Fee may be charged to Somerset residents who refuse new water meters

SOMERSET — The Somerset Water Department is considering charging fees to people who are refusing to change their current water meter with the new meter that is being installed around town.

Water and Sewer Superintendent Robert Bozikowski brought up the idea of the fee at the meeting of the Water and Sewer Commission last Wednesday, as a way to try to get people to allow for the new meters to be installed in their homes. He said the fee would be charged for every time one of the old water meters has to be read.

The old meters have to be read manually on an individual basis, whereas the new meters can be read remotely. Someone driving through an area of town can read a lot of meters at one time with the new meters.

Bozikowski said the new meters will reduce the manpower needed for reading the meters and will allow for the Water Department to do quarterly billing. He said the Water Department would have to have outside contractors read the old water meters at a cost of $50 per reading.

Water Department Clerk Jackie Ferreira said that residents are afraid that the new meters are going to mean that they are paying more for their water bills, but that is not true.

With the new meters, Bozikowski said the Water Department will also be able to notify residents earlier that their water is leaking.

Water Department employees have installed 1,500 of the new meters in town. The Water Department has contracted with Mass Installation to install another 5,000 meters in town. Bozikowski said some people have not been responding when they have been contacted about having the new water meters installed in their homes.

There is no charge to the homeowner to have the water meters installed.