ELKINS — The city of Elkins is beginning the process of replacing water meters throughout the municipality. Elkins Operations Manager Bob Pingley said the upgrade is necessary because the technology in the current remote-read meters is no longer reliable.

“There are electronics in them and they are failing,” Pingley said. “The clerks are having to estimate bills.”

The city has been estimating customers’ bills based on the average of the most recent 12 remote-read months, and then when a manual reading is taken, the actual cumulative total usage is recorded and billed, the city’s website states.

Pingley said the current meters were installed from 2004-2006 and feature a remote-read mechanism that allows the meters to be read by a computer.

“They send out a signal and we have a technician that drives around with a laptop to get the meter readings,” he said. “When they don’t read, we are not set up to go out and read the meters.”

Pingley said both water and sewer bills are being affected because the sewer bill is based on water usage

He noted the city is currently in the process in putting together a bid package for the estimated $1.5 million project. Pingley explained funding for the project will come from left-over money from the water treatment plant project from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“The USDA has given us until September of 2021 to get this finished,” Pingley said.

On Feb. 6, Elkins City Council unanimously approved the a proposal to apply to USDA for permission to use approximately $2.1 million of remaining funds from the water plant project for various other water-system expenditures. The replacement of the meters was listed as one of the possible uses. Other proposed uses of the funding include:

∫ Repair flood control levee at an estimated cost of $300,000.

∫ Improve water plant access road for an estimated $50,000.

∫ Replace water department’s aging backhoe with new excavator for $140,000.

∫ Purchase valve exerciser for the water department to enable regular valve inspection and more effective pipe flushing for $100,000

∫ Stock spare parts for water plant to avoid unscheduled downtime for $100,000.

“It is absolutely critical that we can monitor and make sure we are getting the bills right,” Pingley said.