meters. “The town can’t be responsible for replacing meters or parts that are damaged or hit while either mowing, digging or even driving over these meters, so, we had to do something about it,” said Blakely.
The town advised the public to please protect their water meters because any damages to the meter will be at the homeowners expense. Water leaks also can not and will not be forgiven.
Those who wish to monitor their water consumption can contact City Hall for their account number in order to download the app eyeonwater. The customer will then be able to monitor their water consumption daily and receive alerts if any problems should occur.
If a customer breaks/damages multiple parts of the meter, they will be charged the combination of these charges for each item broken. A price list is below.
End point - $200
Encoder (register) - $120
Meter - $110
Meter Locking Pit Lid - $50.00
Cover - $25.00
New meter installation cost is $1,000 and must be paid before installation. Prices are also subject to change depending on purchasing.
If a customer has someone mowing their lawn or doing any kind of work near the meter, or a visitor rolls over the meter with machinery or vehicles, the homeowner is still responsible for replacement costs.
It is solely up to the homeowner to seek reimbursement from the person who initially damaged part or parts of the meter. The town is not responsible for contacting the third party.
If there is a water leak and the homeowner is unable to fix it, a licensed plumber should be contacted as soon as possible.
“It is our duty as homeowners, myself included, to make sure the water meter is visible and/or marked off to decrease the chances of accidentally breaking a meter or its parts,” Blakely said.