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What is the Detroit Water Automated Meter Reading (AMR) Program?
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Detroit Water AMR is a citywide program of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department
(DWSD) to update the city’s water system by installing or retrofitting every residence
in Detroit with new meter reading technology that will eliminate estimated water
bills.
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How long will the installation program take to complete? |
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Meter installations began in 2007 and will continue for three years until all 275,000
Detroit residences and 3,000 businesses are equipped with new meter equipment.
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How many homes have been upgraded so far? |
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As of August 2009, approximately 120,000 homes have been upgraded with the new meter
reading technology.
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How will the new meter technology affect my water bill? |
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The AMR system will eliminate estimated water bills. Once the meter equipment is
installed, every homeowner or renter will receive a bill each month based on the
actual usage of water. That means each customer will pay his or her fair share for
water service.
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If I have an overdue bill will my water be shut off when a technician comes to install my new meter? |
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No. Technicians are not looking to collect outstanding bills—they are only installing
water meters.
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How do I get my new meter? |
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You will receive an Installation Alert in the mail that will notify you when installations
are being done in your neighborhood. The notice will tell you how to schedule an
appointment to have the new meter technology installed in your home. |
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How do I schedule an appointment? |
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Once you receive the Installation Alert in the mail, you can schedule an appointment
by: (1) filling out and returning the prepaid-postage Appointment Scheduling Card
attached to the Installation Alert or (2) calling the contact number that is on
the notice. Appointments are available during the daytime, evenings and Saturdays.
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What happens if I don’t schedule an appointment? |
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The installation team will make a number of attempts to contact you by phone, by
mail, and will even leave notices at your house. If you still do not respond, you
will receive a warning that a $30 meter reading fee will be charged to your water
bill each time DWSD attempts to obtain an actual reading of your meter. |
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Will I really be charged a fee? |
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Yes. If you have not responded within seven (7) days after you have been warned,
a $30 meter reading service fee will be charged to your water bill each time DWSD
attempts to obtain an actual reading of your meter until the upgrade is installed.
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How does the new AMR system work? |
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A technician will come to your house to install new meter equipment. Most water
meters are located in the basement where the technician will hook the meter by wire
to a transmitting device that will be installed on the outside of your house. Up
to six times a day, water usage data from your home will be transmitted to an antenna
located in your neighborhood. The information is then transmitted to DWSD’s main
database, which keeps a record of each customer’s water usage.
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Once the new meter equipment is installed, will DWSD meter readers still come to
my house to read the meter? |
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No. The AMR system will eliminate the need for manual readings. Once the new meter
and transmitter box are installed, no one from DWSD will have to come to your house
to read your meter.
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On the day of my appointment, how long will I have to wait for the technician? |
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The installation program is designed so a technician will arrive within two hours
of the scheduled appointment time. For example, if your appointment is scheduled
for 2 p.m., the technician will arrive between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
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Where is my water meter located? |
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Most water meters are located in the basement, crawl space or furnace room inside
the house.
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Do I need to be home for the installation? |
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Someone 18 years old or older will need to be home to let the technician inside
the residence.
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How will the AMR technician be identified? |
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All AMR technicians have a photo ID card, are wearing a uniform with DWSD and Detroit
Water AMR logos, and drive a utility vehicle marked with the same logos.
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Who are the AMR technicians installing my meter? |
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AMR technicians are local workers hired by Detroit Meter Partners, the company contracted
by DWSD for the AMR installation program. DWSD employees and Detroit Water AMR technicians
are the only workers authorized by DWSD to install automated water meters in Detroit
residences.
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Will the installation require my water to be shut off? |
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Yes, but only for about 15 minutes while the installation is taking place.
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How long will the installation take? |
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The installation should take no longer than 45 minutes.
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What will the AMR technician do once inside my house? |
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There are two steps in outfitting a home with the new meter equipment. The first
part requires the technician to check the existing water meter in the home and determine
if it needs to be replaced. If your meter needs to be replaced, the technician will
install a new one. The second step entails installing a transmitter box on the outside
of the house which will be attached to the meter and will transmit the meter readings
to the DWSD central office.
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How much do I have to pay for the installation? |
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Nothing. There is no charge to DWSD customers for the new meter equipment or the
installation.
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Will the AMR technician ever arrive without an appointment?
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Technicians working in your neighborhood may knock on your door and check if they
can do the installation at that time. If no one is home, technicians will leave
a notice on your door reminding you to schedule an appointment.
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Can the technician do other plumbing work in my house? |
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No. AMR technicians are not permitted to carry out any other plumbing or utility
services. If a plumbing upgrade is necessary to complete the installation, you will
be referred to DWSD. The Department has programs available to customers who need
assistance with utility upgrades.
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How do I contact the Detroit Water AMR installation team? |
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The Detroit Water AMR Call Center’s toll free number is 1 (866) 217-2359, and the local number is (313) 372-2100. The program website is www.detroitwateramr.com.
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