The city’s Department Of Environmental Protection will begin work to replace water meters in apartment buildings and skyscrapers, including the Chrysler Building.
The DEP said the upgrade will be a money-maker.
“We have now prioritized about 15,000 large meters that we think will generate up to an additional $43 million in revenue for the organization,” DEP Chief Operating Officer Kathryn Garcia told WCBS 880′s Rich Lamb. “They are primarily in apartment buildings more than six units or in commercial buildings,” she added.
In the past three years, the DEP has switched out 431,000 older meters, and for good reason.
“As these water meters age…they are under-recording the amount of water that is moving through the pipe,” Garcia said.
But the process in these high-rise buildings won’t be without some inconvenience.
“Doing large meters can be very complicated and can require that not only the water service to the building but perhaps even the water main in the street has to be turned off to do this actual replacement,” Garcia said.
Some have also complained that the new meters are inaccurate.
Source: CBS