Newport News Waterworks has installed about 20% of smart meters across the Peninsula

A project to replace water meters across the Peninsula with new "smart meters" is on schedule for completion in early fall 2023.

The smart meters will eliminate the need for monthly visits from meter readers and are expected to conserve water by allowing Newport News Waterworks to work with customers to reduce their water usage and alert them to possible leaks.

Waterworks, the region's water system that's owned and operated by the city of Newport News, began installing the meters earlier this year in the City Center area of Newport News and upper York County. Waterworks has installed about 28,000 of the more than 130,000 meters so far, according to an update from its director Yann Le Gouellec.

Newport News City Councilman David Jenkins said he's already reaped the benefits of the updated system.

He told the city council at a work session last Tuesday that the new meter was installed at his house a few months ago, and he was told it appeared there was a toilet leak.

"I didn't jump on that problem, and so I got my water bill and I got a letter that said, ‘We think you’ve got a valve problem with one of your commodes,'" Jenkins recalled. "I went to the store and bought a $9 part to replace the valve and it cut my water bill to about half of what it was."

The meter upgrades are mandatory because Newport News Waterworks owns them. The installation is done at no extra cost to the customers, but some people may see an increase in their water bills when the smart meter is first installed.

Old mechanical meters become less accurate as they age, according to the water company. Customers who notice an increase immediately after the smart meter is installed may have a leak that didn't register before or may have had an inaccurate meter.

The smart meters will come with a customer portal that will be used to process payments and make service connections and disconnections easier, Le Gouellec said. The portal, which uses cloud-based technology, is expected to be completed in early 2022.

"It will allow for on-demand reads when customer service representatives are talking with customers," Le Gouellec said. "It also generates service work orders and alerts to let customers know they may have a leak."

During the next six months, installation is planned for downtown, Denbigh and Lee Hall in Newport News; Carters Grove and Kingsmill in James City County; Hornsbyville, Dandy and Seaford in York County; Grandview, Foxhill and Langley View in Hampton; and Hunts Neck and Wythe Creek in Poquoson.

Jessica Nolte, 757-912-1675, [email protected]

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