McHenry Times

Village of Algonquin issued the following announcement on July 3.

Beginning in July 2018, the Village of Algonquin will be replacing residential and commercial water meters village-wide. The existing mechanical meters are, on average, are nearing or have exceeded their expected service life. The new meters will replace these units with new technology that will enhance efficiency and streamline meter readings.

The new iPERL meters will allow the Village to install Advanced Metering Infrastructure that will provide better customer service and reduced operational costs. These new meters will automatically transmit readings wirelessly, meaning the Village can be more efficient and reduce water system costs by eliminating time-consuming manual meter reading altogether.

The Village has contracted United Meters, Inc. (UMI) of Morris, Illinois to perform this meter upgrade project. Commercial properties throughout Algonquin will be the first category of customers to receive new meters in 2018, followed by residential customers based on geography. Prior to customers being contacted for appointments, letters will be mailed with water meter change out information.

The project will continue throughout 2018, 2019, and 2020 with updates posted on www.algonquin.org/watermeter. Water meter change out is mandatory for all residents and business. The systematic replacement of meters in a neighborhood will be announced with letters and hand tags requesting residents in the area to schedule their appointments.

Installation Process

The new water meter will be installed at no additional cost. A resident over the age of 18 will need to be home during the installation which is completed within 30 minutes. Please identify the location of your water meter prior to the appointment and remove any obstructions.

When a UMI employee comes to change out a water meter, they will knock on the door show the homeowner their ID they received from the Village. The ID looks just like the one Village employees use, except it will say "contractor." All UMI employees have these. UMI employees also drive vehicles that have the letters "UMI" on them.

For questions or concerns regarding the Village’s Water Meter Replacement Program, please contact Jason Schutz, Utilities Superintendent, at 847-658-1187

Original source can be found here.