METER CONVERSION COULD BOOST PRICE OF WATER

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, April 18, 1993                   TAG: 9304160081
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-6   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WYTHEVILLE                                LENGTH: Medium
METER CONVERSION COULD BOOST PRICE OF WATER
People in Wytheville are likely to be paying more for their water and sewer service even without a rate increase.
The town is planning to replace its mechanical meters with electronic ones, which will be more accurate in showing how much water is used.
The town's Budget and Finance Committee studied the proposed meter change for several months. One of its findings was that, when comparing production records at the town water treatment plant with gallons billed to customers, there was a significant difference.
The only explanations would be either a loss of water in the system through breakages or other line problems, or inaccurate metering. The committee thinks the second one is most likely.
It estimated that the town could be losing revenue for about 20 percent of its production because of faulty metering devices. Electronic meters, on the other hand, are nearly 100 percent efficient at gauging flow rates.
When the flow is either very high or very low, the committee said, the mechanical meters can be way off.
The estimated cost of converting to all electronic meters is about $387,000.
Vice Mayor Tom Bralley told Wytheville Town Council last week that water and sewer service brings in $1.5 million per year. If the devices track only 15 percent more water use, they would pay for themselves in increased revenue in two years and continue to bring in more revenue, he said.
The new meters also can be read more efficiently. A reader will have a device to read each meter instead of the present more-cumbersome meter cards. The electronic meters have computer chips which memorize account numbers and other data, eliminating the possibility of billings to a wrong location.
It will also allow the town to bill users monthly instead of quarterly. That will cost more in postage, about $5,600 a year to send out the more frequent bills, but it also will bring in revenue more regularly.
Town Council approved the proposed change to monthly billing at its meeting Tuesday night. It must vote for the change at two more meetings before it becomes effective.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB