Meter Replacement Upgrade Program:
We have begun a three-year project of replacing water meters with radio read meters. These new meters will allow us to obtain important information such as leak detection within our system, when customers have a sudden rise in usage, when a meter has been disconnected, etc. We will physically need to walk by or drive by your property to receive the quarterly data.
The new radio read meters are what is referred to as Advanced Meter Reading (AMR) technology. These meters are NOT smart meters like CMP uses. A system that CMP (or a large water district like Portland) has is referred to as Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), which can remotely turn on or shut off your water. AMI uses 2-way communication, done remotely over a fixed network. AMR only receives usage data to our tablet. We are only able to turn water on or off by physically visiting your property and using the curb stop.
Some things have been brought to our attention during the beginning process of these meter changes. Many homes have old water valves, are in need of leak repair, or are missing critical pieces such as a backflow device, meter horn, or shut off valve after the meter. In these cases, our operator (Andy Gilson) or a local plumber we have hired (Chris Alves), will only replace the meter at NWD’s expense. Backflow devices, meters horns, meter valves, etc. are a requirement to be hooked onto the public water system. Any missing equipment will need to be installed ASAP at the customer’s expense. This can be done by a plumber of your choice, our operator, or the customer. We will need to inspect the work once it’s complete. For those wanting to replace old or leaky water shut off valves or repair other plumbing issues – you may schedule an appointment to repair the work at your expense, as this is part of your household plumbing.
A total of approximately 420 water meters will need to be replaced throughout the entire system. We have chosen to begin with one of our three reading routes. The route we began with has the oldest meters overall in the system. If a meter needs to be changed in another part of the system, it will be upgraded with a radio read meter. There is no charge to the customer to have the meter changed as an upgrade. If a meter has frozen or been damaged and needs replacement, you will be charged for the upgrade.
Our district operator, Andy, and local plumber Chris Alves, are performing the meter upgrades. You will be called to schedule the meter change. If the phone call isn’t returned to schedule the upgrade, a card will be left on your door. If Andy, Chris, or our office still doesn’t receive a call within a reasonable amount of time, you may receive a disconnect notice for failure to provide access to our equipment. The average time to replace a meter is about 30 minutes.
For any questions about this project, you can reach the Norridgewock Water District office at 634-2660 between 9:00 am – 1:00 pm on Wednesday or Thursday – or you may email office staff any day of the week at norridgewockwaterdistrict@gmail.com (or using the link at the bottom of this page).