Treasure Chest February/March 2014 | Page 13

Treasure Lake

13

AQUA PENNSYLVANIA TO INSTALL RADIO FREQUENCY METERING SYSTEM AT TREASURE LAKE

6-month rollout to begin in February

BRYN MAWR, PA – Aqua Pennsylvania (Aqua) announced today that it will be upgrading the water metering systems for its customers in Treasure Lake over the next several months, replacing their old meters with new ones that can be read remotely with radio frequency (RF) technology. The RF metering system will be convenient for customers as Aqua meter readers will no longer have to access customers’ properties to have their meters read.

“The new meters can be read by simply driving by the customer’s property,” explained Aqua’s Manager of National Meter Operations, Larry Doyle. Doyle said each household will receive a letter from Aqua asking them to make an appointment to have their meter exchanged. “There are nearly 2,000 customers in Treasure Lake; we will stagger our mailings so our contractor can effectively manage the number of appointment requests. We anticipate it will take us about 6 months to complete the program if every customer cooperates and calls to make their appointment when they get their letters.”

Doyle said installers will be available Monday through Saturday between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. “We’re hopeful that Saturday appointments will make scheduling more convenient for customers who may not be available during the week. There is also the possibility that we might be able to extend our weekday hours to 6:30 p.m. sometime during spring.”

It should take approximately 60 minutes to install the water meter inside a customer’s home and install the RF transmitter outside the house. This includes a 15-minute period when the installer will need to shut the water off inside the house to remove the old meter and install the new one. Installers must work inside and outside of the residence and therefore, an adult must be present. In addition, Doyle said workers will be able to work more efficiently if the area where the water line comes into the home is clear.

For safety reasons, customers are asked to take special care to ensure that all pets—including dogs—are in a secure location and away from the installers and the work area upon arrival and through the duration of the meter installation.

Treasure Lake is serviced by Aqua’s Shenango Division, which provides water service to about 75,000 people throughout parts of Lawrence, Mercer, Forest, Crawford, Venango, Clarion, Warren, and Clearfield counties. Overall, the company serves approximately 1.4 million people in 31 counties throughout Pennsylvania.

Visit AquaAmerica.com for more information, or follow Aqua on Facebook at facebook.com/MyAquaAmerica and on Twitter at @MyAquaAmerica.

Contact: Donna Alston

Desk: (610) 645-1095

[email protected]