Water Meter Replacement

After many years of service, it’s time to replace water meters throughout Burlington. The City is upgrading to smart meters that will improve both staff efficiency and customer billing experience. Crews will begin replacing the City’s 24,000 aging water meters in the coming months. Most meters are expected to be replaced by the end of 2022.

Water meters in Burlington are located outside the home, so residents will not need to be present during installation. Installers will work Monday – Friday from 7am – 5pm and Saturdays from 9am to 4:30pm. A door hanger will be placed on residents’ front doors several days prior to the installation. 

The City has contracted with US Bronco to perform the installations. All US Bronco employees will wear US Bronco-branded attire and drive a vehicle marked "US Bronco Services, Inc. / Contractor for the City of Burlington.” All representatives will also wear a photo-ID badge identifying them as US Bronco contractors for the City of Burlington. 

Installer3Installer4Burlington Badges-01

When a technician arrives for the installation, they will knock on the door to notify the customers that their water will be turned off for about 15 minutes. If no one is home, they will leave a door hanger on residents’ front doorknob letting them know that their meter has been upgraded. In some cases, the installation may cause some water discoloration. If it does, residents should run cold water until it flows clear, usually taking 10-15 minutes. Switching out the water meter will require crews to be onsite for approximately 30 minutes. 

The new smart meters will be read remotely with usage data downloaded once per day. After the project is complete late next year, a new customer portal, accessible from the website residents use to pay their water bill, will allow users to monitor your water usage in close to real time. Residents will be able to detect if they have a leaky toilet and get a clear idea of how their usage effects their water bills. 

For local businesses, technicians will schedule a convenient time for the meter replacement to cause minimal disruption.

For questions about the installation of your new water meter, please call 336-222-5100 or email us at Burlington-Utilities@BurlingtonNC.gov .