The initiative by Town of Pincourt calling for volunteers to have water meters installed at their homes is meant to determine the amount of water being consumed, said Mayor Claude Comeau.

"It has nothing to do with putting a price or charging for water. It's simply to know the usage so that people can become aware of their consumption and reduce usage on their own. This is what the goal is," Comeau told Néomédia.

"The government is requesting us to put in some water meters in the area to see what kind of usage we have. All municipalities are being asked to reduce their usage so this is a way of doing it," said Comeau.

The mayor said there's no plan to install water meters for every residence and it would take several years to do that. "For this year, we're planning on installing 100 meters out of 5,000 households," Comeau said.

The town's website states the purpose of the project is to obtain a significant sampling of water consumption throughout its entire territory. The meters will be installed free of charge at a limited number of residences. 

The town also notes that periods of drought are causing problems for the production and distribution of drinking water and that its usage must be reviewed in order to stabilize its reserves and avoid a shortage of this essential resource. 

Homeowners who would like to have a water meter installed at their home are asked to contact the Public Works and Infrastructure Division by e-mail at [email protected] for full details.