NWC warns of higher bills with new meters
KINGSTON, Jamaica — The National Water Commission (NWC) is warning customers to expect an increase in their bills as a result of new meters that will be used to replace old mechanical meters and installed on premises that are unmetered.
NWC president Mark Barnett, speaking at the official signing ceremony, where an agreement to procure 450,000 state-of-the-art solid state water meters over the next five years from Diehl Metering of Germany was signed, asserted that the solid state meters are among a new generation of metering instruments and technology that NWC is adopting to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
According to the water company, the new meters which are to be received in instalments over the years 2018-2022, will be far more accurate than the older, under-registering, mechanical meters that are now at many customer premises.
For his part, NWC Chairman Senator Aubyn Hill said that the new water meters are critical in independently and accurately measuring how much water the customer uses and provide the objective basis for calculating how much the customer must pay.
Using his own experience, the chairman pointed out that the meters are extremely accurate and therefore customers must monitor their water use, always mindful that they will be required to pay for the usage captured by the new meters.
At the same time, German Ambassador to Jamaica, Joachim Christoph Schmillen expressed pleasure at the growing business relationships between Jamaican and German companies and expressed the hope that many new investment partnerships will be developed in the future.
President of Diehl Metering, Frank Gutzeit said that his company is fully committed to using their 155 years of experience in assisting the NWC to solve problems, improve efficiency and reduce cost.
Among the many advantages of the new electronic water meters are:
• Longer useful life of up to 15 years with no moving parts requiring maintenance;
• More accurate measurement of water used over the meter’s life;
•Easy to read digital display of meter readings that the customer can use to detect leaks;
• Greater potential for remote readings.
