Indian Wells Valley Water District Jason Lillian–
Inside that mysterious box out near the street sits a device that ultimately determines the amount of your water bill each month. Your meter is that thing you seldom think about until a bill comes in the mail that seems higher than usual. So, how does this small device work? Inside each customer meter is a mechanism called a nutating disc. This disc wobbles around an axis as water flow pushes through the meter.
The magnet on top of the shaft of the disc moves the register along, ticking off each unit of water used. As the meter ages, however, the mechanics of the disc begin to degrade, requiring more flow to move the disc. This eventually will lead to low flows not registering accurate usage, and ultimately, water that was used goes unaccounted for. While the idea of free water sounds excellent in theory, especially if it is your meter, there is no such thing as free water. That free water one customer gets is being paid for by a more accurate meter. To ensure this doesn’t happen, all water districts engage in a meter replacement program. By removing aging and failing meters and replacing them with newer and more accurate meters, districts can produce equitable rates for every customer.
The District consistently strives to ensure that the amount our customers pay for water is at its most affordable rate. We continue to look for the latest proven technologies to improve our rate structure and customer experience. To that end, the Indian Wells Valley Water District continues to engage in our meter replacement program, in which every meter will be replaced within the 20-year guaranteed lifespan. The District is investing in the newest technology of ultrasonic meters, replacing the nutating disc meters. Instead, the meters use sound waves between two fixed locations in the meter to determine a flow rate down to .05 gpm.
These meters have no moving parts that can fail over time and have been certified to be 200% more accurate at lower flow rates. The District has also invested in WaterSmart, a program where customers can register and be notified of any abnormal usage or monitor their everyday usage to look for conservation opportunities. WaterSmart reduces the amount of time it takes for a customer to notice a leak from days to hours, saving millions of gallons annually.
Meter replacements, newest technologies, and customer engagement are all tools the Indian Wells Valley Water District is utilizing to make certain that every customer is treated fairly, that every bill is accurate, and that we are doing everything we can to continue to be good stewards of our precious water supply. If you have any questions, want to understand better how your meter works, or how to sign up for WaterSmart, please don’t hesitate to call the District at (760) 375-5086.
