Council approves increase to water meter replacement program
July 10, 2025 at 3:57 AM
Fort Erie will be turning to new technology as it continues to address issues with unbilled water usage.
Councillors approved a budget amendment at the July 7 council-in-committee meeting that increases a water meter replacement project by $143,000, to be funded from the water meter reserve. The extra money will be used to conduct a pilot that installs new Mach 10 meters with cellular technology to provide more effective readings.
The report was moved in camera because it initially included proprietary information that the meter company didn’t want public. As such, there was little discussion in open session, though councillors did vote to make the report public, minus a table that included the information in question.
Earlier in the meeting, Mayor Wayne Redekop questioned staff about how the town responds to alleged stealing of water.
“Do we ever identify the individuals or entities who are stealing water?” he asked staff.
The town is able to issue fines, but Redekop suggested potentially taking it a step further and getting police involved.
However, with new meters it should become more difficult for those looking to skirt the rules.
“The new meter system allows us to have tamperproof meters, and there is also the cellular option which would allow us to monitor and alarm us if someone removes a meter,” said Tommy Peazel, manager of water and wastewater services for the town.
Unaccounted for water losses has been an issue in municipalities like Fort Erie for years.
In Niagara, the region acts as a wholesaler of water, billing local municipalities based on how much is pumped to local pipes. The towns and cities then bill properties based on usage. Discrepancies between how much the local municipality collects and how much it has to pay the region have to be paid for.
Some of the differences can be the result of legitimate things like flushing and firefighting. However, they can also be the result of leakages, pipe bursts, illegal connections and metering inaccuracies that are either the result of device failure or tampering.
“In 2024, the cost of non-revenue water was $1,142,598, which is a decrease from 2023 by $173,048,” a staff report regarding a water loss audit for 2024 said.
The Mach 10 meters were the most expensive option, but the staff report said they’ll also be the most effective. It could also save staff time with reducing the need to test meters manually.
“The recommended Mach 10 meters offer several advantages, including an extended low-flow detection range, integrated theft and leak alarms, and a 20-year, 100 per cent accuracy guarantee, compared to the current five-year standard with declining performance thereafter. These meters have no moving parts, minimizing mechanical degradation, and their tamper-proof design significantly reduces the risk of theft,” the report said.
The additional $143,000 is on top of $900,000 the town already budgeted for 2025.
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About The Author
Luke Edwards
Luke Edwards is a longtime Niagara community journalist who has covered a variety of beats, including business, agriculture, the wine industry and politics. When not writing, there's a good chance he can be found at a baseball diamond or curling rink.
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