DeKalb County halts installing faulty 'smart' water meters

DECATUR, Ga. (AP) — DeKalb County has halted the installation of new water meters after residents complained that the new devices were malfunctioning and leading to higher water bills.

Media outlets report that DeKalb Commission voted 5-0 on Tuesday to suspend installation of the "smart" meters and to grant the county's finance director greater flexibility to reduce the questioned charges.

The county was in the process of replacing 190,000 old water meters at a cost of about $30 million, but some of the newly installed systems were breaking from rainwater or other moisture.

Officials must now decide whether to work to fix the faulty meters or choose different equipment.

The county is creating an outside review process for residents who are disputing their water charges. Details of that process have not yet been announced.