Shanghai plans to spend more than 1 billion yuan (US$125 million) over the next five years to upgrade water meters in the city's older residential areas.

The effort is meant, in part, to address growing complaints about inaccurate meters that overcharge homeowners.

The funding will also be used to install new meters so that every customer has one. At present, bill-sharing disputes often arise among neighbors who share a single meter.

In addition, many existing meters will be moved outside residences to make it easy for water company personnel to read them without having to disturb customers. The relocations will also help the water company's effort to prevent theft of service.

"The meters will meet standards to ensure their accuracy, and we will invite quality authorities to help supervise the process," said Zhang Jiayi, director of the Shanghai Water Authority.

Officials said they have received complaints about older meters running faster and faster as they age.

One of the complainants was Wang Binying, a senior citizen who lives in an older apartment on Dezhou Road in Pudong New Area.

Early this year, she conducted her own investigation by filling a bucket with what the meter indicated was 10 kilograms of water. The actual weight of the water, however, was 30 percent less. She then complained to the water company and received a replacement meter free of charge.

Some residents have even complained that their meter continued to run even when all the water taps in their home were turned off.

During public consultations on Saturday, representatives of the city's waterworks heard 336 complaints within two hours - about 80 percent of which were related to meters.

Residents also urged the regular cleaning of rooftop water tanks to prevent contamination within their communities.

The waterworks will begin the meter upgrade next year along with a major campaign to renovate water supply facilities such as tanks and pipes within all the city's residential communities.

(Shanghai Daily August 7, 2006)