City Administrator Tim Followell indicates homeowners in most parts of the city will have their water meters upgraded to get a better reading of the water flow through their homes. He says right now, the readings are not accurate to what is being produced and then charged for.

 

 

This has been a three-phase project. Followell explains water main leaks have been identified and fixed, commercial meters have been replaced and now it's the phase for homeowners to have their units replaced.

 

 

Followell indicates the perception in the community is as meters get older, they speed up, however, that is not the case. In fact, it is the opposite as he explains.

 

 

The $1.2-million project will get underway soon and Followell says residents can expect a letter from the company out of Washington, IL that will be doing the meter replacements. 

 

 

The new water meters will not only be more accurate but the readings will be more efficient. Followell says several other utility entities have adopted these types of meter reading methods in recent years.

 

 

Despite the continued inaccurate readings of water in the community, Followell points out the City has not raised rates in the last three years. Additionally, when the readings become more accurate and there's less waste, the revenues should increase and he says the additional revenue will be going to replenish the funds used for the project. That is projected to take ten to twelve years.