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La Porte warns meter swaps could reveal hidden usage; residents may see changed bills after consolidation
Summary
Officials said La Porte would need to replace about 700 Badger meters in Shore Acres with Neptune meters to integrate billing; replacing dead or non-reporting meters could show higher consumption even if rates do not increase immediately.
La Porte staff told residents that integrating Shore Acres’ water system with La Porte’s automated meter-reading platform will require replacing roughly 700 Badger meters with Neptune meters. City staff cautioned that older meters that are no longer turning could yield higher measured consumption when replaced, potentially increasing bills for some households even if the city does not raise rates.
"We would have to change out every water meter... That's 700 meters that have to come out of the ground, have to be replaced," Corby Alexander said, explaining the technology and integration challenges. Staff added that Neptune meters allow drive-by or automated reads and that some existing fixed bills might begin to show real consumption once new meters are installed; they also pledged La Porte would not charge for water that was not actually used.
