Water Meter Replacement Project

The Town is replacing a majority of the water meters in Lexington. Town Meeting appropriated the funds for this project. Water customers will not be charged for the replacement or retrofit of their existing meter(s).

Replacement of "large" water meters (large-scale commercial properties) began in June 2021. "Small" water meters (residential and small-scale commercial properties) replacement began in October 2021 and is still ongoing. We have approximately 1,800 meters left out of 15,000 to upgrade.

We are no longer using a third party contractor to perform these replacements. You should have received several postcards and door tags regarding this project. As the town staff takes over the work, we will do what we can to continue to reach out to you to schedule an appointment. This project requires your participation, failure to respond may result in fines and service interruption.

To schedule an appointment, please call 781-274-8370/781-274-8359 or email utilitybilling@lexingtonma.gov.

Water Meter Replacement Process

The actual process of replacing or retrofitting the meter will take approximately 45-60 minutes. 

There are 2 parts to the water meter - the actual meter, and the reader device that allows meter reader to check your usage without coming into your home. This device is called a cellular endpoint.

If the meter is 10 years or older, the technician will need to enter the house for a full meter replacement.

If the meter was installed 9 years ago or less, than the installer will only replace reader with a cellular endpoint

What are the benefits of replacing water meters?

We will be installing an AMI system, which provide the following benefits:

• Improved meter reading efficiency, timely data collection for analysis, and improved read data consistency.
• Reducing the number of estimated bills.
• Reducing administrative time and errors in entering meter read data.
• Water conservation: the AMI system will detect potential leaks, allowing for the leak to be repaired faster and will save water.
• A free customer portal (Eye On Water) to track and monitor your own water usage and opt in for leak alerts helping you save water and more importantly, money.
• Meter readers do not have to enter the property to obtain meter readings.
• More efficient meter reading, troubleshooting operations, and customer notifications.
• Reduce customer inquiry call duration by providing better analytical tools and granular usage history. Information lets customer service representatives be better informed and helps customers understand their usage better.
• Significantly reduce abatements through efficient customer-side leak detection and proactive customer notification. Fixed networks allow for leaks to be flagged in days/weeks, instead of months, potentially preventing additional property damage and municipal water loss. 

Why are we replacing water meters?

There are a total of 15,207 active water meters exist in the Town’s system. The largest portion of the DPW’s metering infrastructure was installed between 1998 and 2002. As with any mechanical device, water meters are subject to wear and tear, and over time begin to lose their accuracy.

Instead of budgeting to test small meters, utilities typically budget to replace meters when they reach a specified age. The Department of Environmental Protection‘s (DEP) Guidelines and Policies for Public Water Systems states that the normal life expectancy of water meters ranges from 7 to 15 years. Approximately 45% of the Town's small water meters have been in service 15-years or longer.

The project involves replacing domestic and irrigation meters in service prior to 2014. These meters will be replaced with solid state meters, which do not depreciate in accuracy over time and therefore will provide great value in a replacement program.