City about to begin water meter canvass

GAINESVILLE - Gainesville city officials say don't be alarmed if, over the next few months, you spot strangers around your business or home, checking your water meter.

Greg Harrison, Technical Services Engineer for public utilities, says workers from Keck and Wood, a private company out of metro Atlanta, have been hired to pinpoint the exact location of each of the 40,000-or-so water meters on the city water system.

Harrison says the workers will be in uniforms and trucks clearly identifying them as Keck and Wood employees.

Several workers will spend several minutes at each meter. The city will use the Global Positioning System, a satellite tracking system, to more closely monitor the exact location of each of the meters.