Procedure for sealing water meters

Is it necessary to seal the water meter?

The procedure for sealing a water meter is considered mandatory and regulated by law. If there is a seal, this guarantees the correct installation and use of the device. A water utility inspector will not put a seal on a faulty meter: water meters that are not marked with a seal are not allowed for use by apartment residents.

Indicators taken from faulty and unsealed water meters are not taken into account. Tariffs for water consumption are set according to a regulatory table, but this tariff is considered unprofitable for users. Therefore, most residents install meters in their apartments.

According to regulatory data, there are 6.9 cubic meters of cold water and 4.7 cubic meters of hot water per person.

Such consumption is considered inappropriate, exceeding real indicators, therefore, from an economic point of view, installing water meters will be more profitable.

When is it necessary to seal the meter?

The law requires sealing to be carried out in the following cases:

1. Initial installation.
2. End of service life of the water meter.
3. The device has become faulty.
4. The ball valve was broken.
5. The integrity of the water meter was accidentally compromised.
6. Replacement of valves and taps responsible for water supply is required.
7. There was an accident.
8. Initially, there was no seal, and there was no passport for the metering device.

During the initial installation, the technician from the management company fills out all the paperwork for the water meter, and if he has the appropriate authority, he seals it. If the plumber does not have the right to seal the meter, then after installing it, they call an inspector from the city water utility. The technician carefully inspects the device for correct installation, then places a seal.

When the meter's service life comes to an end, it is also important to seal it. To do this, the water meter must be replaced or verified. These actions are carried out by a representative of the water utility or the relevant organization. The water meter is checked on site or dismantled and taken to a service center. After installing the device, a seal is made in its place.

In case of unintentional damage to the water meter, in case of an accident in the water supply system, in case of breakdown of ball valves, valves and other components of the water supply system, the meter is sealed. When carrying out repair work, you will most likely need to dismantle the water meter. Therefore, after its installation, you need to call a specialist to carry out legal commissioning and sealing.

For reference: if there is no seal on the meter initially, then you need to hurry. During inspection, the apartment owner may receive a fine for failure to fulfill obligations before the law. All documents and passports must be provided to organizations that keep records of water consumption readings.

Where to go and what you need to seal water meters

From July 1, 2012, the installation of water meters in an apartment or private house is considered mandatory. If the rules are not followed, homeowners are punished with fines. Installing a water meter, as well as its sealing, is considered an integral process when putting the device into operation. To understand how the procedure occurs, you need to consider where to apply for the service and what documents are needed to implement it:

1. Who performs the filling? The procedure is carried out by authorized employees of the city water utility company or the organization to which the subscriber pays a monthly fee for resource consumption. This includes municipal enterprises, homeowners' associations or management companies. These organizations have entered into an agreement with the water utility for the possibility of self-sealing when installing or replacing a device. Some utilities exempt themselves from the authority to seal the water meter. They refer consumers to private organizations that provide this service.
2. What documents are required for filling? Until 2010, management companies required a special license to seal a meter. It gave organizations the authority to seal; today this document has been abolished. In order for the technician to be able to attach a seal to the water meter, it is necessary to provide him with the passport of the metering device at the time of the procedure. When the seal is installed, a company employee must draw up a report on the work done. This act indicates the meter number, the name of the organization, and the date of its sealing. The seal number and technical data of the water meter are also written down here.

If the procedure was carried out according to the rules, the acceptance certificate is signed by two persons - the owner of the apartment and the foreman.

The document is sent to the management company and stored there until the next water meter sealing date.

Who does it

The most common question that arises among apartment owners where water meters need to be sealed is who is involved in this activity. There may be several options:

• Management Company;
• housing maintenance office;
• water utility

To find out exactly how the work is done and where to go for help, you can call the management company’s hotline or visit its website. If it is the management company that is responsible for sealing and checking water meters, then you can leave a request for the service directly on the website. There you need to indicate your address, in particular, the apartment number, as well as your last name. At the appointed hour, the technician will visit the subscriber and take the appropriate actions. At the end of the procedure, the parties must sign the commissioning certificate, since it is prohibited to use an unsealed meter for its intended purpose.

