METER REPLACEMENT PROJECT
On October 21, 2009, the East Smithfield Water District received a $400,000 RI Clean Water Finance Agency loan for the purchase and installation of 2,100 radio-read water meters. Funds made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) are expected to cover $92,000 of the $400,000 loan, a significant savings to the District. System-wide installation is expected to take from 12 to 15 months.
Once installed system-wide, we will be able to obtain actual readings from all of our customers in approximately three hours, eliminating our current practice of walking from house to house over an eight week period each summer to obtain readings.
Other benefits will also be provided by the new meters. Estimated billings will be eliminated. Quarterly billing based on actual meter readings will be instituted, making budgeting easier for our customers while at the same time improving the cash flow for the District. The new meters have leak detection capability and with reports generated by the new system software, we will be able to notify customers of possible leaks much sooner than is now the case with once a year meter reading.
If there are no unexpected problems, your meter can be replaced in about 20 minutes. Please respond promptly to our letters requesting scheduling.
**Current Status of Project as of 07/30/2010: 1967 meters replaced.