The Altoona Water Authority will spend nearly $6.5-million to install “smart” water meters in homes and businesses.
 
Board members made the decision at their meeting Thursday, almost a year after they began discussing the move to the electronic technology. Manager Mark Perry says the authority will replace 23,000 meters over the next five years.
 

 
Officials say they may be able to recover a majority of the project costs through increased revenues – that’s because some current meters don’t read low-flow rates accurately. No jobs will be lost. Billing director Ron Becher says small transmitters will send data back to the office.
 

 
The authority will seek grant monies and low-interest loans from PennVEST to cover the costs.