.jpg)
Moose Jaw city council was given an update on the final stages of the Neptune Smart Meter Change Project last night.
City council approved the $6.5-million project in 2020 to replace all old water meters — approximately 12,500 in total — with new smart meters. The project began in 2022 with Neptune Technology Group Canada at the contractor.
As of August 2024, there were 11,185 meters installed, but the project continued into 2025 to address other water network issues, including installing remote shut-off water meters and replacing the remaining meters.
The remote shut-off valve meters passed testing in the third quarter of this year and will be installed in the fourth quarter. Neptune will be working with the city during this time to address installations and refusals. After that, installations will become the responsibility of Public Works staff.
If 100 per cent compliance isn’t achieved, city staff will only be able to complete installations alongside other tasks and projects.
Director of Operations Bevan Harlton said it is also important to get the water meters changed because the old ones are now obsolete.
“We can’t source them. We don’t have them. We’re not in the business of maintaining the previous meters. So, that means the city has not resourced or stocked an alternative water meter style, nor does the style that we previously had exist,” said Harlton.
As of March, there were 978 outstanding accounts that still needed that meters changed. That number has been reduced to 393 as of Monday.
There are 252 properties that are considered soft refusals. This means the city and Neptune have made communication efforts, but the property owners have not responded.
Thirty-one properties have not been completed due to homeowner tasks that need to be done, such as providing access to the water meter or fixing private plumbing issues. Final letters will be sent out outlining what work needs to be done along with any supporting documents.
There are 40 locations that haven’t been completed because of work required by the city. This involves broken curb stops, multiple accounts or meters, seasonal meters, or sold properties. The city is working with property owners with multiple meters to centralize meters at the property line.
Seventy properties are listed as pending. They have not reached the end of the communication process but have also not confirmed that the water meters have been switched.
Eight locations are being considered hard refusals as they have missed multiple appointments and will continue to move to final notice.
Coun. Patrick Boyle said he appreciates the work that has gone into trying to get all of the meters swapped out.
“I would just like to say, I think Coun. (Dawn) Luhning, (Heather) Eby and I were on council years ago when water meters were a problem and residents were coming forward and they were leaking and causing bill issues and all sorts of things,” he said.
“So, just having that historical knowledge, I really appreciate the work that’s gone into this and this project that everyone’s done. It’s just about, it looks like, at the finish line.”
The city is predicting a small number of properties will not comply under Bylaw No. 5152, Sewer and Water Utility Bylaw. Under the bylaw, the city would have the authority to disconnect non-compliant properties.
Those 280 properties marked as soft refusals are now going into the final notice stages as Neptune has completed its required contract with the city.
The first round of final notices is expected to go out by the end of this month, and Neptune will be in the city through October to complete meter changes. The city says Neptune can be “re-engaged on short notice” to complete changes so water services can be restored.
It was reiterated last night that Health Canada has confirmed there are no health risks associated with exposure to the smart meters.
The city also considered the optics of shutting off water for non-compliant properties, as some residents may feel they have valid reasons not to have their meters replaced.
City council was given an alternate option: instead of shutting off services, charging non-compliant property owners an administrative fee for manual meter readings. However, the cons outweighed the pros.