Special to 1812Blockhouse
The following communication concerning new water meter installations was issued on Monday by the City of Mansfield.
Despite the troubles brought on by COVID 19, the City was able to install more than 7000 meters as part of its city-wide project to install new water meters and remote reading devices. The City thanks all those residents/customers for responding to appointment requests and allowing Aclara/SGS workers into their homes or businesses. However, the total number of customers receiving metered water are in excess of 18,000, meaning there are 11,000 plus customers that need to have new meters and reading devices installed. While Aclara/SGS have sent out multiple mailers and made innumerable calls and contacts with all customers, a great number have failed to respond in anyway or have made appointments and not made themselves available to have meters installed when Aclara/SGS have shown for the appointment.
The City of Mansfield operates a Class IV water plant, the highest classified type of water plant in Ohio and maintains more than 300 miles of water distribution lines that supply water to all its residents and businesses. By virtue of the fact that it produces and supplies water through this system, it has a legal right to measure and charge for water usage to each customer. In light of this fact, the City has ordinances in place that dictate that each customer, residence and business using City water shall have a meter and remote reading device in place to receive water. Such meters and reading devices are owned by the City and each customer, resident or business is required to allow the City, with reasonable notice, entry or access to such meter or reading device to either read, repair, install or replace such devices. If such entry is not made available or denied, City ordinances give the City the right to terminate water service until such time as entry arrangements are made and completed.
Within the next week, a last and final water meter replacement appointment notice will be sent out. The number to call that will appear on that notice will be 1-877-642-6633. Appointments can be scheduled from Monday through Saturday anytime between 8 AM and 5 PM. Any resident, customer, or business that has not yet made an appointment, kept and appointment, or has not planned to have a new water meter and remote reading device installed is strongly encouraged to make such arrangements or face the dire consequences of having water service terminated until new devices are installed. While the City does not wish to invoke this right and power of termination, it most certainly will in the event it has no other choice.
