BERLIN – Smart water meters will be coming to homes in Berlin in the coming weeks.
The Berlin Water Resources Department will be replacing all water meters in town with new radio-read smart meters during the next four to six weeks. Town officials want to be sure residents aren’t surprised by the work or the potential for brief interruptions to water service.
“People are going to be wondering what’s going on,” said Jamey Latchum, the town’s water resources director. “We want to make sure they’re aware.”
Latchum told the council at last week’s meeting that the work was set to begin within the next four weeks. He said that as the project neared, homeowners should ensure meters could be accessed easily because contractors would be moving through town quickly.
“Make sure the meter’s cleaned off and they can access them easily,” he said. “If you’ve got bushes that have been planted there for 20 years and you don’t want them chopped up you better move them. They’re here to put meters in and to move fairly quick. It is in our code that if it’s obstructing our meter we are allowed to trim it back, move it, dig it up.”
The new meters, which are being paid for with a portion of the town’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, will send a radio signal to the town’s computer system and provide the state of each meter. The information is expected to help improve the response times of town personnel when there are issues and will also ensure the accuracy of water meter billing. The meters will no longer have to be read manually each month by town staff.
“We won’t be touching them every month,” Latchum said. “If you have a leak at your house, we can go out there with our phone or iPad and it’ll get us within so many inches.”
According to an announcement from the town, the meters will be installed during regular business hours Monday through Friday. Replacement of a meter typically takes 15-30 minutes. Customers might notice a disruption to water service during that time period.
“Customers do not need to be present during the replacement of their meter,” the announcement from the Town of Berlin reads. “After the water meter replacement is complete, customers are asked to flush their water system for 5 to 10 minutes to clear any sediment and/or discoloration in the water line; a meter technician may also flush the service using an outside spigot.”
Water meter boxes and meter connection fittings will be replaced if necessary. If the meter box needs to be restored, crews will be digging up and removing the old meter box. Restoration of the area will be done by the installation crew when complete.
“It may also be necessary to remove mulch, bushes or other vegetation, and other items that may be in the immediate area of the meter,” the town’s announcement reads. “Items that must be fully removed, such as bushes, will not be replaced or restored as the property owner is required to keep the meter clear of obstructions.”
The town will issue reminders regarding meter installation as the project moves ahead.
“The Town of Berlin is devoted to keeping our citizens informed and minimizing the impact this project will have on customers and is taking steps to minimize service interruptions,” states the announcement issues Monday. “Additionally, social media updates, notifications through the Code Red system, door hangers, and yard signs will be dispersed to provide advance notice of which streets are being replaced next during the project.”
For additional questions or information regarding the project, please contact the Berlin Water Resources Department at 410-641-3845.
