New water meters lead to much higher bills for some in Ridgewood
OCTOBER 24, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2014, 1:21 AM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD — A move to upgrade thousands of water meters throughout the village has been a shock for some business owners and residents who have received larger-than-expected bills.
Some residents have received water bills that are thousands of dollars higher than they’ve been used to paying. A number of businesses have paid hundreds of dollars more for their water.
The bigger bills, officials said, are the result of accurate readings on actual use. In recent years, estimated water and sewer discharge bills were based on predicted or past use.
The village has stepped up efforts the past month to replace all of the water meters in Ridgewood, according to officials.
Meters that were installed several years ago have since become obsolete, requiring installation of so-called radio-read meters.
The updated meters emit low-level radio frequencies, easily detectable using specialized hand-held instruments; such meters eliminate the need for readers to enter homes or businesses.
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