A. All meters shall be and remain the property of the city. The charge for flat or metered fire service shall be a ready-to-serve charge, and charge for water consumed.

B. In all cases where meters are lost, injured or broken by carelessness or negligence of owners or occupants of premises, they shall be replaced or repaired by or under the direction of the superintendent and the cost charged against the owner or occupant, and in case of nonpayment, water shall be shut off and will not be turned on until such charge and the charge for turning on the water are paid. In event of the meter getting out of order by failing to register properly, the consumer shall be charged on an estimate made by the superintendent on the average monthly consumption during the last three months that the same was in good order, or from what he may consider to be the most reliable data at his command.