Modernization of Water Meter Infrastructure in Halton

No. Your water service will not be disconnected. However, customers that do not accept the new radio transmitter will incur additional costs for manual meter readings once Halton Region has fully transitioned to remote meter reading.

Yes. Halton Region’s authorized contractors (KTI Utility Services) require access to your property to replace the water meter. The Region has the authority under the Municipal Act, specifically under Sections 80 (1) and (437 (subject to section 435 (2)) to access properties, including dwellings to carry out its mandate in supplying water which includes replacing and installing the Sensus Water Meters. To replace the water meter, the contractor will need to enter your home or business. KTI will not enter without your consent.

Upgrades at homes and businesses will be ongoing throughout 2026 and 2027. All customers will be notified in advance. You will receive a letter from Halton Region before we visit your property. If you receive a suspicious message about the upgrades or need further information, please email accesshalton@halton.ca or call 311.

The radio transmitter will be installed on the exterior of the property. In most cases, KTI does not need to enter your home to install it but if they do, you will be contacted to make an appointment. If the radio transmitter is not installed, additional costs will apply for ongoing manual meter readings once the program is complete.

The Region's water distribution system, including its metering infrastructure, constitutes a "public utility" within the meaning of Section 1(1) of the Municipal Act. The Region owns the waterworks system and has full control over its operation and maintenance.

Section 80(1) of the Municipal Act grants municipalities broad rights to enter land that they supply with a public utility to inspect, install, repair, replace, or alter utility meters. The Region has the authority under the Municipal Act, specifically under Sections 80 (1) and (437 (subject to section 435 (2)) to access properties, including dwellings to carry out its mandate in supplying water which includes replacing and installing the Sensus Water Meters.

As the owner of the infrastructure (and pursuant to the Region’s By-law 71-19), the Region has the ability and discretion to choose its equipment. The By-law specifically contemplates the installation of AMI technology and remote readers.

The contractor follows standard operating procedures approved by the Region to prevent issues. Any liability arising from the work, including any resulting damages, would depend on the specific circumstances and would be assessed on a case-by-case basis in accordance with applicable laws, contractual obligations, insurance coverage, and relevant legislation and regulations. Should an issue arise, customers should contact KTI or Access Halton ( email accesshalton@halton.ca or call 311).

Depending on the age and compatibility of your current water meter, you may have your water meter replaced in addition to having a transmitter installed. If you have a newer, AMI compatible water meter, only a transmitter will be installed and connected to your existing meter.

No, there is no cost to you for the transmitter or water meter upgrade.

The project is funded through water rates and capital reserves and was approved by the Regional Council on June 20, 2018, as part of the Long-Term Water Meter Strategy.

No, Time-of-Use billing for water has not been contemplated as part of the Long-Term Water Meter Strategy.

Water meter accuracy can decline over time, resulting in under-registration of water use. After the new meter is installed, you may notice an increase in your water bill due to improved measurement accuracy. Accurate metering helps ensure fair and equitable billing for all Halton Region customers.

Other factors that may contribute to higher bills include household leaks (e.g., dripping faucets or running toilets) and changes in water use patterns (e.g., seasonal irrigation).

This depends on the age and compatibility of your water meter. You will either have your water meter replaced and have a radio transmitter installed (Upgrade Type 1) or you will just have a radio transmitter installed (Upgrade Type 2).

Water meters:

Sensus SRII (external PDF) with Electronic Register (external PDF)

Sensus Metal-body iPerl (external PDF)

Radio transmitter:

Sensus SmartPoint 510M (external PDF)

Halton Region’s contractor KTI Utility Services (KTI) will replace the control valve, at no cost to you, if it is non-functional at the time of the meter replacement. Otherwise, you can have it replaced at your own expense.

Your meter is made up of 2 parts – (1) the water meter that measures the amount of water you use and (2) the remote reader – the radio transmitter that collects the reading from the water meter. Your water meter will be installed in the same location as it is now. So, if it’s inside your property today, that’s where it will be after the upgrade. The radio transmitter will be installed outside in the same location as the existing touchpad or in a different location, if required.

