Water meters? affect on health worries residents

More than 30 residents attended Monday?s Fairfield City Council meeting due to safety concerns about the city?s new water meters that are read from a transmitted wireless radio signal.

The city?s Environmental and Franchise Utilities Committee met Monday afternoon and discussed an opt-out program that would allow residents an alternative to the radio-read meters. About one-third of city residences have had the new water meters installed.

Fairfield Waterworks Superintendent Carl Chandler recommended the opt-out program carry a $100 one-time fee for switching the meter plus labor costs and an ongoing $10 monthly fee for those choosing to have a non-radio meter.

?The committee has not signed off [on the opt-out program],? said council member Michael Halley. ?We are simply bringing this to the council.?

Opposition to the radio-read meters was voiced by spokesman John Brown. The committee was presented with a petition on the meters signed by 676 people.

?There is a groundswell of public opinion regarding wireless technology,? said Brown. ?The meter transmits a high-frequency radio signal that potentially has a harmful affect on humans.?

Halley said the meter only transmits a signal for 7 milliseconds every 14 seconds, ?making it active for about 44 seconds of every day.?

?The meeting this afternoon was not to argue if this equipment is safe at this point,? said Halley. ?We haven?t found any evidence it?s harmful.?

Brown said those concerned are asking the city to show restraint and ?ascertain that these meters are safe.?

?The bottom line is a lot of people are getting sick,? he said. ?I?ve had a sore throat for six months since it?s been installed.?

Brown said the group of concerned residents appreciated the opportunity to opt out and purchase a non-radio meter.

?That?s a very responsible gesture by the city, but people aren?t happy to accept the financial burden,? said Brown. ?We are asking for a more open dialogue.?

Halley responded by telling the group the committee ?considers the technology safe.?

?If this group is asking for an all-out ban, that?s not on the table,? said Halley.

Council member John Revolinski questioned the amount of the fees tied to the opt-out program.

?The $10 a month seems punitive,? said Revolinski. ?Those opting out shouldn?t have to pay a penalty. I would propose $5 per month. That?s more reasonable.?

Halley said the intent was to ?just cover the costs.?

?The committee certainly wasn?t looking to punish anyone,? he said.

Councilman Daryn Hamilton said the opt-out program would have to be instituted by an ordinance and not by resolution. An ordinance would have to go through three public hearings over a six-week period before final approval.

Mayor Ed Malloy said before fees for the opt-out program were set, the council would take a ?hard look? at the matter.

?What concerns me the most is researching the science and emissions coming out of that kind of equipment,? said Malloy. ?We do have capacity in our own community to test this. Hopefully we can get those answers.?

Halley said the committee and Chandler will continue to study the opt-out program costs.

?Anything we can shave off of this we will,? said Halley. ?There is an opportunity to get out in front of our community.?

The Neptune radio-read meter is not a ?smart meter? because it only transmits water use data, according to Halley. Malloy received correspondence from Alliant Energy last week stating the company has ?no current plans to install smart meters in Fairfield.? A smart meter both receives and transmits data.

Alliant Energy is doing a pilot study with select Dubuque customers involving smart meters.

Halley said Fairfield residents will notice a 2-inch ?little black antenna? on their interior water meter if they have a radio-read meter.