17Metering of amounts of variable charges

17 Metering of amounts of variable charges

(1)  If there is, on the area of land to which a scheme relates, only one meter in respect of a water service provided to the land, a regulated entity must not impose on a person, other than a body corporate formed under the Strata Titles Act 1998 , a variable charge for the water service, unless –

(a) the person is the owner of a lot that forms part of the scheme; and

(b) the amount of the charge imposed on the person consists of the proportion, of the variable charge in relation to the area of land, determined by apportioning the charge –

(i) on the basis of the general unit entitlement of the lot; or

(ii) if there is in respect of the lot a special unit entitlement for liability for charges for water use, on the basis of the special unit entitlement.

(2)  A variable charge for a water service, or a sewerage service, provided to a property must, if a meter in respect of the service is installed on the property and is working accurately, be calculated having regard to the records of the meter.

(3)  If a water meter is not working accurately, registers incorrectly or is removed from a property for any reason, a regulated entity may, for the purposes of determining the amount of a variable charge to be imposed in respect of the property, estimate the amount of water delivered to the property for each day during a period –

(a) based on the average amount of water supplied to the property under similar conditions on each day in another period; or

(b) based on the average amount of water supplied to the property on each day in another period after the meter is repaired or replaced; or

(c) by applying a correction factor, if the meter is found to have a consistent error in registering the amount of water being delivered.