Shortly after the District formed, the District replaced all of its water meters because the existing meters were between 10 and 20 years old.  Water meters at the time of replacement were only expected to have a lifespan of about 10 years.  Therefore, it is necessary to replace the meters dues to general mechanical wear and tear.  These meters are scheduled to be replaced, along with customer side gate valves, over the next 4 to 5 years.  The meters will be replaced with Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) meters which will provide valuable information to customers about their usage.  

The three towers being constructed will be used to remotely read customer meters throughout the District.  By using these three towers to read instead of physically driving around to read meters, the District is able to reduce emissions from trucks driving around, transform man hours previously used reading into man hours that can be used helping customers, and collect meter reads on a daily, rather than monthly basis.

The District will be installing 3 towers; one in the Snow Cap and Skyline area, one in the Minero and Duncan area, and the third one in the Middleton and Smoke Tree area.

The towers being erected by the District fully comply with the FCC standards and guidelines for environmental exposure to radio frequencies (RF).  These standards and guidelines also include implemented recommendations from two expert organizations, the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).  In addition, the energy produced by smart meters in comparable to the RF energy produced by cell phones, wireless baby monitors, television broadcasts, garage door openers, and WIFI networks.
​For more detailed information, please visit www.sensus.com/rf/.

The District's infrastructure, including meters and reading equipment, is aging as all utility infrastructure ages.  In addition, new technology exists that can provide better service to our customers.  Our customers frequently ask for real-time information about their account, as well as better access to their account and water usage.  Replacing the District's meters and moving toward an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) will allow us to better serve our customers as well as maintain the District's assets and distribution system.

The District will be installing all of the new meters over a period of 4 to 5 years, beginning in November 2020.  The District will replace the meters according to the District read cycle and following a specific schedule.  To find out which cycle you are in, you can contact customer service at 760-868-1212.  Some customers may have their meters replaced or installed earlier due to meter failure or if it is a new meter installation.

The majority of District water meters were installed between 2009 and 2011.  This means most of the District's meters are between 10 and 12 years old.  Average meter life expectancy is about 10 years.  This means that the District is installing new meters in a timely manner. 

The District owns all of the meters in its water system and will therefore replace all of the meters as part of the cost of maintaining its system. 

The District will mail customers a notice about a month prior to their meters being changed out.

We will make every effort to replace your meter in under an hour.  However, situations can occur that can cause shut-off time to be longer than this.  However, please be aware that meters will be replaced during regular business hours and you may contact the office at any time if you are concerned.

The District will be replacing meters according to a specific schedule with the District divided into distinct areas.  To find out more about when your meter might be replaced, please call our office at 760-868-1212.

The District will be contracting with Concord Utility Services to install all of the District's new meters.  Concord's trucks will have labeling on them identifying them as approved contractors of the District.

There will most likely be no need to be present when your meter is installed.  The exception to this will be if your meter is behind a locked gate.  If this is the case, District staff will contact you to arrange for meter installation.  Please make sure that your contact information is up to date with the District by calling (760) 868-1212.

After your meter is installed, you will receive a letter and information about how you can access your usage and billing information.  For customers already signed up to pay online, you will be able to login to your customer account like normal and your usage information will be available as soon as your meter is installed.

Many customers will see little to no change in their billing usage charges.  However, due to the age of the current meters, you may notice a change when your new meter is installed.  You may contact us at any time with questions regarding these changes.

More importantly is that you will be able to see your usage on a day-to-day basis and make changes that can bring your usage, and therefore your bill, down.  You will also be able to sign up for real-time leak and usage alerts anytime your meter detects continuous usage or your bill rises above a threshold you have determined.

Your new meter will be able to provide real-time usage, leak alerts, usage alerts, and more.  All of this information will be viewable through our customer portal on our website.  Customers that are already signed up to pay online will have access to these features as soon as their new meters are installed.  You will receive information about creating an online account shortly after your new meter is installed.

Installation of these meters is considered scheduled maintenance of District infrastructure and is therefore budgeted for and included in existing customer rates.