Newer, better water meters being installed

A water meter change-out for Marquette residents isn’t anything new, it occurs about every ten years.   But now,  the city of Marquette Water Department is taking out old water  meters and implementing a new, more efficient model.

Advantages over the older model include the overall lifespan being doubled, an expected 20 year life-span for the new units, and the ability of the new meters to detect minor water flows which can expose a leaky faucet within the household.

Scott Cambensy, director of the Public Works Department says,  “These meters actually have a memory built in so we can  download 30 days worth of activity of your water usage. If you  think about it, in the evening when you’re sleeping, in theory you should have zero water usage. Well if you’re still showing usage throughout the night, chances are you have some sort of leak in your home. So it can be used for diagnostics.”

The electromagnetic meters are about the same size as the old units and will fit into the same location.   The switchover process will take about 30 minutes or less.  Cambensy says he expects to have all the meters in the city changed out within five years.

Residents can schedule an appointment for the meter swap by calling (906) 225-8997 between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., weekdays.