Water Meter Replacement Project
In 2013/2014, the East Cocalico Township Authority (ECTA) completed a system-wide water meter replacement project to convert to Master Meter radio read meters. While the water meters continue to accurately record your water usage, the batteries within the meter registers are prematurely dying. This prevents the meter register from transmitting your water meter reading to the receiver within ECTA’s work truck as we drive through the Township collecting the readings.
Unfortunately, it is not as simple as just changing the battery. The battery is a fixed component within the meter register and when it dies, the entire meter register must be replaced. Instead of replacing a register on a 12-13 year-old meter body, it is more cost effective and efficient to replace the entire meter. In addition, ECTA is transitioning to new Neptune water meters which are also read using drive by radio reading equipment. For these reasons, ECTA began the initial phase of a Water Meter Replacement Project in January 2025.
We are pursuing and have applied for grants to launch a systemwide water meter replacement but until we receive the final decision on the grant applications, water meters are being replaced by ECTA Staff in a phased, as-needed manner due to the dying batteries. After every quarterly billing is processed, we are mailing letters to the customers whose meters are no longer transmitting the readings.
- If you have received a letter, please read through the letter and then call our office to schedule your mandatory meter replacement appointment.
- If you have not received a letter, no action is needed at this time.
We appreciate your patience as we work through this water meter replacement project.
Water Meter Replacement Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who will be coming to my home to install the new water meter?
A: Two ECTA Operators will come to your home for the replacement appointment. They will have appropriate photo identification and will arrive in clearly marked ECTA trucks.
Q: Will my water have to be turned off?
A: Yes. We will have to turn off your water service during your scheduled appointment to install the new water meter.
Q: Will the ECTA Operators need to enter my home?
A: Very likely. Most water meters are located inside the home, typically in your basement. Some water meters are in a crawl space or the attached garage. Per ECTA’s Rates, Rules & Regulations, please be sure the water meter is accessible to our Operators and there is a clear path to its location. For those water meters located in outside meter pits, we will not have to enter your home. However, an appointment must still be scheduled since your water will be turned off to make the replacement.
Q: How long will the meter replacement take?
A: We expect the installation to take approximately 30 minutes. Meter pit installations may take slightly longer.
Q: Must an adult be home?
A: Yes. The owner of the property or an adult representative (18 years of age or older) must be in the home during the meter replacement.
Q: Do I need to have any plumbing work done in conjunction with the meter replacement?
A: Usually not. The new meters are the same size as the existing ones, so we do not expect any installation problems. However, if we discover or determine that your internal water shut off valve needs repair or replacement, you will be required to bring your water service line into compliance with the Rates, Rules & Regulations of the ECTA Water System.
Water Treatment Plant Upgrade
In April 2024, ECTA embarked on the design and engineering of a $3.0 million project to upgrade the water treatment plant (WTP) with a new ultra filtration process (ahead of the existing nano filtration process) and a new UV disinfection process to meet PADEP requirements for the treatment of ground water under the influence of surface water. Construction bids were later received in January 2025, and a PENNVEST low-interest loan was secured to cover the project costs. On site construction work began March 17, 2025 and progressed rapidly to completion in December 2025.
New Well Siting
In order to stay ahead of projected growth within the Township and projected increases in water demands, ECTA will be evaluating potential sites for a new water production well. The potential well siting efforts and subsequent test well drilling activities are budgeted for 2026 and are slated to begin in late Spring 2026. Upon favorable siting and test well drilling results in 2026, ECTA will budget for converting the test well to a full production well in 2027/2028. The goal of this project is to strengthen our current inventory of eleven (11) production wells thus increasing our ability to continue to serve the Township's needs well into the future.
Source Water Protection (SWP)
Click here for more information on and updates to our Source Water Protection Program.