The Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 370 (HCMUD 370) Board of Directors is pleased to announce the upcoming rollout of the installation of smart meters in the District! Installations are scheduled to begin October 28, 2024, and will continue through January 2025.
The smart meters will replace your current water meter. The entire process will take place in phases and will be completed in approximately three to four months, as there are over 1,500 connections in the District.
Prior to a street being changed out, crews will place signs in the areas they are working to let residents know what is going on. In addition, the MUD will be utilizing the text alert system to keep residents informed.
Before a residential meter is changed out a crew member will knock on the door and let someone present know water will be off for about 15-20 minutes, before the installers proceed. If there is no answer:
- If the meter is running, the crew will hold off and return later
- If the meter is not running, the crew will change it out
- If, after changeout, the meter is running and the resident is not home, the crew will shut off the curb stop and leave a tag for the homeowner to check for leaks (This is atypical and an uncommon result)
Please note: Due to the manner in which the meters are installed, there is a possibility of discolored water afterwards. When water lines are closed off to replace the meters, residents may experience momentary discolored water at their taps, and the plumbing lines may need to be run for a few minutes to clear that discolored water.
As meters are changed out, they will be activated and will start collecting data. They will store up to 42 days of data. Each week, Accurate Meter will give a list of meters that were changed out to TNG Utility, who will tie them to customer accounts and add them to the billing software. This should run 1-2 weeks behind meter install.
After TNG adds them to the billing software, the meters will be available on “EyeOnWater” (Customer Portal) website and mobile app for iOS and Android.
Once installation is complete in your section and the account is tied to the EyeOnWater software, you will receive a notification from the TNG that includes information regarding how to set up your online EyeOnWater account. This notification will be mailed to your residence unless you have an email address on file associated with your water account. The enrollment process is less than five minutes and will allow you to monitor your usage and set up leak alerts to notify you via text or email if the meter detects high usage. The District will also send out an alert with a link to the HCMUD 370 website and a series of short videos how to install and utilize the EyeOnWater app. If there is a need and sufficient interest, HCMUD 370 will arrange for representatives to schedule an on-site session(s) to assist residents in setting up the app.
While this project will cost in excess of $900,000, there will be no increased cost to the residents. The smart meters have no moving parts and have a 20-year guarantee which will result in reduced replacement meter costs of current analogue meters which have a 3-4 year life. The meters will pay for themselves. A significant amount of our current meters are reaching the end of their useful life and this is an optimal time to replace with smart meters.
In summary, the new smart meters will provide more accurate measurement, less maintenance and provide both the MUD and the resident real time information to monitor usage and detect leaks. The industry is moving to smart meters and this change will keep HCMUD 370 as a premier service provider.
If you have any questions regarding the changeover, please reach out to the District via the Contact form on the website - hcmud370.com, or contact the District's operator at tng-utility.com.