A request for an opt-out program for the smart water meters was made to the City last year. They last reported to me in October 2025 that the program was pending final approvals, but have since replaced all the meters in Crystal Key, except mine. So residents will likely have an active one that may have recently changed you water bill.
I did take a closer look at the water meter connections, with a VEPO service representative and the water meter is connected to PVC on the customer side. However, is you look at the Point of Entry to your home, you will see it is metal. This may have some impact to the analysis of the electrical ground on the house as the riser diagram does show the cold water plumbing for the house to be the second grounding electrode required by NEC. Excavation of the electrical ground on my home showed one grounding rod and a wire going under the slab. If you have noted electrical problems or stray voltages in your home, you should find out more. This post will relate the smart meter to the issues.
Why Opt Out of Boynton Beach Not-So-Smart Water Meter Replacements?
- Liability
- Security
- Privacy
- Safety
- Health
The City of Boynton Beach utilizes residential smart water meters that transmit data upon demand. The existing water meter Radio Read system consists of a lithium battery, a data logger and an antenna referred to as a “Radio Read Device.” The mobile radio is an Interrogation Unit that signals the Radio Read Device to power up and down to send data in batches for collection by the Interrogation Unit, most likely monthly for billings. That all sounds reasonable enough.
But. . .
The City webpage on the replacement smart meter deployment states, “This state-of-the-art technology delivers water usage data in real time and detects leaks and continuous water use immediately…” https://www.boynton-beach.org/722/Water-Meter-Replacement-Project . Real time monitoring would require the Radio Read Device to operate continuously and it is not clear how that will be powered. What’s going on?
Liability & Safety
The City of Boynton Beach initially installed “smart” water meters around 2012 before there were telecommunication ordinances pertaining to them. The 2018 telecommunication ordinances required such wireless devices in right-of ways to obtain permits and to be insured and installed by registered contractors. That did not happen. The existing and replacement meters are prohibited by City Ordinance, (Find Out More) and they do not appear to be insured.
What are the potential hazards here?
For some there therewere open holes on the lid of numerous boxes around my community, where the Radio Read Unit should be. More recently, the smart meters in the community have been replaced.
How can this effect your service line and your electrical system? What happens if your service line is metal and is connected to the metal cold water pipe your electrical system is using for a grounding electrode? What would a lightening strike do for all that?
If there is any electrical sort circuit from the battery to a metal service line and plumbing, current from the battery can load up the electrical ground and/or cause galvanic corrosion and effect drinking water quality. Inductive current and Radio Frequency/Microwave radiation can also seek a route to ground. What’s in your water?
Recent examination of my water meter connection does show PVC at the meter, however, the POE to my house is metal. The riser diagrams for all three model homes for the community show the cold water plumbing to be the second grounding electrode required by NEC code. I have excavated my grounding system to show only one grounding rod with a wire also going under the slab that I have not been able to verify the connection for.
While metal plumbing is considered a conductor (has high conductivity), PVC is considered an insulator (has low conductivity). The conductivity of tap water is intermediate so the PVC will reduce, but not prevent charges from flowing. Complex differentials can develop and problem diagnosis should be done by direct measure of relative potentials.
From the City webpage:
How can I check if I have a leak?
Please follow these steps to check for water leaks at your home:
- Ensure that all water fixtures in your home, including automatic water use fixtures such as irrigation systems or ice makers, are not in use.
- Use pliers or a large flathead screwdriver to open the meter box lid outside your home. Be cautious of the wires inside the meter box to avoid damaging them. You may need to clean out any debris inside the box to locate the meter. . .
Yea, remove the debris and don’t damage the wires.
Who is going to go do this?
Who has access to the real-time data and why can’t I just go log in and watch it? What is going on here?
Note that you can check to see if your water meter is working or the City is estimating your bill by comparing the Water Usage reading to what is actually on your meter by doing step 2 of How can I check if I have a leak?, above.
Maybe you have been receiving solicitations for insurance for your water service line? If you OPT IN for one of the City’s Smart Water Meters, you may need that, particularly if you have metal pipe that could be part of your home’s electrical grounding and bonding system. I would just make sure that the insurance company does not require the meter to be installed by a registered, insured contractor.
Security
Who can connect to what through your “smart” water meter?
The City website says the meters are capable of real-time monitoring but then gives instructions for manual readings to diagnose water leaks. So what does the water meter manufacturer say?
Find out more about Flexnet: https://www.xylem.com/en-us/solutions/communication-networks/flexnet-for-water/ Apparently the meters are capable of real-time monitoring, but this would involve the use of base stations and would be another wireless network operating in your community, elevating already excessive levels of Radio-Frequency Microwave Radiation. Flexnet operates on licensed bands so there would also be an additional expense for your water. And just who will know when you are on vacation?
The City says their smart water meters will be capable of this, but then gives directions for manual reads that you do not need a “smart” meter for and never defines a network for the real-time monitoring.
So obviously, you cannot know what networks will be accessing your meter for real-time monitoring. Whose data is it, anyway?
What other networks may be used?
What low cost networks are there available on the unlicensed bands?
Maybe you have noticed solar powered Wi-Fi poles that are a deployment of a Mesh Network for the Palm Beach County Schools in partnership with Palm Beach County. They claim their network is private, but it is operating in the unlicensed bands, so they may be referring to encryption.
Do you have a Wi-Fi everywhere system in your home? Perhaps you could provide a Hot Spot for the City to do real-time monitoring of your water usage.
If you have a cell phone with Find-My-Phone, it is on an active mesh network even when you may think you have turned it off. The range of Bluetooth Low Energy Nodes are up to 600 feet if unobstructed.
Mesh networks may also include human bodies as nodes on the network.
Some say the Internet of Bodies (IoB) is emerging technology while others say it has been in use for decades. Here is a history of the regulatory emergence of the IoB from Wireless Body Area Networks: https://thecrystalkey.info/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Recent-History-of-the-Wireless-Body-Area-Network-2.pdf.
Both licensed and unlicensed bands are connected to the Global Information Grid. Who does your water meter data belong to, anyway?
Privacy
Who does your water usage data belong to?
Who does your biometric data belong to?
The same networks that can access your water meter, can access your body.
What is being done to you that they will not tell you about?
Violations of Human Rights and High Crimes Against Humanity?
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