Water Meters – Memphis Flyer

After months of debate and amendments, the Memphis City Council finally passed an ordinance that would require individual water meters to be installed at all newly constructed condominiums.

MLGW Master Water Meter

On Tuesday, April 1st, the Memphis Light, Gas, and Water (MLGW) Committee held its third and final reading of an ordinance proposed by Councilman Myron Lowery earlier this year that would require all condos or apartment complexes converted into condos to have individual water meters installed. The committee passed the ordinance, and it was subsequently heard by the full council. It was passed unanimously and will take effect July 1st.

The ordinance that passed is an amended version of Lowery’s original proposal, which requested that both all newly constructed condos and apartments have individual meters installed.

“We’re continuing to allow master water meters on apartments, but the minute an apartment complex is late paying their water bill, and I’m talking about one month late, it will automatically trigger action from Code Enforcement, and it will go in court,” Lowery said. “And the court has the right to appoint a receiver to collect rent [from tenants], so that the water bill will be paid. The goal is to ensure that everyone can stay in their home.”

Lowery was inspired to create the proposal after tenants of Garden Walk Condominiums in Raleigh were forced to evacuate their homes due to the homeowner’s association failing to pay the property’s $30,000 water bill. If the ordinance doesn’t eradicate the potential for similar occurrences in the future, Lowery said he’s going to re-propose the ordinance in its original form.

“This was really a compromise,” Lowery said. “If this process doesn’t work one time, I’m going back to the drawing board and asking for all newly constructed apartments as well as condominiums…Water is an essential service. Food, water, and shelter are what people need, and government is here to make sure that cities run properly. We’ve got to make sure that people have water.”

MLGW Master Water Meter

The city’s Memphis Light, Gas and Water Committee met with the MLGW board to discuss having individual water meters installed at newly-constructed condos and on conversions to condominiums today.

In January, City Councilman Myron Lowery proposed an ordinance that, if passed, would require all newly constructed condominiums to receive individual water meters. In the past, MLGW president Jerry Collins has said that the company was in support of Myron’s proposal. However, a decision wasn’t made regarding the proposed ordinance during the meeting Tuesday, March 18th. The matter is slated to be discussed during the next MLGW committee meeting on April 1st.

Another topic tackled during the meeting dealt with existing multi-family apartments and condominiums that have landlords neglecting to pay utility bills. Over recent years, this has had adverse impacts on tenants, and forced some to evacuate their homes. In 2013, tenants of Garden Walk Condominiums were required to exit their residences after a $30,000 water bill wasn’t fulfilled by its homeowner association.

To avoid similar occurrences in the future, the MLGW committee requested that if an apartment complex owner neglects to pay an existing MLGW water bill for two consecutive months, MLGW notifies Memphis Code Enforcement. Code Enforcement would then issue a citation and, if necessary, take the matter to court. This would be done to make sure MLGW is compensated for its distributed utilities and people would not be forced to leave their homes. A decision was not made on this proposal either and will also be revisited during the next committee meeting.