Water Meter Inspection and Water Bills Are Now Monthly

　Until recently, Osaka City Waterworks Bureau had inspected water meters once every four months and issued water bills once every two months (with monthly inspection and billing for high-volume customers), but since July 2008 the Bureau has gradually been introducing monthly inspections and billing. The previous system of four-monthly inspections had been introduced in July 1973, but as part of the commitment to “improving services from the customer standpoint Eset out in the Reform Manifesto of the Director of the Waterworks Bureau, issued in February 2006, and in the Bureau Management Policy, the Bureau decided to change the system of inspection and billing to enable the early detection of leakage and to avoid problems arising from the long period elapsing between use and billing, as well as to aid household accounting by making the billing period the same as those for gas and electricity, thus making the system easier for customers to understand and bills easier to pay.
We will continue to work to improve our services for customers in future. Your understanding and cooperation are greatly appreciated.

Water meter inspection dates, bank transfer dates, and payment deadlines have changed in line with monthly inspections and billing.

Customer numbers, which were previously used as reference numbers for inquiries to the Waterworks Bureau, are no longer being used.

Inquiries concerning water bills for apartment buildings where the Water Billing Center for Apartments carries out meter inspections, etc. should now be directed to your local Waterworks Bureau service office.

Contractors have changed for water meter reading in apartment buildings where the Water Billing Center for Apartments carries out meter inspections, etc.

Applications for turning on or suspending water services in apartment buildings where the Water Billing Center for Apartments carries out meter inspections, etc., as well as inquiries concerning water bills in such apartment buildings, should now be directed to your local Waterworks Bureau service offic
In line with the changeover to monthly inspections, applications for turning on or suspending water services that were formerly handled by the Water Billing Center for Apartments should, in principle, be addressed to your local service office via the management of your condominiums and apartments following the changeover.

 

Q&A About Monthly Inspections

Why has the system been changed from four-monthly inspection to monthly inspection?

In Osaka City, inspections have been carried out every four months since July 1973, but we have now decided to introduce monthly inspection and billing in order to improve our customer services.

What are the actual benefits of introducing a monthly inspection system?

In addition to enabling leakage to be detected at an early stage, it also eliminates the gap between the time when water is used and the month of billing and aids household accounting by making the billing interval the same as those for electricity and gas, making the system easier for customers to understand and bills easier to pay.

Until now I have been reporting the amount of water used to the Waterworks Bureau every four months. What should I do from now on?

In some cases when inspection is difficult to carry out, such as condominiums with shops attached, customers have been requested to report their water use to the Waterworks Bureau themselves. In line with the changeover to monthly inspections, customers are now requested to make monthly reports.

I own a condominium building. Will the Waterworks Bureau explain the system to the tenants of each apartment?

The Waterworks Bureau will send out postcards publicizing the change to residents of private apartment buildings that are covered by the system of individual meters and storage for separate apartments, but for apartment buildings subject to communal metering these postcards will be sent to the owner.

What sort of publicity activities are you planning?

Our plans include the following.
◁EInformation on the reverse side of Water Use Notice, etc ◁EIndividually mailed PR postcards ◁ELeaflets

What sort of information will be included in the PR postcards, and who will they be sent to?

We will send postcards to all customers. They will contain information about the changes to customers Eindividual inspection dates.

Will the price of water rise now inspections are monthly?

We currently have no plans to raise the price of water in line with the implementation of monthly inspections.

What does it mean when you say that the changeover to monthly inspections will take place “gradually E

The changeover from four-monthly to monthly inspections is not being made all at once, but is scheduled to take place over a period of time. Your changeover will take place at some point from July onward, depending on which month your inspections formerly took place. You will be sent a publicity postcard one month before the changeover, so please check this for details.

My water meter is inside the house, meaning I have to be present for inspections. As I am often out, however, it is difficult for me to be present once a month. Can I keep the four-monthly inspections as they were?

(1) We can move the position of your meter to outside the house. For more details, please inquire at your local waterworks maintenance center.z
(2) You could report the figure displayed on your meter to us by telephone, or send it on a postcard. For more details, please inquire at your local service office (inspection contractor).  

[Page Water Meter Inspection and Water Bills Are Now Monthly under Notices and Requests under For Customers on the Osaka City Waterworks Bureau Website ends here.]