2019: Attention all Town of New Windsor Homeowners and Business owners:  As discussed in a letter the Town mailed to some last week (click here for representative sample) and in a press release issued on October 1^st (click here to see press release), all homes and business in the Town will be receiving upgraded smart water meters for their homes and/or businesses sometime within the next 9 – 12 months. 

The new water meters will require professional installation.  The Town has contracted with a company named VEPO Metering to perform that installation.  Click here to go to VEPO Metering’s website for further information about the company (https://www.veposolutions.com/vepo-metering). 

We are sending this additional notice because our Water Department has received a number of phone calls to Town Hall asking if the letters are legitimate.  We assure you that they are.  This is a project that has been needed for quite some time and we are happy to finally see it come to fruition.  Installation will be done in phases, with older water meters being replaced first.  Accordingly, only those homeowners and business owners received the aforementioned letters.  As the project progresses, similar letters will be sent to those residents and users who are next scheduled to receive installation.  This procedure will continue until the project is complete.

As noted in the letters discussed above, installation will require access to the inside of residents’ homes and users’ businesses.  Most water meters will need to be installed indoors (in basements, cellars, crawl spaces, utility rooms, etc.) and the installation process is, in most cases, expected to be completed within two (2) hours. 

In anticipation of the understandable concern that residents and users would have allowing someone they are unfamiliar with, and didn’t hire on their own, access to their home, the Town and VEPO are making efforts to ensure your safety and make you as comfortable as possible with the process and the workers who will be carrying out the work on behalf of VEPO Metering.  To that end, the following precautions have been taken:

• All installers/technicians and/or workers authorized to perform work requiring contact with the public were required to undergo and pass a criminal background check and under no circumstances are permitted to work on any aspect of the project involving contact with the public if they had any convictions or pending criminal charges that would render them unsuitable for regular contact with children (i.e., sex offenses, violent offenses, drug offenses, etc.);
   
• All installers/technicians will be subject to supervision/oversight by Town Staff;
   
• VEPO is required to notify the Town Police Department of all work to be done on a daily basis, so if any residents are concerned with the presence of or actions of an installer/technician, they can and should contact the Police Department for immediate assistance;
   
• Installers/technicians are not to enter anyone’s home unless someone over eighteen (18) years of age is present;
   
• All installers/technicians will be in uniforms clearly marked with VEPO Metering or VEPO Solutions on their tee shirts, jackets and/or vests.  They will also be carrying photo identification showing they are working with/for VEPO Metering and/or VEPO Solutions; and they will be driving vehicles marked with the VEPO company name and/or logo.  Below are representative pictures of the VEPO company logo and truck.

• Residents will maintain control over the time of their installation in that they are asked to schedule their appointment online at https://www.veposolutions.com/vepo-metering where they can click on the “Schedule Appointment” tab on the top right hand side of the page, or call a Customer Service Representative at (877) 860-8376 to make an appointment that is convenient for them
   
• If an email address is provided, residents will receive confirmation of their appointment by email, along with a picture of the technician that will be performing their installation

While we hope this answers all questions concerning this project, we understand you may have more.  If you do, please do not hesitate to contact the Town Supervisor’s Office at (845) 563-4620.

Thank you,

Town Board
Town of New Windsor