RICHMOND, Va. — Seventy-one percent of Richmond's water meters are outdated and need replacement, according to the head of the city's Department of Public Utilities Scott Morris.
Morris told City Council Monday that while the city has replaced 10,000 meters so far, another 41,000 still need to be switched out.
These aging meters, which the city said are approximately 20 years old, could be affecting residents' water bills - potentially undercharging some customers who may later face unexpected large bills.
"I was miffed, I can say that. It was surprising and also astonishing,” said Allan Sharrett when we interviewed him back in July of 2022.
He experienced this firsthand when the city informed him his defective water meter had not properly recorded his usage for several years.
Richmond DPU spokeswoman Rhonda Johnson said that while the city hasn't experienced widespread issues with incorrect readings, old meters generally tend to underestimate consumption as equipment performance declines over time.
"If they don't bill you for three and a half years I feel like that is their fault, not mine," said Sharrett back in 2022.
Some residents have questioned why the city sometimes estimates their water usage rather than taking actual readings.
"I never paid this much for a water bill in my lifetime," said Garry Bloomfield in March of 2023. "This is the highest I've ever paid a water bill anywhere. When I lived in Henrico County, water bills never were that high."
An audit from March 2023 found DPU estimated 130,000 bills over the previous year.
By November 2023, then-head of DPU April Bingham reported improvement in meters getting true readings, increasing from 85 percent in January 2023 to 97 percent by November.
CBS 6 asked the city for an update on how many bills it estimated over this past year, and we are waiting for a response.
Johnson said the target for completing the water meter replacements is 18 months.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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