RPU Meter Upgrade Project Begins June 1 in Rochester

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A long-planned project by Rochester Public Utilities to upgrade the electric and water meters used throughout the city is about to get underway.

RPU Announces Start Date for Meter Upgrades

RPU General Manager Tim McCollough, during his regular monthly appearance on Rochester Today for the RPU Unplugged show on News-Talk 1340 KROC-AM and 96.9 FM, announced that the installation process will begin on June 1. The first phase will involve areas of northwest Rochester, where homes and businesses will have their existing electric and water meters replaced with advanced metering systems.

Listen to the entire program by clicking on the link below.

Northwest Rochester First in Installation Rollout

McCollough says the work will advance quadrant by quadrant across Rochester, with the next phase involving customers in northeast Rochester, followed by southeast Rochester and then southwest Rochester over the next several years. While the installation of the electric meters on the exteriors of customer homes and businesses will be largely unobtrusive, the water meter installations will require a contractor to gain access to the inside of the structures.

According to McCollough, electric meter swap-outs will most often take only a few minutes and require only a brief interruption of power. He says RPU customers will be notified when crews will be coming to their properties, and appointments will not be necessary.

Water Meter Installations Require Appointments

That will not be the case for the water meters. McCollough says RPU has hired a contractor called WESCO, which will be contacting customers by phone to schedule appointments to install the new advanced water meters. In most homes, the meters are located in basements, and the contractor will need access in order to complete the work.

New Technology to Improve Utility Monitoring

McCollough says the meter upgrades are needed because the current system, which has been in place since the 1990s, is nearing the end of its lifespan. He notes that the advanced meters offer many advantages for both the municipal utility and its customers.

Real-Time Monitoring and Outage Detection

Using low-powered connections to cellular networks, the new meters will allow RPU to track power and water consumption in real time and detect service outages immediately. The new metering systems will also give customers the ability to monitor their own power usage and potentially use that information to schedule higher-load activities, such as dishwashing and laundry, during times of lower electricity demand when rates may be less expensive.

New Water Meters Can Help Detect Leaks

Among the advantages of the new water meters will be the ability to alert customers to unusual spikes in water usage. McCollough says that feature will be especially useful in the event of a plumbing issue that results in a significant leak, allowing quick action that could avert costly water damage.

To learn more about the electric and water meter upgrade project, visit rpu.org.