City of Panama City Beach issued the following announcement on February 18.
For years, the City has had a systemwide water meter changeout program, whereby older meters are replaced as they wear out. The life of a meter is approximately 10 years if not longer. They are replaced both on a rotation and if they stop registering any use.
The longer a meter is in use, the less reliable it is. Because worn out meters no longer accurately register water flow, most users only see minimum water usage as the meters begin to fail.
The new meters are more sophisticated, smart meters with microchips to ensure accuracy. As these new meters are installed, it is not uncommon for a customer to see an increase in the water bill, because it is now registering actual water use.
“If they stop registering, users get the same value every month,” said Utilities Director Mark Shaeffer. “The meter is not registering anymore, and the customer is charged the same base charge. When it is changed out, they find they have been using more than the base charge.”
Currently there is a shortage of the new meters, due in part to a scarcity of microchips. The Utilities Department has been able to obtain some of the new high tech meters, and has supplemented its supply with some of the older models. Both stocks are now depleted.
Going forward, as new construction is built, and if new water meters are not available, the City would be forced to substitute a straight piece of pipe instead of a meter with the required backflow devices. A record keeping system is being established to track these addresses for installation of meters when they become available. Should this step be necessary, new users will be charged the base minimum charge until a meter is installed. These pipes will have a City sticker for identification and will be flagged in the utility billing system as a customer without a meter.
If homeowners are experiencing problems, have an unusual increase in water usage or think they have a leak, call (850) 233-5050 or (850) 233-5100 and ask for water billing. The Utility Department will come out and check the meter and line.
Sometimes, there are faulty pipes. Often, they are made of a cheaper material and fail. These are often installed by the builder, as they are on the homeowner’s side of the water connection which begins with the valve (green and blue handwheels in picture) and runs to the residence as shown below. City piping materials are the black and blue tubing on the other side of the meter from the handwheel.
“If you have an issue, give us an address and we’ll be happy to come out and check it,” Shaeffer said. “If a leak is found, a credit will be made for the next month’s usage. We encourage all consumers to be good stewards of water in order to reduce waste.”
The City has been understaffed in the Utility Department for several months, especially in underground utilities, but has been successful in staffing efforts lately. However, an experienced core group has remained for several years or longer. A few positions are still open, however.
A new water meter is pictured above. The green handle and the plastic pipe connected to it are on the homeowner's side. The older meter, pictured below, is being replaced.
The new smart water meter more accurately measures water usage.
- Like nearly all utilities in the Country, Panama City Beach has a monthly base charge for residential water service which includes the first 3,000 gallons per month. Additional charges are incurred for water use above this amount to encourage responsible water use.
- Like nearly everything, the water meter industry is changing. The previous technology used mechanical parts with brass housings as shown above. State-of-the art meters featuring electronics for flow measurement and no-lead content plastic housings are now the norm. The new meters have much less metal in them and may seem less robust or “cheaper” at first glance. They are however very accurate and have modern “smart” capabilities.
- Older model meters have a mechanical register that looks like an old car odometer. Modern ones have all digital displays.
- As mechanical meters wear, they first begin to under-register the actual flow through them and eventually don’t register at all.
- Customers with under-registering meters would likely just see the monthly base charge on their bill and become accustomed to that being their typical bill. When the meter is replaced and the actual water use is measured and billed, it is not uncommon to see an increase in the water bill.
Original source can be found here.
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