Thursday, August 20, 2020

Take Action on WSSC's $200 MILLION Dollar AMI "Smart" Meter Fiasco!

The Problem with WSSC's $100 MILLION Dollar AMI "Smart" Meter Fiasco!

Ratepayers beware- the WSSC is about to charge us $ 200 Million dollars to put in stupid "smart" meters that are CHEAP, Emit RADIATION and line the pockets of industry. 

 
Sign up to testify at the Montgomery County and Prince George's County budget hearings. 

WSSC's capital improvement program is now before the Montgomery and Prince George's County councils and county executives. Now is a great time to make your views known to your county officials. Besides email messages and letters to officials, there are opportunities to testify and better educate county officials and the public about WSSC's AMI plan at upcoming Montgomery county CIP budget forums scheduled for October:

The FY22 Budget forums are scheduled as follows


And in February 2021, there will be formal public hearings on WSSC's CIP in Montgomery County. 


 Scroll Down: See Draft Text for An Email 

PG residents send to:  

budgetgroup@wsscwater.com, chris.lawson@wsscwater.com, eloise.foster@wsscwater.com, fausto.bayonet@wsscwater.com, howard.denis@wsscwater.com, keith.bell@wsscwater.com, sandra.thompson@wsscwater.com, marc.elrich@montgomerycountymd.gov,  countyexecutive@co.pg.md.us, BLLaster@co.pg.md.us , CouncilDistrict1@co.pg.md.us, councildistrict5@co.pg.md.us, CouncilDistrict6@co.pg.md.us, CouncilDistrict7@co.pg.md.us, CouncilDistrict8@co.pg.md.us, ouncilDistrict9@co.pg.md.us, District4@co.pg.md.us, DLTaveras@co.pg.md.us, dmglaros@co.pg.md.us, GPKonohia@co.pg.md.us, anne.healey@house.state.md.us. joseline.pena.melnyk@house.state.md.us, mary.lehman@house.state.md.us, ben.barnes@house.state.md.us, alonzo.washington@house.state.md.us, nicole.williams@house.state.md.us, geraldine.valentino@house.state.md.us, marvin.holmes@house.state.md.us, ron.watson@house.state.md.us, erek.barron@house.state.md.us, andreafletcher.harrison@house.state.md.us, jazz.lewis@house.state.md.us, darryl.barnes@house.state.md.us, nick.charles@house.state.md.us, dereck.davis@house.state.md.us, veronica.turner@house.state.md.us, kris.valderrama@house.state.md.us, jay.walker@house.state.md.us, susie.proctor@house.state.md.us, michael.jackson@house.state.md.us

MoCo residents send to: 

budgetgroup@wsscwater.com, chris.lawson@wsscwater.com, eloise.foster@wsscwater.com, fausto.bayonet@wsscwater.com, howard.denis@wsscwater.com, keith.bell@wsscwater.com, sandra.thompson@wsscwater.com,marc.elrich@montgomerycountymd.gov,  countyexecutive@co.pg.md.us, Councilmember.Albornoz@montgomerycountymd.gov, Councilmember.Friedson@montgomerycountymd.gov, Councilmember.Glass@montgomerycountymd.gov, Councilmember.Hucker@montgomerycountymd.gov, Councilmember.Jawando@montgomerycountymd.gov, 
Councilmember.Katz@montgomerycountymd.gov, Councilmember.Navarro@montgomerycountymd.gov, Councilmember.Rice@montgomerycountymd.gov, Councilmember.Riemer@montgomerycountymd.gov, anne.kaiser@house.state.md.us, eric.luedtke@house.state.md.us, pam.queen@house.state.md.us, kathleen.dumais@house.state.md.us, david.fraser.hidalgo@house.state.md.us, lily.qi@house.state.md.us, ariana.kelly@house.state.md.us, marc.korman@house.state.md.us, sara.love@house.state.md.us, kumar.barve@house.state.md.us, kumarbarve@gmail.com, jim.gilchrist@house.state.md.us, julie.palakovichcarr@house.state.md.us, alfred.carr@house.state.md.us, emily.shetty@house.state.md.us, jared.solomon@house.state.md.us, charlotte.crutchfield@house.state.md.us, bonnie.cullison@house.state.md.us, vaughn.stewart@house.state.md.us, lorig.charkoudian@house.state.md.us, david.moon@house.state.md.us, jheanelle.wilkins@house.state.md.us


Want Ideas on what to say in your email?

Subject line: I Oppose WSSC Water's AMI Smart Meter Project

Body (option #1): Remove the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) smart meter project from the CIP budget. There are other alternatives available that are more cost effective and won't impose huge rate increases on WSSC Water's customers. More than $100 million has been budgeted for AMI in fiscal year 2022. Since 2018, four states have rejected AMI proposals for exorbitant costs and lack of customer benefit. Specifically, Virginia's Fairfax Water also determined that it was more cost effective not to implement AMI. As a result, Fairfax Water has kept their customer rates low. Additionally, a 2015 research study concluded that the average life of AMR/AMI water meters is 8.2 years. WSSC Water presented in August 2020 that the average life of analog meters is 17.03 years - that's more than double of the proposed smart meter. I am opposed to having my rates increase to pay back an estimated $100 million, plus interest for a substandard infrastructure.

