Reading the snazzy new water meters

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

Anyone know how to read the new water meters the city is requiring?

Our household just got the new meter (after a series of increasingly aggravating postcards came our way, insisting we get it taken care RIGHT NOW OMG IT IS !!!URGENT!!!), and there's nothing on the damn thing that displays how much water has actually been used (the old one did). You'd think that given the city's fairly recent history of inaccurate water meter billing, they'd make it easy for people to tell when they were being billed incorrectly.

According to the city's website, "The state-of-the-art water meters will allow for more accurate billing and easy water usage monitoring by both the City and property owners." But, um, that suggests there's actually a display ON THE METER, right?

Comments

[mollyrazor.livejournal.com]

But, um, that suggests there's actually a display ON THE METER, right?

Actually, no, they get the readings from the meters wirelessly. So they don't have to actually see them. "The new water meters utilize a licensed radio frequency channel to deliver meter reading information directly to the City. A Meter Transmission Unit (MTU) attached to the meter transmits a signal to the City customer database. This occurs automatically and will result in exact billing for all water customers. "

Ahh, I love replying to myself :P

[mollyrazor.livejournal.com]

Of course, given that, I don't know what they mean by "easy water usage monitoring....by property owners."

Re: Ahh, I love replying to myself :P

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

Yeah :\

Unless they were supposed to leave -us- some little wireless thingy to read the meter with?

Re: Ahh, I love replying to myself :P

[treacle-well.livejournal.com]

or maybe you can look up the reading online?

Re: Ahh, I love replying to myself :P

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

That would be pretty horrible, and still prone to the same failures (bugs in programming, etc.) that just relying on the bill for accuracy would be.

[docorion.livejournal.com]

Well, some of the urgency is likely that they're required by *state* law to replace the water meter every N years, where I believe N=10 or so. That said, the last one I saw installed (this was in Quincy, when I was living there) still had the little dial thingies to read it, as well as the bulky wireless box dealio.

Much as I hate to suggest it-call 311?

311

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

Yeah - or the water department; I think we were hoping we could just avoid dealing with the bureaucrats. And we may need not do that; I found a cryptic note this morning about the meter, so maybe my housemate has figured out a way to read it after all.

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

Yes :) He doesn't have a nice little numerical readout, either. Or a "silence" button. Curse this modern technology!

Oh, those are the new ones.

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

The ones they can manipulate remotely :0

[laryu.livejournal.com]

You can read them manually. The cover has a hinge you can flip up and see the numbers.

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

I noticed the hinge. But it seems to be wired to the rest of the case with an anti-tampering wire . . . thing. Like, the only way we can open it is by cutting that wire, not just untwisting it, so then if they ever have to come in again and look at it, they'll think we "tampered" with the meter, instead of just read it. Did yours not have that?

[masswich.livejournal.com]

I think that is an anti-tampering wire (although I have 2 water meters and I think its only on one of them.)

The only way it appears that owners can monitor their water use is through their water bills. Before the new meters were put in, bills were usually estimates until someone finally comes and checks in. Then there is usually a HUGE adjustment resulting in sticker shock (and accusations).

Now with the new meters the bills will always (I assume) be real-time measurements of water use. That way you will know every 4 months how you are doing on water use. If you want a more frequent reading you can call DPW and ask them to take one. Don't know how responsible they will be.

In other words, you don't get a day-to-day sense of if you have a leak, but at least you don't get a $7000 bill six years from now.

Looks like a scam to me.

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

The user should be able to monitor their water bill... I still have the one with wheels inside my place, but they installed a new one outside as well.

Re: Looks like a scam to me.

[masswich.livejournal.com]

I don't think its a scam. I think its an attempt to fix the existing problem of water meters not being read very often by using Wifi technology, which is standard practice now. I am not sure why they put antitampering devices on the meters but maybe they've had a problem with tampering. It would be nice to be able to read my own water meter but to be honest, I doubt I'd do so very often. An accurate bill every billing cycle is probably good enough.

As a taxpayer I do want to make sure people aren't scamming the system by not paying for their water use, just like I want to make sure the City isn't overbilling me or neglecting my account and then sending me a $7000 bill to "catch up" after 10 years.

[laryu.livejournal.com]

The anti-tamper wire does not impinge the hinge. Just flip the anti-tamper to the side, and flip the hinge up. I had mine replaced a couple days ago and I have no problem doing this.

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it turns out my housemate figured this out after I went to bed last night. It's just a little hard to see what's going on in that dim corner of the basement :|