Tucson Water customers hoping to immediately reap the benefits of the utility's new electronic water meters will have to be patient. The new meters are being phased in over 10 years. Customers who want to move to the head of the line must meet certain criteria.
Who: Customers with broken or 20-year-old or older meters. Also all new construction will contain the upgraded variety.
Why: New technology detects leaks and other problems sooner so customers can be spared the shock of opening an abnormally large bill. It also will, when a new communications system is completed in a couple of years, allow customers to track usage on smartphones, computers and other devices. Tucson Water benefits because workers can read the electronic meters remotely, meaning they will be able to scan a much larger area and will eliminate the need to physically approach each meter.
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Cost: No cost to customers whose meters are old or broken. For the city, $5 million a year over 10 years to replace almost all of the city's old meters with the new technology.
How to get on the list: You can't, according to Tucson Water spokesman Fernando Molina.
"We do not, as a matter of standard policy, replace a meter unless it meets these two requirements," Molina wrote in an email.
If you believe you have a faulty meter, Tucson Water will come out and test it for a $148 fee. The fee will be refunded if the meter is found to be defective.
For more information, visit www.tucsonaz.gov/water.
On StarNet: For more water-related and conservation stories, go to azstarnet.com/environment
Contact reporter Darren DaRonco at ddaronco@azstarnet.com or 573-4243.
