Water meters in Portage la Prairie are being upgraded to smart meters. City of Portage Water Works Committee Chair Wayne Wall describes the devices.

"These meters will be broadcasting radio frequency signals that will be picked up by the tower at the fire hall, and transmitted to city hall, where our computer program will collate all the information and put your water bill together."

He contrasts them from the old system.

"The current systems means that somebody has to come into your yard to the little black device on the side of your house, and tromp through the snow, and get by your dog (laughs), and things of that nature, and plug in to get your meter reading. These meters will transmit 14 times a day in little bursts. For a total of less than a minute a day they're actually transmitting the information from your water meter to city hall."

Wall says they're not much different.

"They fit into the exact same connections where your present meters are. The same same length and the same fitting size. They look a little different. If you want to read your water meter yourself you have to shine a flashlight on the little solar panel on top of it for a few seconds. And then the reading will pop up, first for current flow, and then in gallons used."

You can find their website with more information at: portagelaprairiewatermeters.ca