§ 22-15. Estimation of bills when meter defective.

(1)

Where a meter has been found to have become inoperative or subject to malfunction or unable to be read during any one (1) billing period, the properly authorized employee of the parish water department shall have the right to render to such customer an estimated bill based upon the water consumption charged to the same account during the same billing period in the previous year; or estimate based on a twelve-month average, whichever is less.

(2)

Each such estimated bill shall be stamped with an explanation stating that the bill has been estimated in accordance with the rules and regulations governing the billing of water service and that, should the customer be dissatisfied with such an estimate, it shall be the duty of such customer to prove to the parish water department, by affidavit, that his use of water during the period for which the bill was estimated was less than the corresponding period for the previous year.

(3)

Upon presentation of satisfactory proof, the parish water department shall be authorized to proceed with a readjustment of such bill upon the basis of an objection standard promulgated in writing by the department. The department shall provide the consumer with a statement of the standard employed and shall maintain a copy of the standard employed by the particular department in its files.

(Ord. No. 93-276, § 1, 12-9-93)