Water meters to be installed in Châteauguay homes

Three hundred homes in Châteauguay have been randomly selected to have water meters installed, says the city. Since April the city had been looking for volunteers to meet a Quebec government requirement, but received few participants.

Translation Amanda Bennett

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing’s project aims to collect data on drinking water consumption to ensure more adequate preservation and as a means of fighting climate change, said Eric Laparé, communications advisor for the City of Châteauguay.

“Don’t worry, you don’t have to pay anything, the city will cover the costs,” says a letter sent to one of the homes, a copy of which was obtained by the newspaper. “Your only responsibility is to ensure that the space is heated to prevent the system from freezing.”

While citizens are encouraged to participate, they can refuse to have the water meter installed on their property at any time, Laparé added.

At the April City Council meeting, Mayor Eric Allard challenged “all those who are and were concerned about drinking water in Châteauguay,” to contribute to the project.

The first installations are planned for this fall. A total of 380 water meters are to be installed during this initiative.