“INTELLIGENT METERING” COULD HELP WALHALLA

A sales pitch for Walhalla to replace old water meters with 21st century technology was well received during a presentation last night at City Hall. Representatives of the company Fortilene Waterworks extolled multiple advantages of installing what are considered intelligent meters. The equipment distributor is offering the meters with a discount of $120 thousand. Scott Parris, city utilities director, says, “We are still in the process of evaluations options to determine a final cost….” Chief among the advantages are efficiency and time-saving that’ll allow the City Hall billing staff to monitor water use and quickly detect leaks in the system. Unless spotted early, those leaks can skyrocket a customer’s bill and require time and labor for repair crews. Touted as one of the more important advantages is the capability for office staff to access computer screens that clearly spell out the history of a customer’s account with information that can provide immediate information to a customer’s complaint or question. There’s consensus among city leaders that Walhalla needs better relations with their utility customers.