Toronto has begun the costly process of replacing 470,000 faulty water meter transmitters in homes and businesses, a problem that continues to escalate, reports CBC.
According to recent reports, the city is facing millions of dollars in expenses to address this issue, which has left a growing number of transmitters unable to relay water usage data.
In July, city officials revealed that thousands of radio transmitters, which are responsible for sending water usage data from meters to the city, were malfunctioning years earlier than expected. Toronto Water has now reported that more than 150,000 units have failed, and an estimated $5.6 million will be needed for the first phase of replacements. Complicating the situation is the fact that the technology is outdated, and supply chain disruptions have delayed the arrival of new units.
Lou Di Gironimo, General Manager of Toronto Water, explained that while the meters themselves are still functioning properly, it is the transmission units that are failing to send data wirelessly. As a result, more customers are being billed based on estimates rather than actual usage, which has led to unexpected spikes in some residents' bills. With 92 percent of Toronto Water's revenue dependent on accurate water sales measurements, the problem is pressing.
"It is a growing problem. We started to notice a significant number of the meter transmission units failing. The meters are fine, so they are registering properly. It is just about sending us the data on a wireless basis, " said Di Gironimo.
The root of the problem lies in the small lithium batteries within the transmitters. Originally designed to last 20 years, the batteries are now failing after just 11 to 12 years. The city began replacing its old water meters with new digital units in 2010, and many of these newer units—installed between 2011 and 2012—are the ones failing now.
Prior to the current issue, the city anticipated an annual failure rate of about 1 percent, or roughly 4,700 units. However, Di Gironimo noted that the current failure rate has skyrocketed, with between 5,000 and 8,000 units failing every month. If this trend continues, all transmission units across the city could fail within the next three to five years, and replacing them will take considerable time.
"We ask residents to be patient with us, because this is going to take us several years to deal with. This is not a quick fix," he said.
In response to the problem, the city has negotiated an emergency contract with Aclara Technologies, the manufacturer of the transmitters, to secure a supply of replacement units. While some costs are covered under warranty, the city will still need to spend millions on replacements. City officials are currently seeking approval from councillors to continue negotiating for additional units, though the overall cost of replacing all the transmitters remains uncertain.
Councillor Brad Bradford noted that many residents might not even notice the issue unless they closely examine their bills. He emphasized the need for a customer-focused approach to resolving billing problems caused by the malfunctioning technology.
"This technology failure is a huge boondoggle and it's going to be a difficult mess for city staff to sort out," he said. "But at the end of the day, this is not the residents' fault, so we have to have a customer service mentality and empathy when we're dealing with people on this issue."
City officials are expected to present a comprehensive plan to address the issue early next year. Bradford has called for a streamlined process to help residents avoid unexpected bills and unnecessary inconvenience.
In the meantime, Di Gironimo reassured residents that the city has set up a dedicated customer service team to address billing concerns. Next year, the city plans to introduce additional measures to allow customers to self-report their meter readings. For those facing large bills, flexible payment plans can also be arranged to ease the financial burden.
