Meters

Your water meter tells you how much water you're using during a given time period and can help you monitor the amount of water you use indoors and outdoors on a daily basis. Although meter readings are recorded electronically, all meters can be read manually. See more about reading your meter:

It can also help you figure out if there's a leak inside or outside the house. See more about leaks by visiting the Leaks page.

i-Meter and Automated Meter Reading (AMR) Meter Side by Sidei-Meters

The District has nearly completed a metering system upgrade from Automated Meter Reading (AMR) technology to intelligent-metering technology (i-meters).

I-meters transmit hourly, daily, and monthly water usage to the District via a wireless communication network. The District can share water usage information with the customer through the WaterSmart Customer Portal.

Some of the customer benefits of the i-meter upgrade are:

  • Ability to set customized water alerts
  • Access to customer portal
  • Increased leak detection

As we wrap up the i-Meter upgrade, some meters are still our older AMR technology or they have been upgraded but still require reprogramming to send usage information to the network. These rely on a staff person driving by them once a month to pick up the read with a radio receiver.

The i-meter upgrade is expected to be complete in early 2021.

See more in our Intelligent-Meter Information Sheet and Frequently Asked Questions (PDF).

Diagram of Fixed Network Infrastructure Transmitting Signal to Water Consumer and DistrictTechnology

The i-Meters and AMR meters use radiofrequency (RF) to securely transmit information on customer water use. This wireless technology is also used in cell phones, microwaves, Wi-Fi, walkie-talkies, baby monitors, and remote-control toys.

The i-meter registers only transmit a signal twice a day for a fraction of a second each time, meaning the total time the register is transmitting with RF is only slightly over 1 minute per year. 

Even if you stood right next to an i-Meter each time it transmitted a read, it would take approximately 50 years to get the same amount of RF exposure from it as you get from a 10-minute cellphone call.

Alternate Metering System

Customers may choose to opt-out of the i-Meter upgrade in favor of having an alternate metering system (i.e. an analog meter). As an alternate meter requires staff to collect a manual meter read each month, there currently is a monthly charge of $10 per account to opt-out and this fee may increase in the future. Please complete the Application for Alternate Metering System (PDF) and return it to the District.