The Bradford City Water Authority is set to begin the installation phase of its meter replacement program, and early problems residents may have had with setting up their appointment to do so have been resolved.

Authority customers eager to check that task off their to-do lists encountered some difficulty Monday morning. Letters from Keystone Utility Systems, sent on behalf of the Bradford City Water Authority and containing instructions for making the swap, began to hit mailboxes only recently.

Some customers encountered difficulty or were unable to set up their estimated 15- to 30-minute, free installation due to dropped phone calls or a problem with the QR code provided in Keystone’s letter.

Authority Executive Director Steve Disney said Keystone was aware of the issues and had contacted its providers. Anyone who phoned in only to have the call disconnected should receive a return call from Keystone, Disney said.

“(Keystone officials) said that in just a day or two, 242 appointments were made — 87 of those online,” Disney noted. “So these issues seem to be sporadic, not widespread.

“I would advise that any customers who wanted to schedule their appointment (and weren’t able to) should wait 24 hours and try again.”

Keystone Utility Systems, which was awarded the $712,883 installation portion of the contract, is responsible for all project communications with authority customers, including initial notices, scheduling replacements and following up on any installation-related issues.

Disney emphasized that customers should not call the authority, but communicate directly with Keystone. They can be reached by phone from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays at (877) 587-2279, via email at office@keystoneutilities.com or online at keystoneutilities.com/schedule. Customers can use Keystone’s AI scheduling service after hours, or to speak with a person just leave a message with a good contact number to receive a next-day call back during business hours. Those who reach out via email are asked to provide several scheduling options and a phone number.

Disney noted that appointments are also available on evenings and weekends. Someone at least 18 years old must be present during the appointment.

Technicians, driving designated Keystone Utility Systems vehicles and wearing high-visibility clothing with company ID badges, will need to access the meter, typically located inside the customer’s residence or structure.

“The Water and Sanitary authorities are very excited to get this project underway, improving and upgrading systems and taking advantage of technology that drives efficiency is very important to our business, our community and our customers,” Disney said. “We appreciate all customer efforts to work as soon as possible with our installation contractor, Keystone Utility Systems, to get this project completed in a timely manner.”

To fund the entire project, the authority was awarded a $3.48 million low-interest loan from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) on Jan. 1. All 5,900 of the authority’s water meters — with a systemwide average age of 26 years — will be replaced.

Disney said the new meters will significantly improve system efficiency by transitioning from drive-by readings to advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), an integrated, fixed-network system that enables two-way communication between the authority and its meters.

Disney explained the system collects, stores and analyzes water consumption data, allowing the authority to monitor water use in real time.

“Customer sanitary sewer bills within the City of Bradford are based on water usage,” he said. “Due to this relationship, the Bradford Sanitary Authority has also agreed to assist the water authority in repaying the 20-year low interest loan commitment.”