On November 1, a new state standard for checking water meters came into force in Russia. The relevant order of the Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology is published on the legal information portal.
Turn away from the gate
The new state standard directly affects many residents of Murmansk, since individual water meters are installed in most apartments in the city.
Why is a new standard needed? How will this affect the lives of Murmansk residents? Who in the regional center can currently calibrate water meters? About everything in order.
In fact, the reasons for the introduction of a new State Standard are exactly two. First, the new standard improves the quality of the inspection itself and its reliability, and also stimulates a gradual transition to new systems for reporting water consumption. In the future – with automated data transfer.
The second reason is less obvious, but no less important. The fact is that recently the number of fraud cases related to the verification of metering devices has increased sharply. Citizens representing certain organizations go around the apartments and offer to check the counters. Sometimes for a lot of money.
The result of such a “check” is a waste of time and money.
Now, according to the new GOST, organizations performing inspection must have appropriate accreditation. And this accreditation must be reflected on the website of the Federal Accreditation Service on the page https://poverka.fsa.gov.ru/.
Currently, according to this site, in Murmansk only FBU “Murmansk CSM” has accreditation for checking water meters (record number in RAL RA.RU.311466).
However, it is possible that the number of accredited companies will increase in the very near future.
But in this case, you should understand that the employees of an accredited organization, due to their heavy workload, do not bypass the housing stock with proposals for checking meters, but work on requests.
So, if you have not made such an application and someone unexpectedly rings your doorbell and offers to check the counters, you can safely give a turn from the gate: these are scammers.
Do I believe or change?
How often should meters be checked? Information about this is indicated in the passport of the device. Typically, the life of a water meter is five to six years. In addition, the countdown can be carried out both from the date of manufacture of the device and from the date of sale – this must be indicated in the store. After that, it is necessary to carry out an inspection or replace the meter with a new one.
Basically, for the price, it will cost about the same amount. For example, the cost of Murmansk CSM’s work for checking one cold or hot water meter with a diameter of 15 mm with the inspector’s visit to the place of work is 780 rubles (including VAT at the rate of 20 percent).
The cheapest water meters will cost about 500-600 rubles. In addition, you will have to pay a certain amount for installation and calling a sealing specialist.
However, all this is provided that the resident uses cheap meters. If the meter is installed expensively (namely, this is what the new standard insists on and, in principle, the whole concept of development of housing and communal services, which includes the transition to maximum automation in the transmission of consumption data), then it is better, of course, not to change anything, but to trust the device. In addition, modern verification methods allow you to make the necessary measurements without disassembling the device itself.
Dmitry VARZUGIN.
Pictures from open internet sources.
.