May 2, 2022 |
In Saratoga, a private contractor hired by the town is in the process of changing out the meters and pressure reducing valves to all of the water commercial and residential users in the community. The hardware is contained in a vault just below ground surface at each lot connected to the system.
Public Works Director Jon Winter told Town Council at the April 19th meeting that his department had taken delivery of all of the procurement items needed for the project.
Pictured above: Neptune water meter. Photo by Jim O’Reilly/Bigfoot 99.
A post on the town’s web site states that the work began on April 25th. Installing the meters before groundwater rises in the lower sections of town was a priority throughout the scheduling of the project timeline.
During connection of the new hardware at each property, water service will be turned off briefly to that lot. A notice on the town website alerts homeowners that they will be notified before work begins. The water will be turned for 30 minutes or less to remove the old meter and pressure reducing valves and install the new plumbing.
The Neptune solid state meters use an industry-standard Advanced Metering Infrastructure, or AMI. Radio-based technology built into the meters collects customer water usage data in real time, and relays it back to town hall, eliminating the need for manual water reads.
Winter also said that the AMI interface between the new meters and the town’s water billing system is expected to go smoothly. Winter said that he has been working with Assistant Clerk Brenda Mistelske on the transition.
The work of replacing the water meters to all of the properties around town with service is expected to take several weeks.