When contacting the DEZ or Housing Office, the actions will be similar. The subscriber calls the specified number, leaves a request and waits for the technician at a certain time. If the city water utility does the sealing, then the procedure is smoother, since the service is provided directly from the resource supplier. Acceptance for use occurs after the subscriber has read all its conditions on the department’s website.

For reference. To agree on the date of acceptance of the metering device, you must call the number provided on the Vodokanal website or appear in person. Each organization has a set work schedule for a technician who will arrive at the appointed time for sealing.

If the sealing was carried out by third-party companies, then the act of putting the water meter into operation must be handed over to the water utility in person. You can write a letter and send it by email, attaching scanned copies or photographs of existing documents.

How much does it cost to seal a water meter?

According to established legislation, the initial sealing of water meters is free of charge. The subscriber does not have to pay anything at the end of the procedure. Several cases where no fee is charged:

• if an emergency replacement of pipes and fittings was carried out, which was the reason for resealing the device;
• if the meter is new, installed after a device that has expired.

The data is specified in Art. 20 Federal Law “On Water Supply and Sewage”, so if a master tries to take payment for his services, such actions will be considered illegal. There are a number of cases when filling is carried out for a fee. When the seal is broken due to the fault of the apartment owner, it can only be restored for money. Depending on the region and city, this cost can vary from 600 to 2000 rubles. In this case, the service life of the device will be different: for example, old water meters have a longer service life. When answering the question whether you need to pay for a filling, you can first find out about it by phone.

Important. From the moment the application is submitted, an employee of the water utility or management company must put a seal within 15 days. The operator accepts the application, and the day before the master’s visit, calls the subscriber back to confirm his presence in the apartment at the designated time. Work often takes place within 3 days or 1 week, so you won’t have to wait long. For the waiting period, tariffs are carried out according to the regulatory table established by the department.

Who is responsible for checking meters for hot water supply and hot water supply?

To seal hot water and cold water meters, you need to identify the organization that manages the housing.
Additionally, you can obtain information about the company performing the duties of controlling the IPU. Read also: Law on Domestic Violence

Then an application is drawn up addressed to the director of the division or company. The essence of the appeal is to install and/or seal a water meter. The document contains information:

1. Details of the owner of the premises or tenant - full name form, residential address, contact details.
2. Information about the metering device.
3. The address where the IPUs are located.
4. Type, license plate of the meter.
5. Attach a copy of the installation certificate.
6. Indicate the reasons for installing the seal.
7. Specify your preferred time for completing the work.
8. Attach copies of technical data sheets of devices.

The application must be completed in two copies. One paper remains in the archives of the RSO or management organization, and on the second form a mark is placed on the registration of the appeal. If it is impossible to personally submit the application, documents may be sent by Russian post. The letter must be of a registered nature, with notification.

After registering the appeal, the RSO or management company is required to send an employee to carry out the work. The application execution period is no more than 15 days. In reality, the event takes place over 3-4 days.

If the owner sent the application within the established time frame, and the management company employee did not seal it within fifteen days, then the consumer has the right to pay according to the old IPU. The date of calculation of new settlements is the day of drawing up the act.

How to seal a water meter when first installing or replacing

Having decided who will seal the water meter - the management company or the water utility, you can fill out an application and wait for the procedure to be completed. To put a seal on the meter, the subscriber must prepare all the documentation and also be sure that the device is installed in accordance with all existing legal rules. After submitting the application, a technician visits the designated apartment and carries out the sealing procedure.

During initial installation, the application must be filled out as follows:

• owner details – passport information, apartment address;
• owner contact information;
• planned date of commissioning of the water meter, its serial number;
• certificate of installation of a water meter;
• information about the company installing the water meter;
• the latest readings of the device, if it has already been used;
• date of the next verification of the device.

When replacing the device, the same data is indicated, only the water consumption readings are not taken into account. If the device is replaced, the indicators are reset to zero and after commissioning they are counted from zero. The filling itself is simple: the master uses a special device called a seal. It has a small hole through which the wire is threaded. This wire is also threaded through the eyelet in the meter. Then the seal is fixed at the bonding site.

We recommend. You cannot open, tear or cut the seal yourself in order to manipulate the meter. Such actions are punishable by law and entail a fine; you will have to reinstall the seal, this time at a cost.

