Critics Call Tinley Park Water Meter Report 'Biased,' Incomplete

A report commissioned to reveal what might have gone wrong with Tinley Park’s water meter system is being decried as incomplete and biased.

The 18-page document details what consultant West Monroe Partners claims was “no systemic meter overbilling for water use” and the term meter spinning “inconsistently and inaccurately applied” to describe mechanical problems with the meters.

Village Manager Dave Niemeyer admitted that the Village still does not know the extent of the problems, and that a second-phase investigation has been halted because of pending litigation.

Also in the report:

• The increase in water bills over the past decade is due primarily to a higher wholesale price charged by the City of Chicago water supplier.
• The analysis indicates digital display meters helped reduce overall variation in water bills.
• Water meter mechanical breakdowns have occurred and resulted primarily in no water flow being measured and estimated bills being used.
• Department procedures did not provide for a uniform assessment of water meter complaints or establish a consistent process to resolve complaints, and improvements are needed.
• 84 percent of the meters tested this summer fell within national standards

Niemeyer called the consultants ”experts who did solid work,” but residents impacted by excessive bills contend the report—which cost the village $124,000—is simply “propaganda” aimed at protecting the Village’s reputation. Specifically, many may wonder why greater attention wasn’t given to the 16 percent that failed. A water meter official from Maryland suggested random testing of the meters—something Niemeyer has balked at due to how it might interfere with the village’s defense in a lawsuit.

The latest revelations won’t do much to restore residents’ faith amidst the scandal, which led to the abrupt resignation of then-Public Works Director Dale Schepers. The Tribune undertook an extensive review of village records related to the water meters, purchased by the village at a cost of $1.8 million. In its report, the Tribune noted at least 355 meters that had issued faulty readings, more more than twice the number the village told residents. When pressed about the matter of meters that passed when they should have failed, Schepers and other officials said they decided the meters didn’t need to meet national standards, post-installation.

The consultant recommends the Village start to repair the situation by trying an “aggressive communication campaign” and a focus group of residents.

“Believe me, there’s no one who wants to put this behind us more than us, but certainly the litigation obviously complicates it and is drawing out the process,” Niemeyer told the Daily Southtown.

Read more from the Daily Southtown.

Water Meter Assessment Project Results and Recommendations