Press release from City of Asheville:
Coming your way in 2021: smart water meters. At their Sept. 22 meeting, Asheville City Council authorized the City Manager to execute an agreement with Cavanaugh and Associates to develop, facilitate and complete the Request for Proposals process for selection of an “advanced metering infrastructure system.”
That’s a mouthful but what it means is that the City will replace its aging 10-year-old water meters with new high-tech ones that can be read remotely. The old meters are nearing the end of their useful life span and need to be replaced.
Cavanaugh and Associates will be hired to manage the project at a cost of $175,520.
The City’s current water metering system consists of approximately 60,000 meters which are read mainly using drive-by Automated Meter Reading (AMR) radio technology. Nearly all of them will be replaced, except for large commercial or industrial meters.
The project will result in more efficiency, through significant reduction in the number of trucks on the road to read meters. This reduction will also decrease the City’s carbon footprint associated with Metering Services operations, so there is an additional sustainability benefit.
This project will give water customers access to more timely data and provide customers with the ability to monitor and better manage their water usage. Best of all, the new meter system will provide the framework for monthly billing, which will be more convenient for customers.
“The target for these installations is for them to begin in fall 2021,” said Water Resources Director David Melton. “Our goal is to complete the project in 18 months.”
Asheville’s Water Resources Department is operated as an enterprise fund, which means it is self-supporting without additional taxpayer funding. Money to pay for this and other Water Resources projects comes out of utility fees collected by the City of Asheville.
The City will notify neighborhoods when the installations are about to begin, in roughly a year from now.
What does this “increased efficieny” cost? what is the net present worth of the changes?
Or is this another “tech is great and more tech is greater” type of project?
More info from city would be desired.
Unfortunately, despite City Council being informed of the numerous health and safety risks associated with Smart Meters (https://www.smartmetereducationnetwork.com/), they have decided to quickly and quietly approve “smart” water meters on Sept. 22nd while all attention was on the “de-fund the police” vote.
Many residents who have developed health issues due to the “smart” electric meters have fought hard to have the choice to keep safe and secure analog meters but the only small victory they were able to achieve was to pay an additional monthly fee for an opt-out meter (which still harbors many of the same issues) or an opt-out meter waiving the fee if accompanied by a doctor’s note stating that the meter is causing harm to their health. Undeterred by these obstacles, thousands of residents have still opt-ed out and hundreds have doctor’s notes stating harm. This resolution is a violation of personal health choice and privacy. Tell David Melton, Director of Water Resources Department and City Council that you Do Not Accept their Offer and you Do Not Consent. https://emfhelpcenter.com/
I really hope there is an opt out option. I had to get the Duke Smart Meter removed after associated health conditions, using a notarized letter from my doctor, and now I have to deal with this? I think the City needs to offer residents the option ahead of time, rather than putting something dangerous to people’s health on their property without their approval or knowledge or permission.