The goal of Marshalltown Water Works (MWW) is to install new water meters and radio transmitters into all residences and businesses in town by the beginning of next year.

The move to install the meters and transmitters began in November, and in February, MWW contracted with VEPO Metering to assist in the endeavor.

MWW Distribution Manager Zach Maxfield said the plan for the new meters has been in place for a few years, and will help save time.

“The new meters and transmitters are being installed so we can drive by and pick up meter reads instead of walking around every day and getting the reads,” he said.

Without the transmitters, Maxfield said they get 300 reads per day on average. With the transmitters, it will increase to 1,000 reads per day.

“Yesterday, we got 700 reads done in two hours,” he said. “This will take walking out of the equation. Instead of taking three days to get 1,000 meters, we will get 1,000 meters in a couple of hours.”

Neighborhoods on the northeast side of town have gotten the new meters, and VEPO is progressing through additional northern parts of Marshalltown. Maxfield said portions of town have or will receive letters notifying residents and business owners of the pending meter installation.

“If you haven’t gotten a letter yet, you will,” he said.

In the letters, residents are asked to schedule a date for the installation to occur, and for someone at least 18 years of age to be at the home for a four-hour span of time. Since most meters are located inside homes, VEPO will need access, he said, and the meter area should be clear and accessible.

Residents receive text messages 30 minutes before installers arrive, and Maxfield said they will have a marked VEPO vehicle with an MWW logo, along with identifications. To begin the process, water will be shut off at the valve, and then installation will commence.

“It’s a quick process,” he said. “Homeowners should be without water for about 15 minutes.”

Ideally, Maxfield said they want to finish a neighborhood before moving to a new one. If some residents do not respond, he said they will set them aside, but will continue contact attempts. Fortunately, there have not been many homes which have not responded.

“Our response rate is close to 80 percent, which is better than we were expecting,” he said.

The meter and transmitter installation comes at no additional cost to the residents, Maxfield said. The cost is being paid by MWW at $100 per meter and $100 per transmitter. Since the new system has been planned for a few years, he added rates will not be affected. Currently, MWW charges residences $3.02 per 100 cubic feet, and $2.74 per 100 cubic feet for commercial properties.

Maxfield added residents with questions about the meters and transmitters can call VEPO at 1-877-860-8376 or MWW at 641-753-7913.

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Contact Lana Bradstream

at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or

lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.