Lewiston City Council Approves Wireless Water Meters

LEWISTON, Idaho (AP) — Wireless automatic water meters are coming to Lewiston as the City Council has approved a contract for the equipment.

The Lewiston Tribune reports  that the council on Monday unanimously approved a contract with Ferguson Enterprises.

The decision ends several years of discussion about the meters, which will allow all city water customers to monitor their water usage in real time, as the meters wirelessly transmit usage for billing purposes.

Installation of the meters and infrastructure will begin in the next few months, and it is expected to take more than two years before every customer has a meter.

Critics of the meters have said they encroach on residents' privacy.

The overall cost of the project is $2.9 million over 20 years.