Why is information on water meter installations so hard to get? We contacted Doug Allin at City Hall to get more info on one of the available options—the manually-read, human-friendly, non-RF, non-radiating meter (the “ProRead”), and we were just pointed in various directions and given no hard data. There seems to be nobody available with definitive answers to this question. If you are a homeowner and concerned about RF radiation, are you even aware this is an option?
Why isn’t the city being open about this point?
The meters being installed by the city transmit a powerful RF burst every 14 seconds, day in, day out, whether they are being read by the city or not. Since the city will likely read them only once every two months, this is a ridiculous amount of harmful, unnecessary RF radiation. Why not find an alternative meter that will transmit only when it is interrogated by the city’s meter reader every two months?
Are you also aware that it is a B.C. Building Code/Plumbing Code requirement for the water meter installer to be a certified plumber? A “certified water meter installer” as a trade qualification does not exist in the province of B.C. It would NOT be prudent to let anyone install a water meter in your home who does not clearly meet the certified plumber’s qualification. They should have their credentials clearly displayed. Anyone who has had an installation done by unauthorized personnel is encouraged to file a formal complaint to the B.C. Building Code Appeal Board: www.housing.gov.bc.ca/pub/codepdf/BCAB%20Application%20fillable.pdf.
Have the mayor and city council really done their homework here? They will be leaving Grand Forks with a very big mess, with the potential for many health-damaging consequences.
Beverley Tripp, Grand Forks
