Water – measured to the last drop!

Do you have one of those new water meters? I recently had one installed at my home. I wondered at first if I should be upset about this new development.

Digital Meters

Progress is never easy especially in its beginning phrases. My old meter worked just fine so I wondered why I needed a new one?

Well times have changed and we simply have to go with the flow or get left behind. These new meters are the Diehl Hydrus brand meters and according to information published by the National Water Commission, it will enable customers to better monitor their water consumption as well as allow the National Water Commission (N.W.C.) to read the meter remotely.

This means no more visits from their workers to read the meters. I would imagine that could affect some job descriptions within the company but I am hopeful that those workers can be reassigned.

While I won’t miss the visits, I wondered how the new meter will affect consumers. The NWC’s website has a detailed explanation of how the customer can read the new meter. That means that the customer could have a fairly good idea of how much they are consuming on a daily basis.

Unfortunately not everyone will be able to follow the steps to work out the system nor have the desire to go outside after a hard day at work to check figures on the meter.  However for those who are able to then they can easily identify those days when their consumption rises and which days it is within a reasonable range.

This feature is especially beneficial for those who work away from home.

Water Conservation

Incidentally, I have heard a few complaints from persons who claim their bills went up after the installation of the new meters. Some persons speculated that it was because the new meters measured every drop of water that was used by the consumer.

If that is the case then we have a task on our hands. We have to ensure that we turn off the pipes when they are not in use, fix any leaks and refrain from using water unnecessarily.

What’s your take on the issue? Let me hear from you!

Teri Ann Renee Paisley

Gleaner online writer

Tags: digital water meters