Radio water meter reads are coming to Mount Vernon, and the project might conclude sooner than originally expected.
City administrator Chris Nosbisch said the city will be awarding the contract to Ferguson Water Services for $672,600, which is roughly $300,000 lower than expected for the project.
“They also anticipate getting this project completed by December of this year,” Nosbisch said. “We’re excited to see this project moving forward, and as long as it is completed in the coming fiscal year, we would be happy.”
The last replacement of meters in Mount Vernon was roughly 15 to 20 years ago.
There were additional bidders on the project that were lower than Ferguson Water, but those bids also were using meters that the city was not bidding for the project.
As part of the project, Ferguson Water services will also make note of the lead water lines in the community. Nosbisch said he isn’t concerned that there are a lot of water lines that may have lead in them, as pipes have to be replaced more often than electrical services.
The new meters will allow the city to complete more often meter reads, which will help them be able to flag water usage that is out of normal for users of the city service and help customers reduce out of control issues in their bill like a leaking toilet or other issues.
Council member Paul Tuerler said that this has been a project that has been on the city’s radar for more than 30 years, and it feels nice to be making this step for the community.