Signed, 

[your name]
[your address]
[your county]

Body (option #2, pick whichever points you like. Make sure to include at least 1 opening, financial & closing):

Opening
  • Remove the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) smart meter project from the CIP budget.
  • There are more cost effective alternatives available than AMI smart meters that won't impose huge rate increases on WSSC customers.
Financial
  • The economics of WSSC's AMI smart meter proposal is based on a 2011 study that has not been updated. There is a risk that the cost will be greater than the estimated $100M.
  • Implementation of AMI will grossly increase water rates, making it less affordable for many of WSSC Water's customers. 
  • Since 2018, New Mexico, Massachusetts, Kentucky and Virginia have listed that their official reasons for rejecting smart meter proposals has been a) exorbitant costs; and b) lack of customer benefit.
  • Virginia's Fairfax Water also determined in 2018 that it was more cost effective not to implement AMI.
  • WSSC Water's current meters last more than twice as long, compared to the proposed AMI smart meters.
Environment
  • RF radiation effects the health of all living things on our planet.
  • As proposed, WSSC's AMI smart meter deployment is bad for the environment. It will result in tens of thousands of working meters entering the waste stream.
  • AMI meters are powered by lithium batteries that when disposed of leach into the soil and make their way into our water supply.
Health
  • RF radiation is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.”
  • It is stated on the American Cancer Society's website, "Because RF radiation is a possible carcinogen, and smart meters give off RF radiation, it is possible that smart meters could increase cancer risk."
  • Many water meters are located inside our homes, exposing us to RF radiation several times a day, all day. 
Privacy
  • Smart meters will put WSSC into the business of collecting massive amounts of customer data, thereby invading our privacy.
  • Under the guise of "early leak detection"  WSSC Water will be able to deduce the routine habits of each household. 
  • It's stated on WSSC's "History of Meter Reading" video that our data leaving the meter is not encrypted. Encryption occurs halfway through the data transmission process. 
  • This proposal jeopardizes the rights of property owners to control which equipment is installed on or in their property.
Closing
  • I am opposed to having my rates increase to pay back approximately $100 million plus interest for a substandard infrastructure.
  • I am opposed to paying for AMI smart meters that harms people, pollutes the environment and invades customer's privacy.
Signed, 

[your name]
[your address]
[your county]

 

Spread the word to your family and friends and have them TAKE ACTION to Stop this insanity!
Many hands make light work.
Lets go.

YES, our rates will go up from this insanity. 

10 Reasons WSSC $10 Million AMI "Smart" Meters Are A BAD IDEA.
  • The "expert witness" hired by WSSC staff is an industry shill who lacks credibility- after all she has defended companies that pollute the air with electromagnetic radiation for YEARS. She has a long history of being paid by companies to do "science' and that "science" always downplays harm- even when it FINDS and effect. Go figure. 
and yes- THEY WILL NEED TO BE CHANGED EVERY 8 YEARS OR LESS BECAUSE these meters do not last that long!!!!!!! 
 

  • There is no consensus that AMI smart meters make economic sense. Fairfax Water has rejected AMI smart meters as too costly (as of December 2018). Their rates are half of WSSC's rates
  • Deployment of AMI smart meters is a risky proposition. WSSC has a poor record of containing costs of IT projects. Smart meters will put WSSC into the business of collecting massive amounts of customer data. This is not WSSC's core competency.
  • There is no evidence that implementation of AMI smart meters will reduce water rates. In fact the opposite is true, they will increase water rates.
  • The Maryland Public Service Commission has established a statewide policy that customers may opt out of AMI smart meters. So it is outrageous that WSSC seems hell bent on REMOVING our right to OPT Out. 
  • We depend on WSSC staff to provide unbiased information so commissioners can make fair decisions. Staff has instead provided misleading information about AMI smart meters. 
  • The economics of WSSC's AMI smart meter proposal is based on a 2011 study that has not been updated. There is a risk that the cost will be much greater than the estimated $100M. Beware ratepayers cause we are PAYING and will PAY PAY PAY! 
  • As proposed, WSSC's AMI smart meter deployment is bad for the environment. It will result in tens of thousands or working meters entering the waste stream. In addition, digital meters do not last as long as the mechanical ones that lasted decades. AMI is an E-WASTE nightmare. 
  • WSSC's AMI smart meters will kill jobs. Meter reader positions will be eliminated. WSSC says they will be put into new positions BUT WE ALL KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS. 
  • Why is staff presenting AMI smart meters as the only solution to improve WSSC's meter reading operations? There are alternatives available that are more cost effective and avoid the health and privacy concerns of AMI smart meters.
STOP WSSC SMARTMETERS! 

 


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