Independent Editor,
On Aug. 14, 2017, I received a call from my tenant, who put a man on the phone to speak with me, who was asking my permission to install a “smart meter” to measure the water usage. I told him no. I asked him about this wireless technology and if he could explain the distinctions between the water smart meters and the electric smart meters, and he could not. I asked him if he was aware of the health risks associated with this wireless technology, and he said he wasn’t aware. I told him: You mean, you’re going door-to-door installing these things and you can’t explain how they work? By the time I finished talking to him briefly, he thanked me and said he would look into it.
Then, I called the Owosso City Hall and got the Water Dept. They connected me to a man who answered the phone as, Glenn. I asked him for his last name about three times, but he was reluctant to give it to me until I explained entirely why I was calling. His name is Glenn Chinavare, Director of Public Utilities in Owosso. I explained my concern over the health risks of this wireless technology. I also asked him to explain the distinction between the new water smart meters and the electric smart meters, and he said he could not explain that. Chinavare told me that I need to be careful about the info I read on this issue, implying there is a lot of misinformation on this issue. I told him that we had an electric smart meter put on our cabin in California several years ago, before we moved back to Owosso. This was done by the utilities without our permission. Since that time, my antenna has been up for info on this technology and the health risks involved, as I have read articles on the link to cancer. Chinavare told me that a company named Aclara was working for the city of Owosso, under him, to install these meters, and they knew about the technology. I explained to him that I just asked the installer about the distinction between the water and electric smart meters, and that he could not answer my questions. Chinavare couldn’t answer these questions either. It’s too bad all the “smarts” went into the meters and not the installers nor the city big shots handing them out like Halloween candy! And by the way, Chinavare told me that if I didn’t accept the water meter, my water would eventually be turned off.
I just want answers! What kind of documented research has been done by the City of Owosso to be sure that this wireless “smart meter” technology is safe? The residents and homeowners of Owosso would greatly appreciate knowing that our public works department and city council members have done their research and have made the correct choices. If there are no health risks to the community, then your findings will reflect that, won’t they? I posted this concern on the city of Owosso’s Facebook page and have yet to receive a response, after asking for one. The residents and property owners of Owosso need to wake up and smell the research. Keep in mind that the increasing amount of the wireless technology, which includes all wireless appliances, could very well have a cumulative effect on our health. Am I the only Owosso property owner concerned about this?
Thank you,
Howard Galloway,
resident and property owner in Owosso