ABILENE, Texas — High temperatures can sometimes lead to a higher water bill, and Abilene citizens are concerned over their recent water bills that have gone up in recent months.
According to Amanda Pope, Public Information Coordinator, for the Water Utilities Department says the meters provide an accurate reading of your usage, down to the time the usage took place.
"What we are seeing is people are starting to recognize their irrigation systems are watering a lot more then they knew about or expected, and possibly leaks as well," says Pope.
The project to replace every meter in the city with the new smart meters began in September of 2019. According to Pope, the project is about 50% complete, and it have replaced 23,000 water meters throughout the city.
"We can actually show if it was at 2 am when the sprinkler was on and using 5,000 gallons, and discuss that with the customer now," says Pope.
Pope says, the city is working with Abilene Christian University to test a selection of old meters to see if any inaccuracies or losses if any took place.
According to Pope, the city plans to replace the remainder of meters in the city in the next year.