City contractors have upgraded over 73 per cent of the water meters in Regina as of July.
Published Jul 19, 2024 • 3 minute read
Water runs from a kitchen tap in Regina, Saskatchewan on April 14, 2020. Photo by BRANDON HARDER /Regina Leader-Post
The city’s water meter project is moving into the final ward on the list, with installs of the new meters coming to Ward 10 households in the next few months.
The City of Regina says progress remains on track for the three-year project, now “nearing completion” according to a news release issued Thursday.
More than 56,000 of the 76,000 meters slated for the new technology have been upgraded as of July, pushing the project to the 73-per-cent complete mark.
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Upgrades began in 2023 and are to be completed in 2025, said the city. The new meters are replacing aging metres city-wide with more efficient infrastructure.
Upgrades have been at least 98-per-cent completed in Ward 1, Ward 2, Ward 4, Ward 5, Ward 6 and Ward 7 as of July, according the city’s online dashboard. Ward 3, Ward 8 and Ward 9 are still in progress, and Ward 10 is now underway.
Water customers in Ward 10 are advised to keep an eye out for a coming information booklet on how to book an appointment with contractor Neptune Technology for an upgrade.
The city’s release also reminds homeowners who haven’t, to book their appointments when they receive notice to do so, as the upgrades are mandatory.
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The new metres provide real-time usage data, providing more accurate meter reads for customers and more efficient water service by the city.
Residents with new meters can also use a new online service system called eWater, for billing, to monitor hourly water-use data, to detect water leaks and be notified of water advisories.
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Budgeted at $42.5 million and sourced from the city’s utility reserve, the project is being delivered at no cost to residents.
Though most upgrades have gone smoothly, the City of Regina confirmed that some customers are seeing a delay in their upgrades due to existing lead service connections.
The city is “aware that some properties have existing plumbing that is not stable enough to have the upgrade without risk of a water leak, including locations where lead service connections exist,” it said in an emailed statement.
As of May, contractors had encountered 365 lead connections on residential properties, of which 25 were unable to receive a metre upgrade due to condition.
The city confirmed that new meter installation for these households is on pause until the connections are replaced.
Replacing lead service connections on private property is the responsibility of the homeowner, though the city does offer payment plans.
In the interim, the city says customers have been offered “an agreeable solution to ensure reliable water meter reads,” including an external transmitter to provide data.
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An estimated 3,000 lead service connections remain across the city, according to the most recent update report from September, with the most presence in Cathedral, Heritage and Al Ritchie neighbourhoods.
At the current pace of replacement efforts, the city estimates it will take another 12 years to remove all city-owned lead connections in Regina.
— with files from Jennifer Ackerman
lkurz@postmedia.com
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