FAQs • Hallandale Beach • CivicEngage

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Public Works - Water & Sewer

1. How is the quality of water in Hallandale Beach?: We are pleased to inform you that our compliance with all state and federal drinking water laws remains exemplary. We are committed to delivering the best quality drinking water. To that end, we remain vigilant in meeting the challenges of source water protection, water conservation, and community education while continuing to serve the needs of all of our water users. Click to view the City’s Water Quality Report.
Click to view the City's Water Quality Report.

2. Where do I go for more information about water utility billing?: Utility Billing is overseen by the Finance Department. Please visit the Finance page for more information.

3. How will this affect my service?: An approved contractor, Pedal Valves, Inc., will come to your residence to replace your meter. The existing water meter will be checked to verify that water is presently not in use. If no water is being used the meter will be replaced. There will be interruption of service for approximately 30 minutes during the change, but after that it will be the same quality service that you’ve come to expect.

4. How do I know who is authorized to do the work?: Hallandale Beach Water Utility has contracted Pedal Valves, Inc. to replace old meters with new state-of-the-art Advanced Metering Infrastructure meters. The crews will be driving PVI trucks, wearing bright yellow or dark blue shirts identified by “PVI Meter Team” and carrying appropriate identification.

5. Do they need to come inside my house?: No, all meters are located outside of the homes. There is no reason for a meter installer to request entry into your home.

6. Can the endpoint be recharged with solar so it can keep going?: The endpoints are not designed to be recharged with solar power. The sealed batteries will provide sufficient power for up to 20 years.

7. Does this mean utility crews will no longer need to access my yard?: No. Your yard has a Utility Easement which gives the Utilities the right to access their infrastructure. One of the goals of the AMI program is to reduce the number of times we need to access your yard, but our crews and contractors will still need to access the water infrastructure from time to time.

8. How long is a water meter expected to last?: Water meters can last decades, however, accuracy always declines regardless of the water meter brand. Water meters slow down as they get older. Hallandale Beach complies with industry standards which encourage water utilities to replace meters every 10 years.

9. How long will the endpoint battery last?: The battery has a life expectancy of 20 years based on hourly readings.

10. What is an endpoint?: An endpoint is device transmitting meter reading information to a secure network.

11. When will this work be performed?: Meter replacements will begin in August 2014 and it is expected to take one year to replace all the water meters in the North Hallandale Water Utility distribution system. In most cases the transition will be completely transparent and will not affect our water customers. The work will be performed during normal working hours of 8:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.

12. Will the batteries leak?: They are sealed batteries, approximately the size of two AA-sized batteries.

13. How long will it take?: In most cases, it’s a simple procedure that will require about 30 minutes to replace a water meter. The entire project will take about 12 months to replace all of the water meters in the Hallandale Beach distribution system.

14. Does this mean my bill will be increasing?: Not necessarily. The new meters will simply record water consumption more accurately. In some cases a customer may see a water bill increase, which would be an indication that the old meter was underreporting usage. The new AMI meters will ensure accuracy for all the water service customers in the Hallandale Beach Water Utility distribution system from this point forward.

15. Is there any special care or maintenance that I need to do to my new meter?: No, your new meter does not require any maintenance by the homeowner. As before, the Hallandale Beach water utility will take care of all maintenance.

16. What if I'm on vacation or not available that day. Whom do I call?: In most cases it will not be necessary for anyone to be home. The majority of the work will take place near the street in the meter box. If you have any questions or concerns, contact either Pedal Valves, Inc. at (786) 763-3154 or the water utility neighborhood coordinator at (954) 457-1633.

17. Why is my water meter being replaced?: The new meters will include an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) technology that will save labor time, prevent any recording errors, minimize wear and tear on vehicles, and minimize the need for the water utility to go on the private property of customers. Hallandale Beach Water Utility will be able to bill more accurately and efficiently for water usage and potentially allow water line leaks to be identified earlier by analysis of data collected.

18. My meter has already been upgraded. Why are meter readers still coming to read them?: It will take a full year to get the entire Fixed Network infrastructure in place to enable the collection of the wireless reads. In the meantime, meter readers will still need to come read your meter each billing cycle.

19. I still have questions, where can I get additional information?: The water utility is working with Pedal Valves, Inc. to answer any questions as thoroughly as possible.
Contact phone numbers are listed below:
Hallandale Beach Utility Neighborhood Coordinator: Michael Jordan: (954) 457-1633 | mjordan@cohb.org
Pedal Valves, Inc.: (786) 763-3154