W-4 large meter sizing worksheet

When is the W-4 worksheet used?

The Water Available group reviews water meters and water services on building permits for the City and uses the W-4 worksheet to begin our building permit review.

The W-4 worksheet is used to determine what size the water meter needs to be. You must fill out a W-4 worksheet if you're:

• building a new commercial structure
• building a new apartment or mixed-use building
• doing a commercial alteration
• making tenant improvements to an existing building
• applying for a Public Works permit
• making a voluntary meter request

Information on how to fill out and submit the W-4 worksheet is below. A missing or incomplete W-4 worksheet will cause delay to the review process.

A separate W-4 worksheet is required for each meter.

Information needed for the W-4 worksheet

If you have an existing meter, it may be serving multiple tenant spaces, various floors, and separate structures. You will need to know how many fixtures and the types of fixtures the existing meter is serving. You will also need to know the number of fixtures and what kind of fixtures the meter will serve after construction.

If you need a new meter because there is no existing meter or you want an additional meter, you will need to know how many fixtures and what kind of fixturesthe new meter will serve.

Steps for completing the W-4 worksheet

1. If the existing meter will be retained, enter the number of each fixture by type the meter currently serves in the first column (Existing Fixture Qty). If there is not an existing meter, go to step 2.
2. Enter the proposed number of new fixtures by type in the second column (Proposed Fixture Qty).
3. Add existing and proposed fixture quantities together and enter into the third column (Existing and Proposed Fixture Total).
4. Multiply each fixture's total quantity by that fixture's multiplier in the fourth column and enter the result into the fifth column (Fixture Units). Fixture units on the W-4 form for flushometers and urinals are approximate values. If more than one flushometer or urinal is used, calculate fixture units according to 2017 Oregon Plumbing Specialty Code Table 610.10.
5. Add all fixture units for the Total Fixture Units (TFUs) below the fifth column.
6. Use the TFU's value to find the meter size on the reference chart at bottom of the form.

When is additional material required?

After the W-4 worksheet has been completed and submitted, the Water Available group will review the size of your existing meter and water service line from the water main to the meter.

If the water service line is found to be of adequate size but your meter is undersized, a meter upsize will be required. No site plan is required for this type of meter upsize; however, there will be installation and SDC charges associated with the meter upsize.

If the water service line is found to be undersized, a new service line will need to be installed by the Portland Water Bureau at the property owner's or developer's expense. In this case, your building permit plans must include a scalable site plan that identifies the location of the new service line. The location of your new service line must meet the site plan requirements outlined below. Your site plan will need to demonstrate minimum clearances from all existing and proposed above and below ground utilities and structures such as water services, hydrants, sewer lines, trees, power poles, guy-wires, etc.

Separation and site utility plan requirements for water service installations

Your site utility plan must meet all the following requirements per Portland City Code Title 21, OAR 333, TRN 9.07, and 10.19.

• To obtain underground utility information for your site utility plan, contact 811, Oregon Utility Notification Center. Keep your locate ticket number. You may be asked to provide it to the Water Available group during the permit review process.
• The site utility plan must be scalable and legible, showing all existing and proposed utilities and features, properly labeled, in the right-of-way. Show the whole street (curb to opposite curb) running along the entire length of the property frontage. Include easements, right-of-way lines, property lines, and curb lines (on both sides of the street).Show utilities serving both sides of the street.
• New water meters may not be placed in driveway wings.
• Water services must be perpendicular to the water main for the entire portion in the public right-of-way.
• The water meter should be adjacent to the curb in the public right-of-way.
• A new water service cannot be installed in the same location as an existing service.

Submitting a W-4 worksheet

If you're applying for a building permit, the W-4 worksheet included in the Commercial SDC form packet should be completed and submitted with your new commercial permit or commercial alteration permit through the Bureau of Development Services (BDS).

If a new or updated W-4 worksheet was requested in a checksheet, submit your W-4 worksheet through the BDS checksheet response process.

For meter requests without a building permit:

The W-4 worksheet and additional material can be submitted to the Water Available group by email, by mail, or in person.

• Email: Submit by email to devrev@portlandoregon.gov
• Mail: Mail to 1900 SW 4th Ave Suite 5000, Portland, Oregon 97201
• In person: Email us to schedule an in-person appointment

Forms and resources