Water Meter Replacement Program

The village's water utility is undertaking a project to change the way in which the utility reads meters. The utility has historically read water meters by driving around the village to obtain readings from a radio transmitter placed on the top of the water meter. The utility has begun the process of changing out all water meters in order to obtain readings through a cellular read. 

The water utility began the meter-replacement program in 2022, and successfully replaced more than 1,600 meters throughout the village. Within the next two years, the water utility plans to replace all remaining water meters in the village.

The new water meters will provide customers with improved tools to monitor their water usage and enhance village-wide water conservation efforts.

Customers will not be charged for their new meters. However, customers will need to do some modest preparation for the replacement program. They include:

• Locate your water meter. For residential customers, your water meter is inside your home generally in the basement or lowest level of your house. For customers without a basement, the meter might be in a utility closet or laundry room. Commercial customers may have multiple meters that need replacing, and those are usually found in a utility maintenance room.
• Exercise your valves. Customers will need to have working valves which are located on either side of the water meter. Valves function to shut off water coming into the house and need to be working for the meter to be replaced. If the valves are not working properly, customers will need to replace their valves prior to the new meter installation. All valves are the responsibility of customers, not the water utility.
• Provide space. Customers will need to provide space around the water meter. The utility recommends a three-foot-wide by six-foot-tall box. Any water meters behind drywalls or in a confined space will need to be exposed, at the customer's expense, to provide an adequate work area for installation of the new meter.

The village has hired a company, HydroCorp, to coordinate the meter replacement program and install new meters. Customers should expect to begin receiving correspondence from HydroCorp in early 2023 to arrange appointments for the meter replacements. Meter replacements are typically 30 to 45 minutes.

A major advancement for customers is that they will be able to monitor their water usage in real time through use of a phone application, or app, when the village has completed the replacement program for all customers. The new meters feature cellular-based data transmissions, allowing customers to closely watch their water use and receive alerts, if they choose, about troublesome water leaks or unusual water usage.

In addition to the meter replacement program, residential homes will undergo a state-mandated cross-connection inspection conducted at the time of the meter replacement. The cross-connection inspection looks to ensure that contaminated water cannot flow from your house back into the drinking water supply. For additional details on the village's cross-connection program, please review the village's municipal code Chapter 47.