Water Meter Transmission Unit (MTU) Replacement Program

The City is replacing all 470,000 Water Meter Transmission Units (MTUs) across the city over a three-year period, due to an unexpected increase in premature MTU failures.

MTUs are battery-powered devices that send water consumption data to the City’s billing system. The water meters themselves are still functioning properly and are able to provide actual readings.

The City has contracted Neptune Technology Group (Neptune) to support replacement of the MTUs. Neptune technicians will visit customer properties by appointment to locate the water meter and replace the existing MTU with a new unit. Customers will not be charged for the replacement of an MTU. Learn when replacements will begin in your area. 

The MTU Replacement Program will take about three years to complete (spring 2026 – fall 2028). City-wide replacement will be rolled out across nine geographical MTU replacement zones. This geographical approach is the fastest and most cost-effective way to restore services across the city, and timelines provided below reflect planned scheduling.

Before replacement work begins in your zone:

  • the City will mail you a letter letting you know when you can expect to hear from Neptune, the City’s authorized contractor
  • Neptune will contact you directly with instructions on how to book your MTU replacement appointment.

Replacement schedule

Map of Toronto divided into nine water meter transmission unit (MTU) replacement zones. Description of geographical boundaries in table below. Click to view PDF of the map.

Zone Area Estimated Replacement Start Date
Zone 1 Dupont Street to the north, Lansdowne Avenue to the west, Lake Ontario to the south and Bayview Avenue to the east. Spring/summer 2026
Zone 2 Gardiner Expressway/Dundas Street West to the north, Etobicoke Creek to the west, Lake Ontario to the south and Dufferin Street to the east. Fall 2026
Zone 3 Steeles Avenue to the north, William R. Allen Road to the west, Lawrence Avenue to the south and Victoria Park Avenue to the east. Winter 2026/2027
Zone 4 Eglinton Avenue to the north, Keele Street to the west, Queen Street East to the south and Bayview Avenue to the east. Spring 2027
Zone 5 Eglinton Avenue to the north, Bayview Avenue to the west, Lake Ontario to the south and Victoria Park Avenue to the east. Summer 2027
Zone 6 Steeles Avenue to the north, Humber River to the west, St. Clair Avenue West to the south and William R. Allen Road to the east. Fall 2027
Zone 7 Steeles Avenue to the north, Victoria Park Avenue to the west, Lake Ontario to the south and Markham Road to the east. Winter 2027/2028
Zone 8 Steeles Avenue to the north, Markham Road to the west, Lake Ontario to the south and Pickering Border to the east. Spring 2028
Zone 9 Steeles Avenue to the north, Highway 427 to the west, Gardiner Expressway to the south and Humber River to the east. Summer 2028

Customers with an MTU that has prematurely failed are being temporarily moved to estimated billing based on their property’s historical water consumption data to ensure continued billing.

Customers whose MTUs have failed:

  • will be notified on their utility bill if they are on estimated billing
  • will see any differences between their estimated and actual water use adjusted or billed either once the customer reports their water meter readings or the MTU is replaced.
  • can call 311 and speak with a customer service representative to provide their water meter reading or ask questions about their bill (select ‘option 1’).
  • may also submit a water meter reading online through the City’s Utility Account Lookup if they receive a notice asking for a reading before their next bill.

Before your appointment

    • Make sure that someone 18 years or older will be present for the entire duration of the appointment. The technician will arrive at any time within the scheduled four-hour appointment window.
    • A Neptune technician will need to enter your property to complete the MTU replacement. You must provide clear and unobstructed access to the MTU and water meter, as required under the Water Supply By-law.
    • For safety reasons, please secure pets before the technician enters the property.

    During your appointment

    • The replacement typically takes 20–30 minutes to complete.
    • Your water service will not be turned off.
    • Please keep at least six feet away while the technician is working.

    After your appointment

    • If the technician is unable to replace the MTU, identifies an issue with the water meter or determines that follow-up work is required, the City will contact you to schedule another appointment.
    • After the MTU has been successfully replaced, you will receive a standalone bill up to the day your MTU was replaced – generally within four to six weeks. Future bills will be based on actual water use.
    • If you have any questions or concerns about your water bill, contact 311 and select ‘option 1’ for support.

    An authorized Neptune technician will arrive at your property in a vehicle marked “Neptune Technology Group – Under Contract to City of Toronto”. Technicians will be wearing a Neptune uniform and will carry official photo identification at all times. Neptune technicians will never arrive unannounced or solicit appointments at your door. You must schedule your appointment in advance with Neptune.

    Here are some ways you can easily identify Neptune technicians:

    • Installer shirt: Orange, high visibility shirt with yellow and silver strips and the Neptune logo.
    • ID badge: Always visible and includes the technician’s name, picture and identification number.
    • Hat (optional): Baseball cap with the Neptune logo.
    • Jacket (optional): Orange, high visibility jacket with yellow and silver strips and the Neptune logo.

    Two variations of a Neptune technician dressed in a Neptune-branded orange, high visibility shirt or jacket. Their ID badge is attached to their shirt/jacket.

    Tips to identify and avoid scams

    • After you receive a letter in the mail from Neptune, you are responsible for contacting them to schedule your MTU replacement appointment.
    • Neptune will never call you to book a ‘pre-appointment inspection’.
    • Neptune will never attempt to sell you additional services.
    • On a call, Neptune will only request basic scheduling information such as name, phone number, email address and preferred appointment time.
    • Neptune will never request payment, banking details, credit card information or date of birth.
    • Check in with family members or friends who may be more vulnerable to scams.
    • If you want to confirm a technician’s identity or a communication from Neptune, you can do so by calling Neptune at 1-800-667-4387, Monday to Thursday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

    The City has determined that as of fall 2025, more than 70 per cent of the City’s 470,000 MTUs are failing, with an average of 11,000 to 12,000 additional units failing each month. These failures are expected to continue until September 2026, when almost 100 per cent of customers are forecasted to be on estimated billing.  

    In May 2025, City Council adopted a report (IE21.2) to implement a city-wide MTU replacement of all 470,000 MTUs over a three-year period. This will restore Automated Meter Reading (AMR) levels of service city-wide, minimizing reliance on estimated reads and associated billing adjustments.    

    The City has engaged Canadian company Neptune Technology Group to support MTU replacement. Neptune installed water meters and MTUs as part of the city-wide AMR implementation and are familiar with the City’s needs. 

    Aclara Technologies will provide the MTUs and field programming tools required to support the city-wide replacement program, as well as maintenance services for the MTUs.