Macon Municipal Utilities is in the process of installing an Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) system, with over half of the conversions complete. AMR involves the installation of a radio transmitter (called an “ERT”) connected to the meter by a wire. Most of the meters in our system are in meter pits, and most of these are in landscaped areas where you might be mowing, aerating, or landscaping, so we wanted you to know what you need to do around these ERTs.
The device mounts through the meter pit lid. From the top, it looks like a black disc about seven inches in diameter. This disc sticks up ½ inch to ¾ inch above the top of the meter pit lid (see the cutaway view at the above right). The center part of the unit is made of hard plastic – hard enough to support the weight of a person, but not able to survive an encounter with a lawn mower blade!
The photo below shows an ERT that was damaged by a lawnmower only a few days after it was installed. Obviously, it no longer works. This damage costs the property owner $103.56 – that’s our standard charge for replacing a damaged ERT.
Please be careful when you are aerating or mowing around water meter pits. Never run your aerator over the top of a meter pit. Check the clearance between your mower blade and the top of the ERT. Let us know if you damage an ERT so we can replace it before the next meter reading date (we will still have to charge the customer $103.56, however).
If you have any further questions about our AMR program or the ERTs we’ve installed at your homes, or if you’d like to report a damaged unit, please call our Utility Business office at 660-385-3173. Thanks for your cooperation.
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