Date: 1/4/2021
Contact: Public Works Director
Subject: Water Meter Replacement Project
Despite the troubles brought on by COVID 19, the City was able to install more than 7000 meters as part of its city-wide project to install new water meters and remote reading devices. The City thanks all those residents/customers for responding to appointment requests and allowing Aclara/SGS workers into their homes or businesses. However, the total number of customers receiving metered water are in excess of 18,000, meaning there are 11,000 plus customers that need to have new meters and reading devices installed. While Aclara/SGS have sent out multiple mailers and made innumerable calls and contacts with all customers, a great number have failed to respond in anyway or have made appointments and not made themselves available to have meters installed when Aclara/SGS have shown for the appointment.
The City of Mansfield operates a Class IV water plant, the highest classified type of water plant in Ohio and maintains more than 300 miles of water distribution lines that supply water to all its residents and businesses. By virtue of the fact that it produces and supplies water through this system, it has a legal right to measure and charge for water usage to each customer. In light of this fact, the City has ordinances in place that dictate that each customer, residence and business using City water shall have a meter and remote reading device in place to receive water. Such meters and reading devices are owned by the City and each customer, resident or business is required to allow the City, with reasonable notice, entry or access to such meter or reading device to either read, repair, install or replace such devices. If such entry is not made available or denied, City ordinances give the City the right to terminate water service until such time as entry arrangements are made and completed.