The Georgetown Water Department offers the following answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the installation of smart meters.
What is a smart meter?
A smart meter is a digital meter that uses low-power radio waves and microwaves, also known as RF energy, to communicate information to the Water Department.
Why do you need to replace my meter?
The Water Department has been replacing older analog meters for six years. Digital meters provide several benefits to the ratepayer and District:
- The District is able to provide timely and accurate quarterly bills, and eliminate estimated bills. This creates a fairer and more equitable billing system.
- The District must account for all water being pumped. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection permits the District to pump an average of 750,000 gallons per day, and requires the District to track pumping and customer usage data in as accurate a manner as possible.
- Smart meters provide the District with accurate, real-time information about water use trends.
- Smart meters significantly reduce the staff time needed to collect readings in-person.
Are smart meters safe?
Smart meters share readings intermittently, so there is no sustained RF energy use. At maximum capacity, smart meter RF levels are 70 times lower than Federal Communications Commission safety standards, and far lower than RF energy found in common technologies or that occurs naturally.
There is no known link between low-level RF energy and health risks. Organizations that consider smart meters safe include the American Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute, the federal Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization.
Will my bill go up?
Smart meters ensure ratepayers are charged accurately for the water they use. Ratepayers also will be able to better track their usage, and be better able to detect plumbing leaks because smart meters will register leaks and display an indicator icon.
Ratepayers with questions are asked to contact the Water Department at 978-352-5750, from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Due to COVID-19 protocols, the office currently is open to the public by appointment only.