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The City's aggressive leak detection and water audit program has lowered unaccounted <br />water use to below 15 %, the goal established by the American Water Works Association <br />(AWWA). The City will continue to refine these programs with a goal of reducing and <br />maintaining unaccounted usage below 12 %. <br />5.2 Universal Metering <br />The City meters all water connections within the service area, and estimates unmetered <br />uses such as fire fighting, line flushing and water leaks. Construction water from hydrants is <br />allowed only through portable metering devices controlled by the City. Compound water meters <br />are used for businesses that are likely to experience periodic low flows, such as apartment <br />complexes and restaurants. Turbo meters are used for those businesses that are likely to <br />experience only high flows such as car washes, laundromats and irrigation. In 1987, the City <br />implemented a meter replacement program in which all water meters within the service area are <br />replaced on a ten -year cycle. In 1996 the City added a large meter testing program in which <br />meters four inches and larger are tested annually and repaired or replaced as needed, using <br />AWWA standards for meter accuracy. Most malfunctioning meters are repaired immediately <br />unless it is determined that replacement is necessary. Testing is accomplished through flow <br />comparison with a calibrated digital water meter with each meter tested at high, medium, and <br />low flows. In addition to scheduled replacement and testing, meters that are suspected of <br />malfunction are investigated immediately and repaired or replaced as needed. <br />In 2013 the City completed installation of an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) <br />system for both water and electric meters. The AMI system provides hourly water usage data <br />which City staff uses in water conservation audits and to identify customer -side leaks. The City <br />will continue to expand use of this data in conservation programs. <br />5.3 Water Conservation Ordinances <br />In 1994, the City adopted its first year -round water conservation ordinance. This <br />ordinance was adopted along with the drought management rules, and prohibited both charity car <br />washes and landscape watering with sprinklers during daytime hours. <br />In 2004 the City adopted a revised Land Development Code which includes landscape <br />water conservation measures for new development. These ordinances encourage developers and <br />homebuilders to utilize low -water landscape materials, to limit turf areas to no more than 50% of <br />