OVER the next five years, the National Water Commission is to receive 450,000 new meters to be used on premises that are now unmetered as well as to replace old mechanical meters on other premises.

The water supply service provider inked a deal worth more than 37 million euros last Friday to procure the state-of-the-art solid state water meters from Diehl Metering of Germany.

The official signing ceremony was done at the Jamaica House Banquet Hall.

A release from NWC said the meters, which are rated among the best in the world and are approved by the Jamaica Bureau of Standards and other regulatory authorities, are to be received in instalments over the 2018-2022 period.

One of the things customers should expect when the new meters are installed, according to NWC President Mark Barnett, is an increase in bills as the meters are far more accurate that the older, under-registering, mechanical meters that are now at many customers’ premises.

In his welcome remarks last Friday, 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, according to the release, the chairman pointed out that the meters are extremely accurate and therefore customers must monitor their water use, always being mindful that they will be required to pay for the usage captured by the new meters.

Meanwhile, German Ambassador to Jamaica Joachim Christoph Schmillen expressed pleasure at the growing business relationships between Jamaican and German companies and expressed the hope that new investment partnerships will be developed in the future.

In the meantime, Minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation Dr Horace Chang made the argument for reducing non-revenue water — the water produced but for which the utility bills no one and gets no payment – the major premise of his full support for the purchase of the new meters.

The release said he also emphasised that the improvements in efficiency and viability that the new meters are expected to provide will also contribute to the achievement of Jamaica’s Vision 2030 goals as well as the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Last Friday, Barnett 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.

Among the many advantages of the new electronic water meters, according to the release, 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; and greater potential for remote readings.