Burr Ridge Water Bill Surprises May Be History

BURR RIDGE, IL – Unknown water leaks sometimes result in abnormally large water bills, resulting in angry disputes.

In Burr Ridge, however, that phenomenon may be a thing of the past.

Starting next month, the village will start using what is known as "advanced metering infrastructure."

In November, the village hired a contractor to install an antenna on the village water tower. This equipment is meant to pick up information from water meters across the village.

Under the new system, the village will be able to quickly learn of leaks and other data anomalies, officials said.

This summer, Burr Ridge conducted two test runs of the new system. And it's apparently already working.

"We saved one customer over 80,000 gallons of billing, which is over $2,500, through proactive efforts," Village Administrator Evan Walter said at this week's Village Board meeting.

So far, the system is working for 98 percent of the village's water accounts, he said.

"The remaining 2 percent we're going to gradually bring over online over the next few months," Walter said.

About a decade ago, Burr Ridge, like many towns, enjoyed big savings when it started using remote technology to end the practice of walking up to meters. The new technology required a village employee to drive by and use a device to pick up meters' signals.

With the new system, the village said, Burr Ridge will save several working days of driving around and remotely reading meters.

During a meeting last year, Mayor Gary Grasso said the new system would remove another "friction point" between the government and constituents.

He said he and others get calls from residents when their water bills multiply because of leaky toilets. This is especially a severe problem when residents leave for warmer climates during the winter, he said.