By DEAN REA/Correspondent/The Herald — The operator climbs into a truck, hangs an antenna outside, picks up a computer-like tablet, drives around Lowell and collects information needed to bill every customer for the past month’s water use in about 15 minutes.
That’s the scenario that Max Baker, public works director, has in mind as crew members replace the city’s 455 water meters as part of a three-year upgrade scheduled for completion in 2023.
Today, it takes a crew member as long as 5 minutes to check an old-style meter, some installed as early as the 1960s, because numbers have to be recorded on each meter. Work may be slowed because some meters are located under vehicles and others are guarded by pet dogs. The new digital meters erase those problems.
The City Council endorsed the project in 2019 and 10 meters were installed. This year, public works crew members expect to replace 200 meters with the digital meters that cost $268 each.
“They are over 99 percent accurate, monitor water temperature, are equipped with a flow-meter and a tamper alarm,” Baker said. “The meter also has an indicator that alerts us if a customer’s line is leaking.”
The new water meters are not expected to result in a huge increase in a customer’s water bill, Baker said. “If the customer is billed for more water use than in the past, it shouldn’t be that much more costly.”
“Customers only pay $5.39 per 1,000 gallons,” he said.
The old meters still are of value, Baker said. “We strip the brass out of them and sell for scrap.”
Be prepared, however, because the batteries in the new digital meters must be replaced every 20 years.