new digital water meter underground on 12th St.

An Arlington County Department of Environmental Services (DES) crew installed a new digital water meter to serve Rosslyn's award-winning condominium building at 1510 12th St.  Water is billed on a building-by-building basis.  With the new digital meter, crews will be able to wirelessly read the meter without opening the access hole.  But switching out water meters isn't an easy job.  The three-man DES crew had to unweld the existing meter to insert the new one.  Over time, all the water meters in the area will be ungraded to digital meters. 

Getting running water into homes is an enormous technological achievement.  It depends on a lot of community infrastructure that needs to be maintained and upgraded.  The same is true for electric and communications networks.  Without men going down into holes, you'd be miserable: thirsty, cold, and incommunicado.  Be grateful for the comfort you have.