Grand Island: Grant funds could trim water meter fee

By Karen Carr Keefe

Senior Contributing Writer

Grand Islanders will have a new quarterly water meter fee of $17 added to their water bill, effective April 1.

But the town is already working to reduce that fee substantially by going after grant funding.

The new fee, at a cost of $68 a year, is to help fund the installation of new water meter equipment. The meter replacement project has an estimated cost of $9 million.

The possibility of a grant that would offset the impact of the new fee was discussed during Monday’s Town Board workshop.

Supervisor Peter Marston said, “A few years ago, there was a grant opportunity for water meter replacement. Last year, there was not. At the 11th hour, it opened up again. So, we’re trying to expedite the process, get in front of this and apply for a grant, which could be a pretty substantial grant – which should take the $17-a-quarter and make that number substantially less. That’s our goal.”

Marston said the town had a preliminary meeting with engineering company Wendel, which is headquartered in Williamsville.

The board voted in its regular meeting Monday to authorize the supervisor to sign a professional services agreement with Wendel.

The company will prepare the engineering report needed for the town to apply for a grant from the Green Infrastructure Grant Program, which is part of the consolidated funding application. The application is due April 11. The engineering report satisfies the requirement of the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation and Environmental Facilities Corp.

Wendel’s proposed fee is $9,700 to prepare the engineering report.

The Water Billing Department, in its earlier statement, said, “We understand the impact that this change will have on our residents. We want to assure you that this decision was not made lightly, but is necessary to maintain the high standard of water services you deserve.”

The announcement also stated the department “will continue to find ways to minimize costs without compromising the quality of our service.”

The equipment is to replace meters whose transponders, which transmit readings, are coming to “the end of their useful life,” according to the town’s Water Billing Department.

The new technology uses a remote wireless meter-reading process.

The town website explains that most water meters on Grand Island were last replaced in 2005. “These older meters are susceptible to degradation over time,” according to the announcement posted at www.grand-island.ny.us. “The result of this wear and tear is that they will read inaccurately or fail completely, resulting in inaccurate or estimated bills.

“Smart water meters ensure fair and accurate water billing for residents while strengthening the financial strength of the water utility.”

The explanation also highlighted that the new water meters would help the department achieve greater efficiency with fewer staff hours devoted to meter reading and failed meter change-outs. The new meters would also improve the ability to locate and reduce water leaks in the distribution system, the Water Billing Department announcement said.

In deciding to add a meter fee of $17 per quarter, the town rejected two other funding options – raising water rates and raising taxes.

A third-party vender will do the actual physical replacement of the meters. The project is expected to begin in early 2026.

At their Jan. 6 Town Board meeting, council members adopted, subject to a permissive referendum, the establishment of a specific capital reserve fund to finance the acquisition and installation of water meter equipment.