Persons involved in sealing water meters

You need to contact the Criminal Code or RSO to have your water meter sealed.
Independent work is prohibited. The procedure is performed by employees of a licensed organization. When submitting an application, you must request to present a certificate. Such companies often cooperate with management companies, homeowners' associations and TSN. In some cases, management organizations additionally receive certificates for carrying out such work. The resource is supplied to the residential premises of apartment buildings in two ways:

1. Cold water supply to a heating boiler or gas water heater. In this case, the installation of only one IPU is required - HVS.
2. The apartment is supplied with two mains - hot and cold water supply. The seal is installed on 2 devices.

DHW

Before the start of the activities, the employee analyzes compliance with the installation standards of the IPU. If the procedure is performed for the first time, then the integrity and operability of the metering device is established. Additionally, technical passports are requested.

After installation of the device, an employee of the RSO or management company issues a certificate to the owner. The document must contain information:

• the date of the;
• information about the inspector and consumer;
• apartment address;
• IPU type and number;
• indications at the time of installation;
• day for next verification;
• water supply unit diagram;
• seal identifiers.

  
  Sample act of sealing a water meter

HVS

Regarding the question of who should seal the water meter, it should be noted that such companies can be different organizations. Experts recommend that consumers request supporting documents - certificates, licenses. Based on the results of the work, an act is issued, a copy of which is transferred to the RSO.

To prevent problems, you should choose a company carefully. In some cases, the procedure is performed on a paid basis. Therefore, before concluding a contract, you need to check:

1. Licensing of activities for sealing domestic hot water and hot water supply devices. The owner receives guarantees about the legality of the events.
2. The company provides after-sales service and a guarantee for the manipulations performed, including when replacing the IPU.
3. Correct execution of documentation for the ordered procedures - contract for the installation of the IPU, verification certificate, etc.

Note: the employee is required to visit the apartment upon application no later than five days from the date of registration of the application. The maximum period is 15 days.

Upon completion of the procedure, a document is issued - a sealing certificate. The text of the document should contain information similar to that for installing the device on a hot water supply. If the master is absent at the time specified in the application, the owner has the right to continue to use the resource. The consumer pays for consumption based on readings taken from old meters. Imposing penalties for late payments is illegal.

Read also: Is the second shift legal at school in 2021?

What happens if the seal is broken?

After replacing the meter, as well as installing the seal, the user undertakes to comply with the law. Violation of the integrity of the seal leads to liability. Even if the subscriber has not reported violations to the appropriate organization, inspectors will discover them when checking the meter - if the wire is torn off or cut, then this is considered non-compliance with the rules.

Unscrupulous consumers may resort to various tricks to reduce their utility bills.

A broken filling has the following external signs:

1. The plastic seal is completely susceptible to breakage.
2. If a sticker seal is used, an inscription appears on it.
3. If the “Expert” protective device is used, the body is susceptible to cracking.
4. When using anti-magnetic tape, it will change color.
5. In a conventional seal, the wire or twine winding is broken.

In total, there are three types of violations: standard breaking of the seal, without interfering with the operation of the device, connection without using the meter, illegal use of magnets. The minimum fine will be 200 rubles, but this figure varies depending on the city. If the seal was broken and the subscriber connected the water supply bypassing the water meter, the penalty increases. It is at least 1000 rubles. With the additional use of magnets, the fine will be 200-300 thousand rubles, the subscriber may be punished with imprisonment.

What to do if the seal on the water meter is broken. Unmetered water consumption

When registering a water meter, a representative of the service company seals it and writes down the seal number in the report (by the way, now many resource supply companies install anti-magnetic seals on the water meter), and also records the current meter readings.

The seal is installed in order to prevent unauthorized persons from interfering with the operation of the device for the purpose of illegal use of water.

But sometimes circumstances develop in such a way that the seal on the water meter was torn off without malicious intent.

What to do next, and will there be a fine for this?

What is considered unaccounted for water use, and what is the punishment for it?

Before moving on to the problem of a broken seal, you need to figure out what is considered unmetered use of water, and what is interference in the operation of the meter or unauthorized consumption.

Unmetered water consumption is the consumption of water in the absence of metering devices (there may be various reasons - the meter is out of order, was never installed).

