Ramona's new smart water meters not a smart choice

Ramona Municipal Water District (RMWD) is installing so-called "smart" water meters for all its customers. These new 3G wireless meters will benefit the water company - but not its customers - for several reasons. With smart water meters in place, RMWD will be able to gather water use data, automatically using wireless, for each customer by simply driving down the street. With this "3G Mobile AMR (Drive-By)" system, RMWD will be able to use fewer meter readers and read the meters quicker. The data will be detailed and data profiles for water use for each customer can be generated. Increased revenues to help their "bottom line" is even more alluring.

What's not to like, from the customers' standpoint? 1) Increased water bills are very likely to result. Master Meter, the smart meters' manufacturer, based in Israel, with offices in TX, promises to increase revenue using these meters. 2) Increased microwave radiation in the community will cause elevated levels of harmful electrosmog pollution. 3) Interference with other devices like electric garage door openers, baby monitors, and cordless phones are often reported, because they share the same frequency. At close range, they may also interfere with pacemaker operation.

High water bills often follow installation of wireless smart water meters. In fact, the manufacturer of RMWD's meters, Master Meter, says their smart water meters measure water better, picking up use of previously "unaccounted-for-water", and promises increased revenues in their brochure to entice water districts to buy their product. How this increased revenue is accomplished: the detecting of alleged water use and leaks the old meters apparently just couldn't read. This can add up to a whopping 600% increase for some smart water meter recipients in other cities, and they have been forced to pay. Many smart water meters are defective, with thousands replaced after years of overcharging in some communities. A quick search on "smart water meters and overbilling" or "smart water meters and high bills" will provide extensive news coverage of suffering water customers with huge water bills all over the US and Canada.

Smart water meters emit pulsed microwave radiation that will blanket the community's streets and properties. No longer will it be healthful to walk down the street. Children going to school, dog owners walking their pets, horse owners taking a leisurely ride, joggers and walkers out for healthy exercise - all will be subjected to microwave radiation. Hundreds of independent scientists and physicians worldwide, studying the health impacts of this type of radiation, say it is dangerous and wireless smart meters should be banned. They say that it is not always dose related - lower does not always mean safer, as there are "low levels" that can interfere with heart rhythms and the brain, as they cause electrical interference in our cells. In addition, microwave radiation has now been proven to cause "oxidative stress", inflammation, and breakage of single DNA strands, associated with the development of cancers.

Despite being told by RMWD that these meters did not emit radiation, I measured the microwave emissions from one of their new smart water meters in San Diego Country Estates. The results? RMWD's smart water meter emits pulsed radiation 23,000 times higher than the natural ambient levels in SDCE and 5,300 times higher than what independent scientists say is a safe level (0.0003 mW/m2). There was a constant level of radiation, with spikes every 5-10 seconds. Is that smart? The manufacturer, on its website, is quick to say that it follows FCC guidelines (made in 1996 - obsolete now, as they are millions of times higher than what current independent scientists say is safe, but industry lobbyists make sure they stay in place at the FCC.)

Smart water meters can interfere with common wireless devices using the same frequency levels. RMWD's smart meters use the 902-928 frequencies, which can potentially interfere with garage door openers, cordless phones, baby monitors, and possibly even pacemakers. Garage doors opening and closing by themselves have been reported by smart meter recipients across the United States, including one person I knew in Vista, CA. Her 6 dogs, kept in the garage during the day, would be let loose. The door would open when she was at work, allowing the dogs to escape and burglars to have access. Cordless phones and baby monitors may experience a buzzing or rhythmic clicking sound. One water company in Canada, put a notice on its websites to encourage customers to buy new devices to replace the ones that shared a frequency with their smart water meters, as there was so much trouble with them. Pacemakers are another concern. At closer ranges it appears to be possible for the smart meter to interfere with operation of the device. The manufacturer is quick to point out that its wireless meters will not interfere with pacemakers if federal regulations are followed, which they imply means keeping a distance of 15 cm. Will people know this? Some amateur radio frequencies may also be interfered with.

It is not smart for RMWD customers to be saddled with smart water meters that will cause already high water bills to rise even further, will increase the levels of electrosmog pollution in a pristine area and pose a health risk, and are likely to interfere with other wireless devices. Concerned citizens call on Ramona Municipal Water District to drop their smart water meter program immediately. There are better solutions to read existing meters that will benefit the customers.

Susan Brinchman

Director, Center for Electrosmog Prevention (a 501c3 nonprofit)

Ramona, CA

Sources:

1. Suburb's smart water meters regularly overcharge residents ...
2. Sensus reissues iPerl smart water meters to Chicago suburb ...
3. Not-So-Smart Meters Overbilling Californians - Forbes
4. Report slams city’s new water meter system for overcharging customers
5. Why “smart” water meters are not smart!
6. Update on International Scientist Appeal on Electromagnetic Fields & Wireless Technology
7. AAEM Supports Research Showing Health Impacts from Smart Meters
8. AAEM Calls for Smart Meter Moratorium
9. AAEM: Advise Immediate Caution Smart Meters
10. Austrian Medical Association Calls for Smart Meter Halt
11. Santa Cruz County Health Dept: “Health Effects of Smart Meters”
12. Smart Meter Interference: Assessment of Chatham-Kent Hydro Smart Meter ...
13. Smart Meter Public Health Alerts
14. Reasons to Say No to Smart-Meters
15. RF Health Safety - Master Meter Corporation
16. http://www.mastermeter.com/en/...