Mission will spend $86,000 in order to purchase 500 new water meter radio heads as part of a pilot study.
The evaluatioin, which was approved in 2014, was created to measure actual water consumption in older Mission homes and compare it to newer residential construction.
Once the data is collected, district staff will be able to accurately estimate per capita water use.
While all new homes built in the district have water meters, older homes do not.
Homeowners in Mission currently pay for water based on an average amount, rather than the actual amount used.
Despite some speculation that this is a move towards having district-wide water metering, Mission Mayor Randy Hawes said that is not a foregone conclusion.
He recalls the price tag to make such a move would be in the $12-million range.
“Does it really pay to do that?” he asked.
“Let’s establish how much water we are actually using.”
He said the project could also help identify any leaks the district may have in its water system.
The 500 devices will be purchased from U.S.-based Corix Water Products LP.