Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
City testing 50 new meters before deciding
COLFAX — Colfax is replacing the 1,205 meters used to track water use and the replacements might be able to detect leaking water mains.
Colfax Public Works is in the planning phase to install 50 new water meters in the Hamilton Park area to test their capabilities. The meters not only record water used but use acoustics to detect leaking water mains and can transmit data to make reading the meters more efficient.
“We’re going to see if they’re going to work for us,” said Colfax Public Works Director Matt Hammer. “It’s a pretty new technology. It’s pretty interesting.”
The test is slated for six months starting in late October or early November.
The model being used features an acoustic sensor to listen to the vibrations of the water main to detect leaks.
“Since the pipes are underground (leaks) can go for a long time until they surface. It can take years for us to detect them,” said Hammer.
Stopping leaks saves water, he said. The test meters could lead to the city being more efficient and accurate with water bills.
The city currently opens every meter lid in town to read the water used for billing. The test models transmit the reading to a cellphone as the city worker drives the city streets.
“It’s going to save us a lot of time and we could do meter readings twelve months a year. Right now we currently don’t do it every month,” said Hammer. “It’ll be better for the city and the residents.”
The city estimates water use for the three winter months they don’t read the meter and balance it out after the first reading in March.
The city is planning to replace the old meters and the testing helps determine if they want the leak detecting option.
Replacing the meters for the 955 homes using ¾ inch pipes and the 250 meters for homes and businesses using larger pipes is going to be done by the city.
“It’ll be a several years-long process. We are going to switch them with our own crew and that will take a while,” Hammer said. “It depends on the meter location box, but we figure we can get up to seven a day.”
Hammer said the cost is part of the budget and won’t require additional funding since the city crew would replace the meters.
“This comes at no added costs to the residents of Colfax.”
Bill Stevenson is the former editor of the Whitman County Gazette, Colfax Daily Bulletin and Franklin Connection. He has nearly 30 years of journalism experience covering news in Eastern Washington.
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