1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the submetering and allocation of water service in 1-3 apartment houses, manufactured home rental communities, 1-4 condominiums, and other multiple use facilities. 1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-6 SECTION 1. Section 13.502, Water Code, is amended to read as 1-7 follows: 1-8 Sec. 13.502. SUBMETERING. (a) An apartment house owner, 1-9 manufactured home rental community owner, multiple use facility 1-10 owner, or condominium manager may provide for submetering of each 1-11 dwelling unit or rental unit for the measurement of the quantity of 1-12 water, if any, consumed by the occupants of that unit. 1-13 (b) Except as provided by Subsections (c) and (d), a manager 1-14 of a condominium or the owner of an apartment house, manufactured 1-15 home rental community, or multiple use facility, on which 1-16 construction begins after January 1, 2003, shall provide for the 1-17 measurement of the quantity of water, if any, consumed by the 1-18 occupants of each unit through the installation of: 1-19 (1) submeters, owned by the property owner or manager, 1-20 for each dwelling unit or rental unit; or 1-21 (2) individual meters, owned by the retail public 1-22 utility, for each dwelling unit or rental unit. 1-23 (c) An owner of an apartment house on which construction 1-24 begins after January 1, 2003, and which provides government 2-1 assisted or subsidized rental housing to low or very low income 2-2 residents shall install a plumbing system in the apartment house 2-3 that is compatible with the installation of submeters for the 2-4 measurement of the quantity of water, if any, consumed by the 2-5 occupants of each unit. 2-6 (d) On request by the property owner or manager, a retail 2-7 public utility shall install individual meters owned by the utility 2-8 in an apartment house, manufactured home rental community, multiple 2-9 use facility, or condominium on which construction begins after 2-10 January 1, 2003, unless the retail public utility determines that 2-11 installation of meters is not feasible. If the retail public 2-12 utility determines that installation of meters is not feasible, the 2-13 property owner or manager shall install a plumbing system that is 2-14 compatible with the installation of submeters or individual meters. 2-15 A retail public utility may charge reasonable costs to install 2-16 individual meters. 2-17 (e) An owner of an apartment house, manufactured home rental 2-18 community, or multiple use facility or a manager of a condominium 2-19 may not change from submetered billing to allocated billing unless: 2-20 (1) the executive director approves of the change in 2-21 writing after a demonstration of good cause, including meter 2-22 reading or billing problems that could not feasibly be corrected or 2-23 equipment failures; and 2-24 (2) the property owner meets rental agreement 2-25 requirements established by the commission. 2-26 SECTION 2. Subchapter M, Chapter 13, Water Code, is amended 2-27 by adding Section 13.506 to read as follows: 3-1 Sec. 13.506. PLUMBING FIXTURES. (a) After January 1, 2003, 3-2 before an owner of an apartment house, manufactured home rental 3-3 community, or multiple use facility or a manager of a condominium 3-4 may implement a program to bill tenants for submetered or allocated 3-5 water service, the owner or manager must: 3-6 (1) meet the standards prescribed by Section 372.002, 3-7 Health and Safety Code, for sink or lavatory faucets, faucet 3-8 aerators, and showerheads; and 3-9 (2) perform a water leak audit of each dwelling unit 3-10 or rental unit and each common area and repair any leaks found. 3-11 (b) Not later than the first anniversary of the date an 3-12 owner of an apartment house, manufactured home rental community, or 3-13 multiple use facility or a manager of a condominium begins to bill 3-14 for submetered or allocated water service under Subsection (a), the 3-15 owner or manager shall: 3-16 (1) remove any toilets that exceed a maximum flow of 3-17 3.5 gallons of water per flushing; and 3-18 (2) install 1.6-gallon toilets that meet the standards 3-19 prescribed by Section 372.002, Health and Safety Code. 3-20 (c) Subsections (a) and (b) do not apply to a manufactured 3-21 home rental community owner who does not own the manufactured homes 3-22 located on the property of the manufactured home rental community. 3-23 SECTION 3. (a) This Act takes effect September 1, 2001. 3-24 (b) The Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission shall 3-25 enact rules to implement Section 13.506, Water Code, as added by 3-26 this Act, and the changes in law made by this Act to Section 3-27 13.502, Water Code, not later than September 1, 2002. _______________________________ _______________________________ President of the Senate Speaker of the House I certify that H.B. No. 2404 was passed by the House on May 5, 2001, by a non-record vote; that the House refused to concur in Senate amendments to H.B. No. 2404 on May 24, 2001, and requested the appointment of a conference committee to consider the differences between the two houses; and that the House adopted the conference committee report on H.B. No. 2404 on May 27, 2001, by a non-record vote. _______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House I certify that H.B. No. 2404 was passed by the Senate, with amendments, on May 22, 2001, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0, 1 present, not voting; at the request of the House, the Senate appointed a conference committee to consider the differences between the two houses; and that the Senate adopted the conference committee report on H.B. No. 2404 on May 27, 2001, by a viva-voce vote. _______________________________ Secretary of the Senate APPROVED: __________________________ Date __________________________ Governor