City of Regina set to install new water meter technology

The City of Regina is planning to replace aging water meters with new technology.

In a media release Tuesday, the city said the new meters “will collect faster, near real-time information about water consumption which enables customers to manage and conserve water use, as well as help detect water leaks.”

The new meters are to be installed as part of a three-year project, with the first ones to be installed in October. The project is expected to cost around $42.5 million over a five-year period.

“Most of the City’s current water meters are reaching the end of their lifecycle. This presents an opportunity to upgrade to more efficient infrastructure that will enhance the service customers receive,” Kurtis Doney, the city’s director of water, waste and environment, said in the release.

“There is no charge for the new water meter installation. This upgrade project has been forecasted since the first system was originally installed and built into the City’s 25-year utility plan.”

Installation, by Neptune Technology Group, is to occur ward by ward. Customers are to get a booklet in the mail letting them know how to book a meter upgrade appointment.

According to the city, the technician who does the installation will change the water meter inside the property and install a radio transmitter outside the home or business.

The new system will eliminate the need for meter-reading vehicles that collect drive-by readings under the current system.

Next year, after a large number of the new meters have been installed, the city will launch a new online service for customers to get their account information. That service will replace the current utility eBill and will give customers new features like:

• Enhanced water consumption information that can help them conserve and manage water use;
• Improved customer support from city staff who will be able to see water use in near real time;
• Leak detection that could help them save water and money;
• More timely meter reads; and
• Electronic notifications about planned water outages.

More information is available here.