What are Smart Water Meters?
Smart water meters, utilize Advance Metering Infrastructure (AMI) which is a technology that allows utility meters to be read remotely. These upgraded water meters will allow accurate on-demand, and automatic utility reading. A web portal will be provided in the first quarter of 2022, providing users with in depth information about their water consumption.
How long is this project expected to take?
The installation of the upgraded water meters will be completed in zones. The first zone was opened on March 1st, 2021. The entire city is expected to be upgraded by the second quarter of 2022, with a targeted completion of March 31st, 2022.
What is the installation process for residences and businesses?
The installation process for residences and businesses is similar. Customers will need to call KTI Limited and book an appointment and a KTI Installer will arrive, shut off the water to the home, change out the meter, and install a transmitter.
Residential appointments are normally completed within 30 to 45 minutes.
Business appointments are normally completed within 30 minutes to two hours. Business interruptions may be longer, depending on the size of the water meter and complexity of the plumbing.
Will my water be shut off?
Your water will be turned off for part of the duration of the installation period. With normal use and consumption resuming after the upgrade is complete for your property.
How much will the installation cost me?
There is no cost for the meter installation. Customers may incur fee’s if their current water meter is blocked or inaccessible. KTI Limited requires unobstructed access to your water meter. If you have built around your meter there will be a cost to gain access to the meter, and in some instances you will need to hire a contractor to provide access to the water meter.
What happens if I don't make an appointment?
If after three (3) rounds of communication, a customer has not booked an installation appointment, the City will send a notice of pending water shut-off to the property. If a property fails to book within the conditions of the pending shut-off notice, their water will be shutoff until at such time they have booked an installation appointment.
Can I build around the meter?
Water meters need to remain accessible at all times. If there is ever a problem with your meter the City requires access to the meter to replace or repair it.
Who will perform the installation?
KTI Utility Services (KTI) has been contracted by the City to carry out the installations.
KTI employees can be identified with a KTI uniform, identification badge, and will be driving vehicles with the company name and logo.
If my Property has a water bypass?
The City Waterworks Bylaw 1706 prohibits water bypasses. When bypasses are identified by KTI Ltd, the City of North Battleford will request that the property remove the bypass. If a property does not remove a bypass it may experience bylaw enforcement which could include water shutoff or penalties.
Who do I contact if I have problems with my installation?
If you experience a leak after installation please contact KTI Ltd. If the leak has occurred downstream of the water meter the residence may be responsible for the plumbing repairs.
If you are unable to contact KTI Ltd. Please contact City Hall.
If you have any concerns or complaints related to the quality of the work or the customer experience, please contact City Hall.
Will my water bill increase?
As analog meters reach their life expectancy, they can lose up to 15% efficiency. This means that your previous meter may have been underestimating water usage by up to 15%, causing your bill to remain historically lower overtime. Whereas your new AMI Smart Meter will record your consumption accurately and bill accordingly.
There is a one-time billing window adjustment for property owners and tenants who have installed a new Smart Water Meter. This billing adjustment moves the cut-off date for water consumption to the 31st of the same month (i.e., October 1st to October 31st).
- For property owners: This adjustment, depending on the timing of an installation, can cause a regular 3-month bill to reflect up to 4 months of water usage
- For tenants: This adjustment, depending on the timing of the installation, can cause a regular 1-month bill to reflect up to 2 months of water usage.
Is there an Accommodation Program?
An accommodation program is available for residential properties. Accommodated properties will have a new AMI compatible water meter installed without the radio transmitter. To be eligible for the accommodation program, property owners or tenants with owner's acknowledgement need to complete the application form and agree to monthly fee’s and future radio installation removal fee’s (at the time of the radio removal or installation), and agree to allow a City worker to enter the premises on a quarterly basis to complete manual meter reads.
My water pressure has reduced since my meter was upgraded, what happened?
Unscrew the aerator at the tap in question and clean it. Changing the water meter can cause built up scale in the pipe to break loose and, plugging the tap aerator. If that does not work, ensure the valve below the water meter is open fully. If that still does not fix the problem and bring water pressure back to normal, contact City Hall, and we will have someone go over to determine and solve the problem.