Latest news with #EnhancedMeterProject
Axios
07-05-2025
- General
- Axios
Why Columbus' new water meters are raising some customer bills
The City of Columbus is working to replace over 300,000 aging water meters across Central Ohio — a switch that's unexpectedly flooding some customers with higher water bills. Why it matters: The new meters are more accurate and efficient, eliminating the need for manual readings, per the city. They'll be more user-friendly, eventually featuring a new online customer portal, and will allow the city to switch from quarterly to monthly billing. By the numbers: It's a $125 million project impacting over 1 million people, including in some suburbs that contract with Columbus for water services. Catch up quick: The Enhanced Meter Project started in 2023 and is gradually rolling out across neighborhoods, with an estimated completion in 2027. Customers receive a letter when it's time for their meter to be replaced, which is mandatory, and must schedule an appointment for a worker to enter their home to access it. A switch to monthly billing will follow. Pro tip: Make sure your toilets and other appliances aren't leaking. Old, worn-out meters may not pick up on leaks, but the new ones will — which could cause the sticker shock some residents are reporting. Other homes may just "catch up to reality" with a more accurate meter, per the city's website. How it works: The water meter you see outside your home is just a remote, connected via a wire or small cable to an actual indoor meter where water passes through. As they age, the remote may "slow down" and not reflect true consumption, Public Utilities department spokesperson George Zonders tells Axios. That's why customers should regularly verify outdoor and indoor readings match. What they're saying:"What we're finding is that for some customers, the difference between the inside meter and outside remote is enough that the last inside reading on the old meter will show up on their next bill as a usage spike," Zonders says. The new meters won't have outdoor remotes and will transmit consumption data digitally. To troubleshoot an unusually high bill after a switch, call customer service at 614-645-8276 or email [email protected]. What's next: After their meters are replaced, about 11,700 Hilltop area customers will be the first to test the new monthly billing system starting in June, Zonders says.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Yahoo
Man battling cancer shot at on I-70 coming home from chemotherapy, ODOT video released
A Columbus man was shot at on I-70 during his drive home from a chemotherapy appointment in what he believes was an unprovoked attack. The Ohio Department of Transportation released video of the shooting. The video shows the victim's black truck pulling off to the shoulder after a shot went through his window. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Jesse, who asked to be identified only by his first name, spoke via Zoom with our news partner WBNS-TV in Columbus from his hospital bed at Grant Medical Center. Jesse said the incident unraveled quickly Tuesday morning as he was driving home after his chemotherapy session. Jesse battles a form of blood cancer called multiple myeloma. 'He slowed down, I heard a loud noise, and that was him shooting into my truck. He tried to keep getting in front of me, and I didn't want to let him in front—just because I didn't want him being able to stop me and keep shooting,' Jesse said. TRENDING STORIES: Missing woman's body found buried in concrete under a shed Motorcyclist with child passenger flees from police Paper mill closing after 200 years in Ohio; almost 800 workers impacted Jesse was able to call 911 while he was trying to get away from the driver. He told them that he had been shot in the face by a person driving a gold Chevrolet Equinox. A witness to the shooting called 911 too, according to WBNS-TV. The witness said they thought the two vehicles were brake-checking each other and that road rage may have caused the shooting, according to the dispatcher. However, Jesse doesn't believe that this was a road rage incident. 'He decided to go right to the left and stop next to me and shoot,' Jesse said. 'That was the only interaction I had with him. There was no back and forth, no brake-checking, nothing like that.' The bullet struck Jesse's truck door, shattering the glass. Jesse turned his face, but the round went through the glass, skimming past him, according to WBNS-TV. 'It could have been a lot worse. I remember seeing the hole in the window—it was damn near where my head was," he said. Jesse told WBNS-TV he has lost two of his teeth and received 11 stitches and glue. He may have to undergo chin and gum surgery, and he's lost some vision in his left eye. He was discharged from the hospital Tuesday. Police have identified the suspect as 33-year-old DeWayne Pittman and charged him with felonious assault. Pittman was employed by VEPO, a subcontractor under Sensus on the City of Columbus' Department of Public Utilities' Enhanced Meter Project, according to WBNS-TV. 'Sensus has already informed us that Pittman is no longer employed on this project. Our thoughts are with the victim and their family,' a spokesperson with the city's Department of Public Utilities said. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Yahoo
