01 Mar Cutting Edge Water Meters will Help Alleviate an Age-Old Problem
Clean, fresh water is something that most people don’t think about regularly. But as we saw during the winter storm, water leaks and outages can cause significant problems, particularly in an emergency. As part of our meeting with the White House after the freeze, we made them aware of this issue, and funding was included in their Rescue Plan for Cities.
In response to this funding, City Council approved 16 million dollars for a new automated water meter system at our last meeting. This new system will allow the City to control these meters remotely, enhancing our efficiency and generating huge cost savings for our residents and the City.
We will begin to change out meters around April 15th and continue until we upgrade 100% of the meters in Galveston. Most meters will be replaced by July, so this will be happening relatively quickly. On average, a change out only takes 15 minutes, and residents will be notified in advance to mitigate any inconvenience.
The new system will significantly improve the way we manage water as a city and as consumers. These new meters can immediately detect pressure drops and spikes. This change means that customers can automatically receive a message when there is a potential problem. The technicians can cut the meter off remotely at a single house or area to prevent costly extended leaks and water loss. Preventing water loss will give our water system more resiliency in an emergency and save residents money. The new meters will also allow us to spot low-pressure areas and spikes across the island, which will help to locate problems before they become more serious, further improving the system.
We are looking forward to implementing this proactive solution to a very serious problem. This is another crucial step in our continuing mission to address the concerns that affect us all.
Please let me know if you have any questions or would like further information.
Craig