Keep Informed about Your Water Service
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Frequently Asked Questions
Will you be raising my rates to pay for this?
There will be no additional cost to the customer to install the upgraded meters. The project has been in the planning stage for a long time. Funds have been budgeted for this project using our existing rate and fee structure.
What brand of meters does the District use?
Click here for a detailed information paper from Mueller Systems, the manufacturer, on our meters.
How is the meter reading “captured”?
Our District trucks are equipped with software capable of receiving the reading via radio wave technology. When it is time for the meter reader to collect readings for a specific cycle, they upload a file containing the meter IDs in that cycle onto the software in their truck, as they drive through the cycle service area the readings are transmitted from the meters and captured by the software in the truck. The ID numbers that were uploaded are matched up to the information received from the meter, and the reading is recorded for that meter.
How will you know you have my reading and not my neighbors?
The data that each meter transmits includes an identification number unique to that meter. Before leaving the Main Office to collect readings, each District truck is loaded with meter IDs. As they drive by your location, the information uploaded to the truck software is matched to the ID number transmitting from your meter. If the information does not match, no reading is captured, and the District must investigate further the reason for the skipped reading.
Click here to view a diagram of this process.
Is my account information secure?
Yes, only meter consumption readings and meter ID numbers are transmitted. Personal customer information is not loaded into the transmitter.
Can the new software change my reading?
No, the device that transmits the reading operates as a one-way transmission only. It does not have the ability to affect the device inside the water meter that measures consumption.
Do I need to do anything to prepare for the installation?
No, the installation will be seamless. You may not even realize the work was done. However, to keep everyone safe, if you have a dog that is loose outside where we would be performing the work, we may ask you to keep the dog inside or leashed until we are finished.
Will the wireless technology affect my health or security?
The new meters will not negatively affect health. The wireless portions of the system will be operated according to Federal Communications Commission rules and will not interfere with other radio frequencies in the area. The transmitters use one-quarter of the power of a cell phone. The amount of exposure to radio waves is tiny compared to cell phones, wireless baby monitors, television broadcasts, garage door openers, microwave ovens, cordless home phones, and WiFi networks.
Does the transmitter run on my home's electricity?
No, the transmitters run on c cell batteries with a very long lifespan.
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