A citywide water meter replacement program is under way in Conneaut, and officials hope the state-of-the-art devices sprout big bucks for the beleaguered budget.
Over the next few months, every old-style meter in town will be replaced by a new version expected to keep more accurate track of water used by customers. Neptune Technology Group was hired to handle the $1.3 million upgrade, and work began Wednesday, administrators said.
Bob Mannion, Conneaut's public services director, said the company will begin by converting meters located in the town's big water consumers. Notices have been delivered seeking appointments, he said.
Later, residential meters will be swapped out, Mannion said. Where interior meters are already in place, technicians will need to enter to complete installation, he said. Meters in outdoor pits can be changed at any time, but Neptune will try to give those customers advance notice, Mannion said.
Meter technicians will carry Neptune identification and travel in Neptune vehicles, he said. Customers will not have to make any payment for a new meter, Mannion said. A legitimate installer will not ask for money, he said.
Local leaders expect the new meters will keep better tabs on water that flows to the city's 5,000-plus customers. Efficiency experts who have examined the system have estimated untold thousands of gallons of treated water are received without any payment back to the city.
City Manager Robert Schaumleffel Jr., who pushed hard for the automatic meter reading system, estimates water revenue could jump 20 percent when the new meters are up and running. The boost in revenue over time will help pay for the new meters.
Finance Director John Williams isn't so sure the upgrade will yield significant savings. A consultant who wanted to perform similar work awhile ago pulled dozens of meters at random, tested them and found they were still running at 90-percent efficiency or better, he said.
The entire meter transfer should be completed in six months, and the city could start charting changes in revenue a few months after that, Mannion said.
本文转自：China Industry News
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