Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Meters topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Palmyra pilots minute‑read meters after community center sees $600 bill
Summary
Town staff approved a Metron meter pilot and agreed to install better meters at the community center after one bill rose from about $120 to $600; Metron presented minute‑level leak data showing a 0.5 gpm leak can waste roughly 2,160 gallons per month.
Palmyra’s utility board agreed to expand a pilot of Metron smart meters that provide minute‑level reads, saying the devices can help pinpoint leaks and curb rising bills.
Cameron of Metron told the board the pilot began in March–April and that one leak the company found measured 0.5 gallons per minute. "That's 2,160 gallons that are gone just straight from a 0.5 that we caught," Cameron said, showing how minute reads translate into daily and monthly losses.
Board members flagged a recent spike in the community center’s water bill — "it went from $120 a month to 600," Jack Pavilion said — and directed staff to install a higher‑quality meter at the building so usage can be tracked and customers alerted to leaks quickly. Jeremy and Ryan described plans to place additional Metron devices and to evaluate the pilot after six months.
The board also discussed related operations work: quotes for a backup generator, scheduled valve replacements to enable targeted shutoffs, and an upcoming SCADA hardware update to improve monitoring.
Metron offered to demonstrate the consumer portal to town staff and residents so customers could receive alerts by text or email. The board encouraged staff to continue the pilot and recommended installing at least one of the higher‑accuracy meters at the community center immediately.
