Interference & Privacy

FCC Regulations

The use of radio-read water meters is regulated by agencies such as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). All meters used by the City meet the requirements established under FCC Part 15, Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

These regulations ensure that the devices do not interfere with licensed transmitters and that they must accept any interference from other devices.

According to the FCC, “At any time of the day, most people are within a few meters of consumer products that use low-power, non-licensed transmitters.” Examples include remote controls, garage door openers, baby monitors, cordless phones, Wi-Fi routers, wireless microphones, and home security systems.

For more information, view the FCC document:  Understanding the FCC Regulations (PDF) .

Interference

• City testing has shown no interference with devices used by the deaf and hard of hearing.
• There are no documented cases of Neptune water meters interfering with pacemakers.
• All devices are labeled with the following compliance statement:

   This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following conditions: 
   (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and 
   (2) This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. 

Privacy Protection

• No personal data is transmitted through the radio-read metering system.
• Only the meter reading and the meter’s unique identification number are transmitted. If either cannot be retrieved, an error code is sent.
• Each radio device has a unique ID number, which is matched with your account to ensure accuracy.