North Ridgeville staff outline yearlong water meter replacement, new app and EPA-required pipe check

North Ridgeville city staff described a plan to replace the city’s aging residential and commercial water meters and to roll out a customer app that will show daily usage and leak alerts, officials said during a presentation. The work will be led by contractor UMS and staff said they expect to complete the project in about 12 months, contingent on resident cooperation.

City staff said the replacement responds to failing meter-reading technology that has forced the utility to estimate customers’ bills and, in some cases, produce very large corrected bills when a delayed reading captured a leak. "We have failing technology, unfortunately, with our current system that reads our water usage on the residential and commercial side," said Staff member 1, a city staff member. "What winds up happening with that is we wind up estimating bills."

The city will pair new meters with an app called Ion Water so customers can view daily usage and receive leak alerts, staff members said. "There's an app called Ion Water. Once we put in the new meters, they'll be able to download this app. It'll show them their daily usage. It will show them whether they have a leak," said Staff member 3, a city staff member. Staff members said the app is intended to give residents more control and reduce unexpected large bills.

UMS, the contractor, will be the point of contact for residents and will schedule installations by neighborhood. "The UMS will be taking the lead on this project. They will be the point of contact for residents," said Staff member 2, a city staff member. UMS will send letters to homeowners with instructions to schedule appointments online or by phone; staff said appointments are available evenings and weekends to accommodate businesses and residents.

Staff outlined practical instructions for installations: installers will wear UMS attire and identification badges; an adult 18 or older must be at the property for the appointment; pets should be secured; and meters are typically located in a utility closet or a basement and require clear access. Staff said an individual installation can take up to an hour but may be shorter. They also noted an Environmental Protection Agency requirement that necessitates identifying the material of the piping that enters each home when crews access the meter.

City staff emphasized resident cooperation as a key factor for the timeline. "We are hoping to achieve this project in 12 months, but really it's going to take the cooperation of the residents," Staff member 2 said, urging homeowners to schedule quickly after receiving the mailed notice. Staff described the replacement as a necessary infrastructure improvement to produce more accurate billing and to provide customers with near-real-time usage information.

There was no formal vote recorded in the transcript of this presentation; staff delivered the implementation plan and instructions for residents. The next step, as described to residents, is to await a scheduling letter from UMS and to make an appointment for meter replacement.