The city is issuing one last call to residents and businesses to install new smart meters.
The city-wide installation began earlier this year, and now, only 2,800 of the 11,000 installations remain.
Properties that have not made an appointment are encouraged to do so no later than Dec. 9.
“We have reached the point in the process where people are getting harder to reach,” said Cheryl Tkachuk, director of Financial Services for the City of Prince Albert in a press release.
“We want to offer a last call to the community to book their appointment before we move toward enforcement options. We would like to implement monthly billing and the sooner we can complete the install project, the sooner monthly billing can become a reality.”
Installing the new meters is not optional. Water meters are owned by the city and any owner, tenant or occupant must allow the city or its agents to read, inspect or replace the meter.
Failing to book an appointment and allow for an installation could result in water being turned off to the property. At least four attempts will be made to contact property owners before any action is taken to turn off the water.
“Our contractor, Iconix, will be calling the remaining owners one-by-one and knocking on doors to try and get in touch with property owners,” added Tkachuk.
“We want to make sure we’ve done what we can to get people’s attention before we move to enforcement, but it is eventually something that will need to be considered.”
To book an appointment, call 1-855-455-3696 Monday to Friday between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. or visit https://www.iconixww.com/city-of-prince-albert/schedule-an-appointment/ complete the online form. You will receive an email confirmation of your appointment time within one business day.
The new meters come with new technology allowing for more timely reading, leak detection and the ability to monitor usage through an online app.
The Eye on Water app is now available for download on the App Store or Google Play Store.
The new meters also allow the city to enable monthly billing and to track water delivered from the plant to identify any leaks or damages to the city’s water system. They can also be read remotely.
Back in March Mayor Greg Dionne said the new meters will allow the city to crack down on residents and businesses using a bypass valve to avoid paying water bills.
