I have received a notice that I need to have a new water meter installed. The notice opens by stating that the upgraded water meter will collect near real-time information about water consumption. I am not happy about this.
This measure represents yet another incremental encroachment on the privacy of homeowners in the city of Regina. What is being proposed is a device over which I have no control, which will give the city the ability to monitor whether my home is occupied at any given time, and the ability to log patterns of occupancy.
The notice states that the installation of this information collecting device is mandatory. What does this mean? Does it mean that if I do not give the installer access to my home, I risk being denied access to water, one of the necessities of life, even if I can demonstrate that I have been willing to compensate the city for the cost of providing it for the past 10 years?
I do not believe that the right to own and occupy a home in the city of the Regina should be contingent on the willingness to have this kind of tracking device installed on the premises.
A am sending my city councillor a copy of this complaint. Please copy her on your reply at tknelson@regina.ca.
Thank you.
Floyd Gadd