By Jill Colvin
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — Residents will soon be able to read their water bills in near real time thanks to a new online tracking system announced by Mayor Michael Bloomberg Monday.
The system, which is part of a larger switch to automated meter reading, is aimed at helping users save money and conserve water by making them more aware of their usage.
"By providing homeowners and businesses with real-time access to their water bills, we’re giving New Yorkers access to information they’ve never had before, so they can analyze their water consumption and target savings," Bloomberg said in a statement.
The mayor told reporters at City Hall that the average family spends more than $800 on water each year. That means that even a small reduction — as low as five percent — will add up to "significant savings."
"We all know that nobody likes water rates,” Bloomberg said.
Water rates, which are set by the city's Water Board, have been steadily rising in recent years, with this year's rate jump set at 12.9 percent.
Up until now, water meters in homes and small businesses have been read manually four times a year. But these are sometimes based on estimated usage and have to be adjusted later on, Bloomberg said.
The mayor launched the initiative in 2009 and started outfitting the city in new wireless meters equipped with small radio transmitters that send data directly to a network of rooftop receivers. The meters are programmed to transmit data usage four times a day.
So far, a total of 380,000 of the new wireless meters have been installed — reaching about half of the city's customers — Bloomberg said.
Customers in the Bronx should already be able to log on and monitor their consumption, but Manhattanites will have to wait until August 23. All customers are expected to have wireless meters and full online access by January 2012.
City Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Cas Holloway said that giving customers the tools to track how much water they use is key to helping them make "smart decisions."
"When people know more, they can save more," Holloway said in a statement.
