About Water Meter Radio Frequencies

» Health Canada on Radio Frequency Signals
» Health Canada and Industry Canada: Radio Frequency Energy and Health FAQs

Chances are you have heard various information about the radio frequency produced by the new water meters and we address them here.

How does the meter transmit a frequency that is read by a meter reader?

The meters broadcast on frequencies between 902 MHz and 928 MHz (the same as an older style cordless phones) at an output power of 0.1 watts for 0.007 seconds every 14 seconds. In other words, each household's water meter will be transmitting a wireless signal for less than 60 seconds per day.

The signal is not sent continuously, unlike other devices such as household wireless computer routers and cell phones that transmit constantly.

Have these units been tested in other communities?

Neptune Technology Group has installed over 4 million of the same water meter units throughout North America. There have been no reported issues of interference or health issues related to the transmission of the device.

What if I don't want a meter installed in my home because I have concerns about radio frequency exposure?

Property Owners have two options:

Option 1 - Request that a manual-read, non-RF meter be installed within your home. This entails hard wiring a touch-read pad from the manual-read meter in your residence to an exterior wall outside your residence. A city employee will have to access the exterior of your residence at the touch read device location once per quarter to obtain your quarterly meter reading. There is an additional charge of $25/quarter (i.e., $100 per year) for this option to cover the cost of manually reading your meter.

Option 2 - Request that a RF meter be installed in a below-ground pit outside your residence at the street-frontage property line. There is an additional one-time charge of $1,000 for this option to cover the incremental extra cost of a pit installation as opposed to an in-home installation.

Residents interested in either option can contact the Public Works Department at 250-828-3461 for further details.