Why Columbus' new water meters are raising some customer bills
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The City of Columbus is working to replace over 300,000 aging water meters across Central Ohio — a switch that's unexpectedly flooding some customers with higher water bills.
Why it matters: The new meters are more accurate and efficient, eliminating the need for manual readings, per the city.
- They'll be more user-friendly, eventually featuring a new online customer portal, and will allow the city to switch from quarterly to monthly billing.
By the numbers: It's a $125 million project impacting over 1 million people, including in some suburbs that contract with Columbus for water services.
Catch up quick: The Enhanced Meter Project started in 2023 and is gradually rolling out across neighborhoods, with an estimated completion in 2027.
- Customers receive a letter when it's time for their meter to be replaced, which is mandatory, and must schedule an appointment for a worker to enter their home to access it.
- A switch to monthly billing will follow.
Pro tip: Make sure your toilets and other appliances aren't leaking. Old, worn-out meters may not pick up on leaks, but the new ones will — which could cause the sticker shock some residents are reporting.
- Other homes may just "catch up to reality" with a more accurate meter, per the city's website.
How it works: The water meter you see outside your home is just a remote, connected via a wire or small cable to an actual indoor meter where water passes through.
- As they age, the remote may "slow down" and not reflect true consumption, Public Utilities department spokesperson George Zonders tells Axios.
- That's why customers should regularly verify outdoor and indoor readings match.
What they're saying: "What we're finding is that for some customers, the difference between the inside meter and outside remote is enough that the last inside reading on the old meter will show up on their next bill as a usage spike," Zonders says.
- The new meters won't have outdoor remotes and will transmit consumption data digitally.
To troubleshoot an unusually high bill after a switch, call customer service at 614-645-8276 or email [email protected].
What's next: After their meters are replaced, about 11,700 Hilltop area customers will be the first to test the new monthly billing system starting in June, Zonders says.
- The new customer portal will open once all meters are replaced.