Cary Introduces Virtual Water Meter

Customers of Cary's public water utility can now monitor how many gallons they use on an hourly basis.  The town invested $172,553 in a system that updates water usage online.  Cary Financial Director Karen Mills says the new system is meant to make customers more aware of how much water they're using or wasting.

"They can see what's going on with their usage, understanding, for example, their irrigation usage if they have an automated system; when it's running, how long it's running," Mills says.

"But lots of folks are finding toilet leaks with them as well, because if a toilet leak is silent and running, for example, overnight, they can see that their usage never drops to zero."

Customers can also sign up for alerts when their usage reaches a certain level during the month.  Cary is under contract to use the system for the next 17 years.  Town officials say it could save $10 million worth of water in that time.