PHILIPSBURG–Consumers whom utilities company GEBE has equipped with new water meters are likely to see a spike in their water bills if they are not careful with their consumption, because the meters more accurately record water consumption.
GEBE official Donald Webster told attendees at the company’s public information session at the Belair Community Centre on Thursday evening that the old water meters had a fault built into them and as a result they were not accurately recording water consumption by consumers. However, the new meters more accurately record water consumption.
GEBE resorted to replacing the old meters because the old ones are no longer being manufactured. Additionally, the fault in the old meters contributed to the company’s non-revenue water (NRW) losses – water that has been produced that is lost before it reaches the consumer. The old meters began registering water consumption at 60 litres per hour, while the new ones register from 1 cubic metre per hour, which Webster said is far more accurate.
Studies conducted by the company show that the old water meters have an inaccuracy recording level of approximately 7 to 8 per cent. “We’ve notice a drop of 12 per cent in our non-revenue water losses since we introduced the repetitive leaking programme and water meter replacement project, Our maximum NRW was at 36 per cent,” he told the gathering.
Currently, more than 15,000 new water meters have already been installed around the island. Based on GEBE’s schedule, the company should be completing the replacement of all existing water meters, approximately, 20,000 devices, by the end of this year, Webster said.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/61253-new-water-meters-are-more-accurate
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