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Water Meter Services

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1. Why can't my water meter stay in the pit?

A water meter that is below the floor level presents a potential cross-connection. The city often finds meters that have been removed or have frozen and broken. With the meter below the floor, the opening at the meter could become submerged in a non-potable (not safe for drinking) liquid and allow contamination to enter the water system. The primary concern with a meter in a pit is that it is often lower than the floor drain.

2. Why do I have to pay for raising the valve and meter out of the pit?

As defined in the city ordinance, the city owns the water meter and the property owner owns the service line coming into the home and the plumbing within the home. When it is necessary to replace the meter, plumbing improvements are the responsibility of the owner to correct and maintain.

3. Is a plumbing permit required for this work?

Yes, this level of repair to the customer site piping requires a plumbing permit from the Inspections Division. To assist home owners with these plumbing improvements, Inspections is waiving the $50 administrative cost of a plumbing permit and the Water Division is waiving the turn-on repair charges of $60.

4. How much does this work cost?

The cost of having a plumber do this work varies by the piping material and the condition of the existing plumbing configuration. In surveying multiple local plumbing companies, we have received estimates from $300 to $600.

5. Can I do the work myself?

Michigan Plumbing Code allows for the owner of an owner-occupied residence to do their own plumbing under permit. Outside of that condition, the work must be done by a licensed plumber.

6. What if I can't afford this work?

We suggest that all resources be considered for assistance in this household repair. Potential sources for assistance are: Information and Referral Service (211), which will help connect you with the appropriate agency to meet your specific need; City of Battle Creek Minor Home Repair Program, 269-966-3323; Habitat for Humanity, 269-966-2502; Community Action, 269-965-7766; Area Agency on Aging, 269-966-2450.

7. What if I choose not to comply with moving my meter?

We will follow normal procedures and work with the customer to provide adequate time to have the work completed. The city has a responsibility to maintain safe drinking water throughout the water system. Potential cross-connections create a hazard to the system and must be addressed. If a metered service continues to be non-compliant, the water service will be shut off until the meter is installed as required.

8. Do I have to pay for the new water meter and/or R900 transmitter?

No. The water meter, R900 transmitter and the wire connecting them are the property of the city. The home owner has the responsibility to protect these components from damage. The city replaces these devices at no cost to the home owner, provided the existing devices have not been damaged. If the meter, transmitter or wire are found to be damaged, you will be charged for the needed repairs or replacement.

9. Why did the city replace my water meter, but not my neighbor's?

Water meters are evaluated whenever we have access to them. When the existing meter is identified as not being NSF-compliant or if there is a problem with the water meter, a new meter will be installed. NSF is the National Sanitary Foundation. They have created a standard for the materials used in manufacturing water meters. The city is taking a proactive course and replacing non-compliant meters.

10. Why does my house need a new radio transmitting device?

We have been reading your water meter through an efficient drive-by radio meter reading system since 202. The current read devices are reaching the end of their useful life and have created significant billing issues. These devices are being replaced to allow for a more effective and customer-friendly meter-reading system that will no longer require us to drive by each meter.

11. How does this meter/radio transmitter change benefit me?

The new read system will report reads more frequently and provides far more accurate billing. The city will be providing customers greater transparency and awareness of their personal water use and the associated costs.

12. Are these new transmitting devices safe?

Yes. The new system operates in the same frequency range as the devices we have used since 2002. They are approved to operate in this open frequency by the Federal Communications Commission. The R900 transmitter sends a stream of data by radio frequency that takes only .007 seconds. Consider that the total time the device transmits in a 24-hour period is less than a minute per day for sending the data to our read collection system.

13. When will city staff come to my home to install the R900 device?

It is difficult to determine exactly when staff will come to your home, based on the failure rate of the existing equipment. Water Division employees started installing the R900 transmitters in January of 2015. We are replacing failed devices first, so that we can collect reads and provide accurate billing. Our second priority has been to get the installations complete at all commercial and industrial sites, along with the residential sites that are in the same billing cycle. The priorities beyond that are by billing cycle (there are four total).

14. Do I need to be home when the R900 device is installed?

No, not always. Our staff will arrive at your address without an appointment. They will attempt to make contact with you to let you know they are there. The city employee(s) will then replace the existing device with the new R900 transmitter, if it is on the outside of the house. If the new device is sending meter data, that is all they need to do at that time. If the service person cannot get meter data, he/she will take steps to have the customer set up an appointment for inside access.

15. How will I know if the installer is really a city employee?

Our personnel arrive in vehicles marked with the City of Battle Creek emblem. They have city identification with them.

If you have an appointment scheduled for meter access, the service person will arrive within the two-hour appointment window given to you.

You always are welcome to call the Water Meter or Utility Billing Division if you have questions regarding an appointment.

16. How long will it take to install the new R900 device?

In most cases, the installation can be done a very short period of time and does not involve any time commitment by the customer. If the first installation attempt is not successful, an appointment for meter access will need to be scheduled. This appointment length can vary depending on the accessibility of all components, the troubleshooting involved and which components must be replaced. It is best to plan for at least an hour.

17. Why was a card left on my door when the R900 device was installed?

The card was left to request that you contact the Water Division or Utility Billing Division to arrange for an appointment. When the new device was installed, it was not able to read the meter. Our staff will need to gain access to the water meter to evaluate it and the wiring that connects it to the R900. With access to the meter, all steps will be taken to correct the read system and update the meter if necessary.

18. How can I help my appointment go smoothly?

Having the area near your water meter clear and your meter accessible is a great first step to take prior to your appointment. The next best thing to do is keep your scheduled appointment and be at home during the two-hour appointment window. Missing an appointment leads to a missed appointment charge on your account. Securing pets both inside and outside also helps our staff complete their work in the shortest amount of time.

19. With the new R900 device and/or E-coder water meter, will the timing of my bill change?

No. The Metered Services Division and the Utility Billing Division have worked very closely on this project to make a seamless conversion from one read system to the next. The timing of your utility bill and the due date will not be affected by this project.

20. Will the R900 device and/or E-coder meter change the dollar amount of my bill?

Utility bills are based on a ready-to-serve charge for water and sewer. The amount of water that is used also is generally billed for sewer. The new R900 transmitter and new E-coder meter will not increase the amount of your bill if your consumption does not change.

There is the possibility that the old transmitter was not providing our system with a current read. If that is the case, the city has a process in place for reconciling the account. Should you see a water bill that seems out of line, please call Utility Billing at 269-966-3366 to review the steps to resolve an amount due. This situation is one of the reasons we are installing the new read system.

21. How do I read my new water meter?

If you receive a meter upgrade as part of this project, you will receive a new Neptune T-10 water meter with a Neptune E-coder digital display. These units do not use a battery. The power required for transmitting the meter data is provided by the battery that is in the R900 device, attached to the meter by a wire. To read your water meter in the home, you will need to shine a bright light on the solar panel on the meter face to generate the LCD readout. The meters we use all read in cubic feet. The new meters can provide read data down to 1/100th of a cubic foot. This provides greater accuracy than the previous meters, which only reported down to 100 cubic feet. One hundred cubic feet of water is equal to 748 gallons.

22. Is my new water meter a "smart meter"?

No. The new meters are improved technology, as are the R900 transmitters. These meters and transmitters do not have the ability to limit water usage or shut off the water. They do not community with any other form of utility or utility smart grids. They only provide read data related to water meter readings at time intervals that allow the city to more accurately bill and serve our customers.

23. What if my question doesn't appear here?

Should you have additional questions not addressed on our website, please contact the Water Division's Metered Services at 269-966-3506 or our Utility Billing Division at 269-966-3366.