New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced on December 2nd the launch of a citywide Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) upgrade project, aiming to replace over 600,000 water meters over the next three years.
Responsible for providing 1 billion gallons of drinking water to 10 million residents in the city and surrounding counties daily, the Environmental Protection Agency stated that the AMR device is a gray box capable of reading water usage four times a day and wirelessly transmitting the data to the agency. The AMR system has numerous advantages, such as reducing the need for manual meter readings, providing customers with real-time water usage information to ensure more reliable and accurate water bill amounts, as well as enabling immediate leak detection to minimize water loss.
The replacement work will commence this month, starting in the Greenpoint area of Brooklyn, and will encompass a complete replacement of the existing 600,000 water meters within the next three years.
Before the AMR replacement work begins in each community across the city, residents will receive direct notification from the Environmental Protection Agency. Since the majority of water meter devices are installed outside properties, residents do not need to make appointments or wait at home. The agency or contracted workers will visit as scheduled for the replacement, and residents can verify the workers’ identity through their DEP badges or required credentials like a DEP ID. The agency’s vehicles will also bear the DEP logo.
The Environmental Protection Agency emphasized that the replacement work is entirely free of charge and that residents will not be asked to make any payments.
All property owners in the city must cooperate with the replacement operation, and the agency advises residents to trim bushes in their yards to ensure clear access around the water meter devices for the workers. They should pay attention to the installation schedule notifications and secure pets in advance.
In order to replace the water meters, workers are authorized to move property trash bins or open unlocked gates. Once the meter is located, the old meter will be removed, the new one installed, and testing carried out to ensure proper functioning of the new equipment. Each replacement operation takes between 15 to 30 minutes. If workers cannot locate the water meter, they may return later in the evening or over the weekend for a replacement. Property owners with meters inside buildings may receive letters or emails from the Environmental Protection Agency requesting appointments for replacements. Failure to fully cooperate with the replacement work and causing delays may result in additional costs incurred by the residents.