Yes, Halifax Water is sending Neptune to your house
Letters from Halifax Water telling people Neptune was coming led some to suspect a scam, but the utility says calls from the Roman god are for real.
"It absolutely is legitimate," spokesperson James Campbell told the CBC's Information Morning Tuesday.
"Halifax Water is replacing approximately 84,000 meters in our system with new, upgraded water-meter technology we call advanced metering infrastructure. It will essentially be a wireless system."
A company called Neptune Technology Group will install the new, smarter meters.
Some confused customers have posted to social media to ask if the letter and subsequent installation visit were really coming from Halifax Water.
Campbell said customers with the new technology will no longer have to wait three months for their next bill to learn they have a water leak. Halifax Water will check consumption on an hourly basis and alert people to higher usage.
Campbell said with the old technology, Halifax Water has to send someone out to read the meters. The sheer number of meters in the Halifax region means that only happens every few months.
Campbell said the new meters will also let customers go online for a live reading of water usage.
Customers should get a letter or other communication from Halifax Water telling them to book an appointment to upgrade their meter. A worker from Neptune will do the installation.
Campbell said that installer will be wearing branded Neptune company clothing and have a Neptune photo ID. He said anyone doubting the technician's claim can call Halifax Water to check their identity.
The technician will go to the water meter, often in the basement, and disconnect it. They'll install a new one and replace the exterior box with a new, smarter one. It takes 30 to 90 minutes.
The upgrade is free. Halifax Water wants to get all customers onto the new advanced metering infrastructure system by 2019 or early 2020.
Halifax Water owns the water meters and the change is mandatory. It says it has legal authority to access the meter, so customers must book the appointment to make the upgrade.
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