Town seeks vendor fixes after meter reader and school water problems leave meters unrecorded

PIGNELL — Town staff told the Jan. 29 work meeting that Pignell's recently updated meter-reading system is not reliably recording many reads and several physical meters are failing.

Staff member (S3) said the new handheld/software combination frequently stops recording and requires operators to manually restart readings. "Jonas is gonna come here and try to fix it up for us," S3 said of a vendor technician. Staff reported one run where the handheld showed 258 meters available and captured only a fraction of those reads.

Beyond the handheld problems, the council focused on nonworking meters on specific accounts. The Carl Albrecht High School connection was singled out: councilors described recurring muddy or dirty water in toilets and a meter that is not recording, and staff said the school uses a large volume of water while kitchen operations run in the morning. "We're losing a whole lot of money," the chair (S2) said, urging urgent action. Staff estimated large fire-suppression-capable meters cost about $7,000 apiece and replacement work on school-size service lines could run higher; one councilor referenced $15,000 as a possible replacement-scale expense for large meter work.

Councilors instructed staff to get vendor technicians (Jonas and Keith) on site for a full-day diagnostic and to ask about warranty credits for meters that failed within warranty terms; a vendor representative told the meeting some meters carry a 25-year warranty, suggesting credits may be possible. Staff also recommended calling a regional meter expert to inspect the unusual configuration at the high school where two meters are bolted inline but display different readings.

The council prioritized getting the school-meter diagnosis done before the next meeting and directed staff to pursue warranty claims and seek technical advice on whether one of two inline meters could be removed and reused elsewhere.