The Smart Meters that you heard about are not the same equipment that Halton is installing. There no known fire safety issues related to the water meters and radio transmitters being installed by Halton Region. The radio transmitters contain a 3.6V Lithium Thionyl Chloride battery with a non-flammable electrolyte. The radio battery is hermetically sealed and UL tested/approved.

Halton Region, and any contractor working on Halton’s behalf, will remove and dispose of all battery components in accordance with all applicable regulations.

The radio transmitter collects hourly readings from the water meter via the thin wire that connects them. The radio “wakes up” and transmits the data once every 4 hours. The transmission lasts less than 1 second. The radio does not transmit continuously.

No, the frequency of meter reading (hourly) and data transmission (6 times per day) cannot be changed.

A very small percentage of customers have reported noise from the new water meter or within the plumbing while water is running. If the new meter is confirmed as noisy, it will be replaced with a different type of meter. If the noise is coming from within the plumbing, this can be attributed to air that has become trapped inside the plumbing. This issue can be resolved by releasing the air from the system.

If you experience either of these issues following your meter replacement, please report it as soon as possible by emailing accesshalton@halton.ca or by calling 311, and the issue will be promptly addressed.

Yes, the technology complies with all relevant regulations. The radio transmitters are approved by Industry Canada (IC) RSS-134, RSS-199 and the FCC in the United States.

Yes! The new meter technology is safe and complies with Health Canada’s radiofrequency exposure guidelines. Health Canada has conducted a comprehensive, science-based evaluation of the Health effects of exposure to smart meters (external link). Their assessment concludes that there are no health risks from exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF EMF) from smart meters.

The new transmitter is installed outside and connected to your water meter located inside by a thin wire. The power density level of the transmitter are significantly less than the human exposure limits in Safety Code 6 (external link), and other common household devices such as wi-fi routers, cell phones. Exposure decreases with distance from the device and is further decreased if emissions are travelling through walls. Transmissions occur once every 4 hours and last less than one second.

Health Canada reports that even if you live or work in a townhouse or high-rise building where multiple smart meters are installed together, your total exposure levels will still be far below Canadian exposure limits due to the infrequent nature of transmissions.

For more information visit:

• Government of Canada - Case Study: Measurements of Radio Frequency Exposure from Wi-Fi Devices (external link)
• Government of Canada - Radiofrequency Energy and Safety (external link)

KTI is a trusted contractor hired by Halton Region to install and manage water meters.

Yes, as a condition of their contract with Halton Region, KTI is required to maintain a general liability and automobile insurance.

The radio transmitter collects and sends only meter readings, alerts and device IDs—no personal details—over Halton Region’s secure network. This data is later matched with customer accounts for billing and service purposes.

This is the same information that is collected from water meters that do not have a radio transmitter.

Halton Region and its service providers, including KTI Utility Services (KTI)/Sensus and local hydro companies, can access your water usage data to support billing and customer service. Only authorized staff and contractors can view this data, and it is used strictly for service-related purposes. The local hydro companies have access to information to support billing and customer service. KTI and its partner Sensus have access to the AMI system to support network management.

Halton Region takes your privacy very seriously.

No personal data (such as names and addresses) is stored in the radios or transmitted across the network.

The newly installed transmitter will encrypt your water usage information before sending it to a network of receivers that collect the data. Only the device ID numbers and your water usage readings and some alerts are included. Halton provides this information to your local hydro provider, who in turn bills you for your water usage. There will be no change to how you receive your utility bill from your local hydro provider.

Water usage data is stored on secure servers in Canada. Halton Region and their contractor KTI Utility Services (KTI)/Sensus ensure that personal information is protected by technical safeguards (like firewalls and monitoring), staff checks, and strict processes.

Data is stored within the AMI database for up to 3 years.

Water meter read data will continue to be used for the purpose of billing for water usage as it is today. Data can also be used for enhanced customer service such as detecting that a customer has abnormal consumption, such as a leak, and notifying the customer of a possible issues that may lead to a high water bill.

If you prefer not to schedule your appointment via KTI’s online booking portal, you can call to book your installation instead.

Access to your water meter usage data will be provided through your local hydro provider’s online portal. If you are currently using the portal to see your electricity and billing data, water meter usage data will appear after the upgrade to AMI technology. Customers must be registered for their local hydro provider’s online portal to see water usage and billing data. It is not mandatory to register.