Illegal water consumption (as well as interference with the operation of the meter) is considered under the following conditions:

• Each subscriber using water must enter into an agreement with the company providing such service. Consumption of water in the absence of such an agreement is an unauthorized connection.
• Unauthorized connection of a home water supply to the central system without the appropriate documentation authorizing these actions is considered illegal.
• Interference with the operation of a water meter is considered to be: the presence of mechanical damage to the water meter, loose fitting of the indicator glass, or violation of the integrity of the seal.

However, not every unmetered water consumption is punishable by large fines: if the meter simply fails for reasons beyond the control of the consumer, then the supplier makes a calculation based on the average consumption of the utility resource over the last 6 months.

In other cases (in case of unauthorized connection, breaking the seal and failure to report this fact, or interfering with the operation of the meter), this is punishable by a fine.

Punishment for illegal use of water

With the rise in prices for utility bills, cases of water theft have become more frequent. Supply companies began to actively fight against unaccounted consumption. If unaccounted use of water is detected, especially during unauthorized connection, the subscriber has the right to take the following actions:

• a representative of the resource supply or management company draws up a report on unauthorized connection to water supply systems or a report on interference with the operation of the metering unit;
• The cost of consumed water is recalculated for the last 3 months or from the date of the last inspection based on the power of unauthorized connected equipment (for unauthorized connection) or based on ten times the water consumption standards.

What does the subscriber face if the seal is accidentally broken?

An ordinary seal in the form of a lead or plastic stamp is hung by the inspector on the meter using a thin wire, fishing line or thread. Sometimes they rot on their own due to dampness. It happens that a person accidentally gets caught on a seal or children can tear it off. There are many options.

The legislation does not provide for a fine for accidentally breaking a seal from a metering station; however, there are some pitfalls. If the subscriber lives in an apartment building where a HOA has been created, the amount of the fine may be separately displayed in the contract. In other cases, the service provider is guided by current legislation.

If the seal was accidentally broken, the subscriber must immediately report the fact of the seal breaking and the current readings at the time of its breaking to the resource supplying organization (HOA or management company).

In this case, failure of the seal will be regarded as a breakdown of the water meter. In accordance with 59 Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 354 of 05/06/2011, the subscriber is allowed to recover the cost of the resource based on the average monthly volume of water consumption during the period of absence of the seal.

If you do not notify the water supplier about the seal being broken, and this fact is revealed during the inspection, then the calculation will be made for cases of interference with the operation of the metering unit - based on ten times the volume.

What to do with an accidentally broken seal so as not to be accused of interfering with the operation of the meter?

To avoid charges of interfering with the operation of the water meter after an accidentally broken seal, you must contact the service provider before repairing your apartment or replacing plumbing. Even if the old water supply is supposed to be replaced, a company representative will document the removal of the seal, as well as the meter, and the whole process will be painless and without consequences.

If a seal accidentally breaks, you should not put the problem on hold and immediately contact the appropriate water meter service organization. This could be a management company, HOA, water utility or other service company.

The most correct way would be to submit a written application in two copies. One of them remains with the subscriber. The application shows the reason and time of the seal failure, and also stipulates the date of arrival of a representative to carry out a new seal. The second copy of the application will be useful to the subscriber if the controller fails to appear on time. The document will not give the right to charge a fee for using water without a meter based on ten times the standard.

If it is impossible to visit the company in person, one copy of the application can be sent by registered mail with mandatory notification of receipt. In any case, a timely submitted application relieves the subscriber of a fine for accidentally breaking the seal. If, after checking the metering unit and payment receipts for previous months of water use, no violations are revealed, the apartment owner will only have to pay for a new sealing of his water meter.

Based on your application, a representative of the resource supply company will easily seal the cold water or hot water meter and the problem will be solved.

Still have questions? Do you want answers to them?

Here you can ask a question free of charge to the experts or lawyers of the gkh-konsultant.ru portal.

Who can avoid installing water meters?

If the subscriber lives in a room in which installation of a water meter is impossible for technical reasons, then he has the right to refuse installation of the device. This includes the following cases:

• house in disrepair;
• old pipeline requiring major repairs and complete replacement of the water supply system;
• there are no conditions for correct installation of the meter.

All these cases allow the consumer not to install a water meter. Then the calculation of the consumption of cubic meters will be carried out using standard data regulated by the water utility.