Chatham-Kent residents who don't get on board with the Water Meter Replacement Program will risk getting hit with some fees.
The Chatham-Kent Public Utilities Commission (PUC) approved the addition of non-compliance fees for meter replacements and water shut off into the Water and Sewer Rates Bylaw at Monday's meeting.
CK PUC General Manager Tim Sunderland says water meter installation will kick off around May 15, beginning in the Merlin area.
Sunderland says Neptune Technology Group Ltd. has been hired to do the supply and installation of the meters. He says the company has to complete 80% of the meters in an area before they're allowed by the PUC to move onto the next area.
"It's all customer driven. The customer has to be the one that initiates the appointment by booking it online or by phone and from that then the meters can be replaced," explains Sunderland. "When a meter doesn't get replaced then the program moves along through its different areas. That requires that meter to be read manually and it costs an additional cost to the PUC."
According to the report, a $100 one-time fee will be charged for water shut off (turn off/turn on) and $100 per month will be charged for non-compliance of meter replacement.
Sunderland says the non-compliance fee is essentially an incentive to get residents to book their appointments.
"What we're trying to do is support the contractor in their efforts to get 100% complete in every area and that's our ultimate goal," says Sunderland. "The non-compliance fee will be added to cover the cost of that meter being read manually after the meter supply company has moved on.
Sunderland says there will be about 51 to 55 days of public education, which includes people in the area, additional letters, and door hangers.
"The meter replacement company Neptune is very confident that we won't achieve a 51-day stale on a customer that it becomes a non-compliance issue," he says. "They're very confident in that, but we have to build the system to support them by having a non-compliance fee."
He says the first public education meeting will be held soon in Merlin. More details will be sent by mail to only the residents in that area.
At last December's PUC meeting, the commission approved the supply and installation of water meters for both phase one and phase two of the Water Meter Replacement Program.
Phase one consists of upgrading or replacing every water meter outside of Chatham to an AMR system. Phase two will involve upgrading or replacing every water meter inside Chatham to an AMI system.
"AMR is automated meter reading and that's drive by. Someone will be in a vehicle and they'll drive the neighbourhood and they'll pick up meter readings without getting out of the vehicle," explains Sunderland. "AMI is an enhanced version, which has data collectors within Chatham itself and will pick up the meter readings automatically and dump it into the system."
The AMR/AMI Water Meter Replacement Program is expected to take 1.5 years to complete both phases.