Opportunity to Downsize Existing Water Meters

Mount Isa home owners who would like to downsize their existing larger water meter for a standard-sized 20mm meter for free are being encouraged to put their request through to Council.

Existing analogue water meters in Mount Isa will soon be swapped over to new smart meters.

Individual customers will receive notices by letterbox drop of the date and approximate time their meters will be changed over. Work will start south of Twenty-Third Avenue prior to Christmas.

A number of single-dwelling residential properties in Mount Isa have meters larger than the normal 20mm domestic meter. These were installed to combat poor pressure to the property, are deemed to be 20mm meters and attract the charge for the smaller meter.

As the new smart water meters are “full bore” meters, with no flow obstructions, there will be no need to maintain a larger meter to ensure satisfactory pressure. 

Council will write to these landowners, advising them their meter will be replaced with a 20mm smart meter at no cost to them and that they don’t need to do anything for this to occur.

Alternatively, if they want to retain their larger meter, they will need to advise Council; the existing meter will then be replaced with the same-sized smart water meter.

However, in this case, the deeming will no longer take place and they will be charged an access fee corresponding to the actual meter size.

Similarly, there are a number of oversized meters that are not deemed to be 20mm, and home owners therefore pay the full access charge. These meters are on properties not owned by Mount Isa residents.

Council will also write to these landowners, advising them their meter will be replaced with a smart meter the same size as their current meter and they don’t need to do anything for this to occur.

However, if they want to reduce their meter size and the corresponding access charge, they can advise Council and the meter will be swapped out for a smaller 20mm smart meter, at no cost to them.

The downsizing of meters can only be applied to single-dwelling residential properties. Units and townhouses require a larger service, and this offer will therefore not be applicable to those properties.

This work will not take place until next year.