MONROE - The City of Monroe is preparing to replace 4,500 obsolete water meters with electronic meters and a radio transmitting system over the next three years.
City officials say the new automatic meter reading system is more accurate, will reduce labor costs and can help staff find leaks before they create a nightmare bill for customers.
"The system can be set up however we need it, to get reports on a daily or weekly basis," said Phil Rath, city administrator. "We can get final readings, when a customer moves, within hours. And we can catch a leak possibly in a week or two, instead of the three months when the billings normally come out."
Catching leaks earlier will not only save customers' money, but preserve the natural resource, said Mike Kennison, water utility supervisor.
"We need to jump forward," Kennison added.
The current water meters have plastic parts that wear out, and they are replaced on a 10-year cycle. Replacements are due now.
However, production of the meters was discontinued in December 2010, and the city is running out of parts.
The new meters have no moving parts; instead, they use magnetic flow sensors, which make them more accurate, said Kennison.
They are programmable and tamper-proof, and have a 20-year life cycle. Meter readings will be picked up and sent to City Hall from a transceiver via a dedicated radio signal.
The Board of Public Works sent its recommendation to the council on Monday, for the purchase of the Sensus Fixed Base System, including the meters, transmitters, computer infrastructure and licensing, for about $1.4 million. The project includes an additional $138,000 for contingencies.
The utility plans to use employees to replace the meters, adding about $25,000 to the project cost. It did not request an installation package from Sensus, which would have added about $350,000 to the project.
The meter replacement is a mandatory installation, but property owners will not incur any costs for the installation.
The Common Council is expected to vote on the project today, Jan. 17. The project is paid from utility user fees and is not part of the tax levy.
City officials say the new automatic meter reading system is more accurate, will reduce labor costs and can help staff find leaks before they create a nightmare bill for customers.
"The system can be set up however we need it, to get reports on a daily or weekly basis," said Phil Rath, city administrator. "We can get final readings, when a customer moves, within hours. And we can catch a leak possibly in a week or two, instead of the three months when the billings normally come out."
Catching leaks earlier will not only save customers' money, but preserve the natural resource, said Mike Kennison, water utility supervisor.
"We need to jump forward," Kennison added.
The current water meters have plastic parts that wear out, and they are replaced on a 10-year cycle. Replacements are due now.
However, production of the meters was discontinued in December 2010, and the city is running out of parts.
The new meters have no moving parts; instead, they use magnetic flow sensors, which make them more accurate, said Kennison.
They are programmable and tamper-proof, and have a 20-year life cycle. Meter readings will be picked up and sent to City Hall from a transceiver via a dedicated radio signal.
The Board of Public Works sent its recommendation to the council on Monday, for the purchase of the Sensus Fixed Base System, including the meters, transmitters, computer infrastructure and licensing, for about $1.4 million. The project includes an additional $138,000 for contingencies.
The utility plans to use employees to replace the meters, adding about $25,000 to the project cost. It did not request an installation package from Sensus, which would have added about $350,000 to the project.
The meter replacement is a mandatory installation, but property owners will not incur any costs for the installation.
The Common Council is expected to vote on the project today, Jan. 17. The project is paid from utility user fees and is not part of the tax levy.