City replacing defective water meter transmitters

Energetic City:

After less than a quarter of their projected lifespan, Fort St. John's water meters have a failing part that needs to be replaced. Water meters that transmit water usage electronically to City Hall were installed in residences and businesses in the city between 2006 and 2008. A unit separate from the water meter called a meter transmitter unit, or MTU, reads the meter and sends it to City Hall via radio frequency. However, starting in July of last year, the City began receiving complaints of water bills being estimated instead of exact. Upon investigation, it was found that the batteries in the transmitter units were failing or had died, despite having a 20 year warranty. The company that provided the units, Aclara, determined there was an issue with the initial programming that reduced the life span of their batteries. Currently, approximately half of the MTUs in the city - 3,000 - are now dead or dying, and eventually all will need to be replaced. Aclara is providing warranty on the MTUS, but it is pro-rated, and the cost to replace them is not covered. The new MTUs are also an upgrade from the current ones, and will cost an additional $45 each for the ability to communicate two ways. Once the  new units have been received, 15-minute long appointments will be booked with residents for replacement, with accomodation for schedules. Priority will go to those with already dead or dying batteries. The rest are expected to fail over the next year. After installation, the new MTU will automatically transmit the correct reading, and adjustments will be made to the owner's water bill. If residents are concerned that the estimates they are being charged now are significantly incorrect, they can also call City Hall at the end of the month and give them their water meter reading.