DeKalb County officials announced recently that more than 3,500 water meters have been installed as part of its New Day Water Meter Exchange and Upgrade Initiative. The county has reached 10% of its goal to replace 30,000 water meters during the first year of the initiative, according to a press release.
“The initiative has reached an important milestone in improving the accuracy of water billing service in DeKalb,” said DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond. “The new meters are durable, efficient and include smart technology to accurately track customer water usage.”
The advanced water meters are equipped with radio transmitters that collect water consumption remotely, eliminating the potential for human error caused by manual reading. The meters also include technology that allow the county to monitor data in real time for water usage spikes.
To improve water billing customer service, the county increased call center staffing. Additionally, a verification process was added to independently review customer accounts for unusual or high water usage. Future program updates include implementing enQuesta, a state-of-the-art billing system.
DeKalb County water customers scheduled to receive new meters will be notified by a door hanger at their residences. Upon completion, another door hanger will be placed notifying the resident that a new meter has been successfully installed.
Launched in April 2019 by CEO Thurmond, the three-year program will replace 102,000 aging and potentially defective water meters.
Information: www.dekalbcountyga.gov/newdayproject or 404-378-4475.
About the Author
