July 12, 2024
Toronto Water is advising customers of issues with its meter transmission units (MTUs), devices which transmit usage data from water meters to the city to determine billing.
Many of these devices are unexpectedly failing, causing artificially high bills for some Toronto Water customers.
This is also occurring in other municipalities with the same MTU supplier. The city is working with the supplier to address the issue.
Note that the issue is with the transmitter that communicates the readings, and not the water meter itself.
Estimated Billing
Impacted customers are being moved to estimated billing based on their historical water usage data until the faulty MTUS are replaced.
This process will happen automatically, and no action is required by impacted customers. Those affected will be notified via their utility bills and provided detailed information in multiple languages.
No customer will need to pay more than their actual water consumption overall, and any discrepancies between estimated and actual water usage will be adjusted once MTUs are replaced.
Manual Water Readings
Residents can also provide manual readings to the city, which will allow for more immediate billing accuracy while the city addresses the MTU issue.
Residents can manually report their usage by calling Revenue Services Customer Care via 311.
An online portal is also being developed to allow residents to submit their water meter readings online. I will let you know once this service becomes available.
21-Day Grace Period
A 21-day grace period is being provided on a standard four month billing cycle for the next billing to allow more time for customers to get questions answered and transition to this temporary billing system.
Get Assistance
If you have questions on your billing or would like to report your water meter readings, call 311 to access Revenue Services Customer Care.
The city has added Revenue Services call centre staff and extended hours from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. to meet any increase in demand.
In-person payment inquiry and payment counters can also assist customers. Online resources are also being developed.
I will share additional updates and resources as they become available.
Contact my office at 416-392-4060 or [email protected] if you have questions or require assistance.
