(10/12) At its October 11 meeting, the Woodsboro Town Council approved the purchase of improved water meter reading systems, replacing the current system that was last updated in 2006, at a cost of $204,257.

The council noted if the outdated system ever failed, there would be no way to read meters and collect revenue. The new updated system will not only resolve existing and potential problems, but brings additional functionality to the systems, such as allowing users to pay their water and sewer bills online.

The current water meter reading systems require the town staff to download software into a ‘remote reader’ and then drive around town. At each home, the ‘remote reader’ sends a signal to the home’s water meter transmitter. The transmitter responds to the signal with the number of gallons of water used since it was last interrogated. Once all the meters are read, town staff then has to upload all the readings into another system, which then is used to process the billing for the water: a time-consuming process all around.

Unfortunately, according to town staff, the software currently used by the remote readers and water meter transmitters is no longer supported, and the company that made it is out of business, so simply updating the software is not an option, nor can town staff illicit technical support if issues do develop.

The cost of the new water meter reading systems will be paid from funds received through the American Rescue Plan Act. The price tag also includes purchasing additional meters for installation in future homes, or to replace failed meters, as well as covering the cost of purchasing a larger meter for the elementary school.

Many residents have reached out to town staff about the option of online payments, which the new system will allow. The new system will also include a feature that will notify the town office of any nefarious system tampering.

The installation process of changing the transmitters that sit on top of the meters is estimated to begin soon and take approximately two months. Homeowners will be contacted to set up appointments that are convenient for them. In some cases, work will need to be done in the home, and the homeowners will need to provide access to installers.

Installation of the new meters will be done by an outside company that will provide both the town and its homeowners more options as to timing of installation. Town staff anticipates completing the project much faster than the installation of the original system back in 2006, which took a year to complete.

In April, the Town of Walkersville updated its own water meter reading system after similar struggles with outdated meters. Unlike the system purchased by Woodsboro however, the new Walkersville system allows town staff to interrogate water meters from the comfort of town hall without the necessity of driving around the town. Walkersville’s system also allows its residents to monitor their water usage, and even send them updates via email about their usage and bills. Future updates of the Woodsboro meter reading system software could allow those options as well.