PHILLIPSBURG — In a special meeting on May 30, Phillipsburg Board of Public Affairs approved the purchase of a tablet and software for Water Commissioner Wendell Harleman to read the water meters.

Normally, he reads the meters by remote signals sent to a tablet as he drives by, but the tablet malfunctioned. The meters send the signal to his tablet, and he then downloads the data to the water department’s computer for the bills to be prepared.

At an earlier meeting he said the company that manufactures the tablet stated that the tablet had reached the end of its working life and a replacement would cost $11,000.

But Board Member Keith Koontz, who had been researching the problem with Harleman, said an official of Buckeye State Pipe had told him that any tablet would do as long as it supported the software and had given him the specifications.

Koontz found a suitable tablet on Amazon for $755 but suggested paying extra for a docking station allowing it to be recharged without risking damage to the wires when connected by cable, and a four-year warranty. The software from Buckeye State Pipe, including installation and technical support, would be another $1,000.

Board members estimated the total package would be approximately $2,110, and they authorized Harleman to pay up to $2,500 for the system.

Koontz also said that the current meters are two years past their recommended usage and will probably begin breaking down soon. Buckeye State Pipe suggested replacing the transmission items on the meters with some that will automatically send the signal to the tablet.

This would eventually eliminate the need for Harleman to drive through the city to collect the readings (although even with the current meters he said he can get several readings by standing in the municipal building’s parking lot).

More importantly, those transmitters will also send an immediate alert to Harleman’s tablet when there is a leak. Now, leaks are detected when he checks how much the pumps have been running.

Members thought this a good idea but decided to only replace them as they broke down.

Members realized that if the village purchases its water from Union, as is now considered, a leak that is not discovered for several hours could be very costly.

Koontz also suggested the price of the transmitters could be added to the grant the village intends to apply for to offset the cost of dealing with the PFAS contamination in the village’s water.

This special meeting was called because the monthly meter readings have to be done soon for the June water bills to be sent out. The alternative is for Harleman to personally look at each of the villages 263 meters and record the readings.

The Board of Public Affairs’ regular meetings take place at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month in the municipal building at 10868 Brookville Phillipsburg Rd.