Will meters measure up to freezing conditions?

ODDS on a white Christmas have been slashed and after a very cold winter to date, concerns have been expressed about the quality of water meters and the possibility of further damage being caused by freezing conditions.
At this week’s meeting of Shannon area councillors, Councillor Patricia McCarthy put down a motion asking “the owners of all housing developments not taken in charge be contacted to establish (a) if they have correctly installed the water metres and (B) carried out remedial works where problems have been identified”.
Also at meeting a letter was presented claiming the materials that the local authority puts in place itself are in order. The communication from the council’s water services engineer stated, “The meter box/stopcock systems Clare County Council have been installing in the Shannon Electoral Area are Talbot Matrix boxes. These comply with current standards, part of which requires that the device can withstand a temperature of minus 15 degrees centigrade for 15 days.
“These devices have a 16 bar pressure rating which is far in excess of operating pressures in the council’s distribution network and the meter boxes are designed for an asset life in excess of 50 years, subject to normal operating and maintenance conditions.”
Also in a written response to Councillor McCarthy’s motion, area engineer Eugene O’Shea claimed that appropriate tests are undertaken. “Before recommending the taking in charge of estates, surveys will be carried out by area staff to determine that water meters are to an approved standard and are installed at depths in line with manufacturers’ recommendations to prevent freezing.”
With regard to the motion, Councillor McCarthy said that problems had arisen last year, which are likely to be repeated. “We are heading for another bad spell and some people have already had problems because work was not carried out and some of the meters that were put in were sub-standard.”
Councillor PJ Ryan said he agreed that proper standards hadn’t been followed in installing the meters and the quality of the meters is not good enough.
Independent representative Gerry Flynn said that there was a problem with the metal valves being used, which he said could only be put in the ground at a certain depth. He said that when the temperature goes below minus six degrees there can be an issue with freezing.
Summing up, Councillor McCarthy claimed that there have already been some people who have had problems in the last few weeks and a solution is required. “We need to sort out this problem for the people living in these houses,” she claimed.
Councillor McCarthy said that some people aren’t able to turn off their water. “Sometimes people can’t turn off the water and the problem is that if a pipe bursts it keeps flushing and flushing,” she commented.
She said she had only became aware of that issue in the last couple of weeks and that it was very important it be resolved. “We have to find a solution to it because it will destroy houses,” she concluded.