Section 410.140  Testing Facilities and Equipment

a)         Each entity shall provide a meter shop adequately equipped with reference standards, instruments and other facilities, equipment, and personnel necessary to make the tests required of the entity by this Part.  Each entity shall provide working standards and portable standards necessary to make the tests required of the entity by this Part. All apparatus and equipment shall be available at all times during the entity's established business hours for the inspection of or use by authorized representatives of the Commission.  The entity shall take precautions to ensure that the meters used for billing and maintaining customers usage are not damaged in transit to or from any testing facility.

b)         Each entity shall verify the accuracy of all reference standards at least once every 12 months.  If the comparison indicates that the reference standard is in error by more than 0.5% on any combination on which it will be used, the entity shall adjust the standard to reduce the inaccuracy, if possible.  In any case, the entity shall apply the correction indicated by the certificate or calibration card accompanying the instrument (pursuant to subsection (d)).

c)         When in use for testing meters, all solid state working and portable standards shall be compared to a  reference standard at least once every six months. All other working and portable standards used regularly for testing meters shall be compared against a reference standard at least once every month. When working and portable standards are used for purposes other than testing meters, they shall be compared to a reference standard at least once each year. If found in error by more than 0.5%, the entity shall adjust the instrument to read within the specified limits or shall apply the proper correction factor.

d)         Each working, portable or reference standard shall be accompanied at all times by a certificate or calibration card signed or initialed by the person responsible for the calibration giving the date and results of the last calibration of the instrument. The entity shall keep any superseded certificates or calibration cards on file for at least 3 years.

e)         An authorized representative of the Commission may check or establish the accuracy of all testing equipment owned by each entity, as well as the methods of operation of testing equipment. An authorized representative of the Commission shall perform an audit of each entity's meter testing equipment and methods at least every 3 years.