Water Meters in the City of Peterborough
Continuing Communication
The PUC and water meter contractor will be in touch with city residents throughout the installation process and while you adjust to your new meter. We will also provide you with information on how to read your meter and tips on how to read your meter and tips on water-saving activities that you and your family can undertake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my bill for water increase?
If your household doesn’t use much water your bill may go down, however, if it uses a lot your bill may go up. It depends on you and your household’s water use.
How can I keep the cost of my water bill down?
There are two things that you can do to help keep the cost of your water bill down: fix water leaks in your home and reduce the amount of water you use.
In the coming months you will be provided with information on how you can use less water and how your meter can help you to detect water leaks in your home.
Will the PUC make a profit from the water meters?
No. The PUC is a municipal services board of the city and functions on a not-for-profit basis.
Will I have to buy a water meter and pay for installation?
Not directly. The cost of the meter and installation will be built into water rates.
Changes Are Coming
The way Peterborough Utilities’ customers are charged for water usage in the City of Peterborough will soon change (you will be given notice prior to any bill changes). In the coming months, Peterborough Utilities Commission (PUC) will begin installing water meters. Qualified contractors will be hired to carry out the installations.
The Meters
The meters will be installed by a PUC-approved contractor using qualified meter installers. The installation will take place inside your home where the water service line enters – Usually in your basement or crawl space. Once the meter is installed it will measure the amount of water entering your home from the main water line.
The meters will have state of the art technology that allows meter readings to be taken remotely so meter readers will not have to enter your home.
Why Do We Need Water Meters?
1. To create a fair payment system
Right now, billing for water is based on the number of rooms in your home plus the size of your lot, plus an additional charge for those with a pool.
LESS WATER = $AVINGS
2. To minimize stress on the wastewater treatment plant
Just like with your electric meter, you will be able to see exactly how much water your household is using. For many people the potential money savings will be an incentive to use less water. The water meter will also allow you to determine if water is being wasted through leaks in your home.
With less water being used in our homes the amount of wastewater entering the city treatment plant will be reduced. This will help lower the costs of wastewater treatment which means money savings for all of us in the long run!
On average, a Peterborough resident uses 100 litres of water per day more than the average Canadian. For the whole city this is almost three billion litres = a year, approximately the same amount of water in Little Lake!
3. To conserve our precious water resource
While the Peterborough region has lots of water, it’s an important resource that needs our protection.
Metering of water usage based on consumption should reduce city water demands by approximately 15-20%. Reducing the amount of water your family uses doesn’t have to be difficult. With water meters, saving water can help the environment and save you money!
There are a number of ways to save water and they all start with you!
There are 4R’s to wise water usage to keep in mind every time you turn on the tap.
REDUCE – Become conscious of the amount of water you’re using and look for ways to use less.
RETROFIT – Replace water guzzling toilets and appliances with more water efficient models.
REPAIR – A toilet that leaks after flushing could be wasting 20-40 litres of water per hour – that’s approximately 260,000 litres per year, enough water to fill a swimming pool.
REUSE – There are a variety of ways to reuse water around the house. Consider using water (cooled) from steaming vegetables or water from washing fruit to water plants around your home.
For more information please contact Hans Kamping, Superintendent Water Distribution at (705) 748-9301 ext 1296 or by e-mail at hkamping@peterboroughutilities.ca
Revised:2009-11-13| Revised by: Peterborough Utilities Group Login