Residents of Foothills hamlets are being reminded to have their water meters replaced before the end of the month. The MD of Foothills is replacing its water meters in Aldersyde, Blackie, Cayley and Millarville, and any homeowners or business owners that receive water directly from the municipality must make the upgrade by Aug. 31. Replacement work is being done by Scotty’s Plumbing and Heating, which is also attempting to contact any residents or business owners who have not yet booked an upgrade. MD municipal manager Harry Riva-Cambrin said the upgrades are overdue in the hamlets, where many of the meters are “quite ancient.” “The newer technology provides a lot easier reading, so the payback on the changeover is about three years,” said Riva-Cambrin. “You install them and through saving staff time on reading the meters, you get enough money back to pay for them by the end of three years.” It can also provide useful information for property owners, as usage can be monitored and leaks may be detected easily, he said. “Through the night you can tell if someone’s toilet is leaking, because it will show that low volume,” said Riva-Cambrin. “You can advise them they’ve got something they need to check into.” Work to upgrade the water meters began in May, but the contract ends Aug. 31, so the push is on to get the last of them replaced, he said. Those who do not book an upgrade or refuse to upgrade their water meters will be subject to a hefty fee. Utility bills will show charges at an unmetered water rate of not less than six times the applicable current service fee for water, he said. “Your water bills will be punitive if you refuse to have the new meter installed,” said Riva-Cambrin. If there are extenuating circumstances he said the MD is willing to work with residents to arrange installation of water meters. “It’s not intended to be heavy-handed, we just hope we meet that Aug. 31 date,” said Riva-Cambrin. “And if people let us know for some reason, like maybe they’re away, then we’ll have to look at it.”