Man battling cancer shot at on I-70 coming home from chemotherapy
A Columbus man was shot at on I-70 during his drive home from a chemotherapy appointment in what he believes was an unprovoked attack. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Jesse, who asked to be identified only by his first name, spoke via Zoom with our news partner WBNS-TV in Columbus from his hospital bed at Grant Medical Center. Jesse said the incident unraveled quickly Tuesday morning as he was driving home after his chemotherapy session. Jesse battles a form of blood cancer called multiple myeloma. 'He slowed down, I heard a loud noise, and that was him shooting into my truck. He tried to keep getting in front of me, and I didn't want to let him in front—just because I didn't want him being able to stop me and keep shooting,' Jesse said. TRENDING STORIES: Missing woman's body found buried in concrete under a shed Motorcyclist with child passenger flees from police Paper mill closing after 200 years in Ohio; almost 800 workers impacted Jesse was able to call 911 while he was trying to get away from the driver. He told them that he had been shot in the face by a person driving a gold Chevrolet Equinox. A witness to the shooting called 911 too, according to WBNS-TV. The witness said they thought the two vehicles were brake-checking each other and that road rage may have caused the shooting, according to the dispatcher. However, Jesse doesn't believe that this was a road rage incident. 'He decided to go right to the left and stop next to me and shoot,' Jesse said. 'That was the only interaction I had with him. There was no back and forth, no brake-checking, nothing like that,' Jesse said. The bullet struck Jesse's truck door, shattering the glass. Jesse turned his face, but the round went through the glass, skimming past him, according to WBNS-TV. 'It could have been a lot worse. I remember seeing the hole in the window—it was damn near where my head was," he said. Jesse told WBNS-TV he has lost two of his teeth and received 11 stitches and glue. He may have to undergo chin and gum surgery, and he's lost some vision in his left eye. He was discharged from the hospital Tuesday. Police have identified the suspect as 33-year-old DeWayne Pittman and charged him with felonious assault. Pittman was employed by VEPO, a subcontractor under Sensus on the City of Columbus' Department of Public Utilities' Enhanced Meter Project, according to WBNS-TV. 'Sensus has already informed us that Pittman is no longer employed on this project. Our thoughts are with the victim and their family,' a spokesperson with the city's Department of Public Utilities said. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Yahoo
Alleged road rage shooter admits to an altercation with driver on I-70 West
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A man arrested in connection with a road rage shooting on Interstate 70 in west Columbus faced a judge Wednesday morning. Arrested was 33-year-old DeWayne Pittman after police traced his vehicle via Accurint technology following an incident that occurred on I-70 West, where a man was injured during an alleged road rage shooting. 'If you see one, please step on it:' What to know about an invasive bug Just after 7 a.m. Tuesday, officers responded to the area of I-70 West and the Hague Road exit after receiving reports of a driver shot. The caller, who was also the victim, gave police a description and license plate of a vehicle, a gold Chevrolet Equinox, which reportedly fled the scene north on Hague Rd. Police found the victim, who was driving a black Ford F-150 pickup truck, and a witness reported seeing the driver of the Equinox fire at the victim, who was suffering from a gunshot wound to the face. With the help of Accurint technology, police traced the car to an address on Andurs Avenue in Whitehall, where Pittman was found and taken into custody. Pittman admitted to police he was involved in an altercation and driving alongside someone driving a Ford F-150 on I-70 West. A Franklin County Municipal Court judge issued Pittman, arrested Tuesday and charged with felonious assault, a $500,000 bond and ordered him to next appear in court on April 25 for a preliminary hearing. A motion for a temporary order of protection was also granted. A Columbus city spokesperson said Pittman, who was working for the city as an employee of a subcontractor hired for the city's Enhanced Meter Project, is 'no longer employed on this project.' The Columbus Department of Public Utilities said Pittman was employed by VEPO, which is under contract with Sensus, the prime contractor for the city's meter project. The victim, who identified himself to NBC4 as Jesse Morris, was taken to an area hospital for treatment. He said he has a hole in his lower jaw and that doctors had to pick shrapnel out of his face. The shooting happened as he was on the way to a chemotherapy appointment, according to Morris, who will need another surgery as a result of the shooting. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
