Smart Meter FAQ

What is a smart meter?

Smart water meters were developed to improve water conservation, increase operational efficiencies of utilities, and give consumers more control of their water usage. Electronic reads happen once a day instead of once a month, allowing for knowing of leaks much faster.

How will a smart meter benefit me?

You will have access to daily online data showing your water usage. If you notice that one certain day uses more water, you can cut back on sprinkler usage or look for a leak. You can even set alerts if your water usage reaches a set limit.

How will a smart meter benefit the City?

Meter readers will be able to focus on maintaining and repairing the City’s water system instead of spending days each month reading the meters manually. No jobs will be lost as a result of smart meters.

Is there an additional cost to me?

The meters themselves will not cost the residents any extra money. In fact, with the ability to detect leaks faster and monitor water usage, you may even save money.

Will this affect my health?

Smart meters use small collector antennas (similar to very small cell phone towers) for the reads once a day. Many organizations including the Federal Communications Commission have studied long-term health effects associated with radio frequency transmissions generated by smart meters. Their findings indicate that smart meters are as safe as any other household appliances and devices, including microwaves, cell phones and laptop computers. In fact, a cell phone’s RF transmissions are 125 times more powerful than a smart meter.