Nearly two years after upgrades began, Baltimore’s new water billing system is set to be activated.

The city’s Department of Public Works says the BaltiMeter system, which brings monthly bills instead of quarterly bills, goes into effect on Wednesday. The first bills go out next week.

But it’s not just about more bills. The new system is supposed to charge for actual water consumption. That’s a big change from the predetermined amount of water use that used to determine how much customers paid, and left a lot of overcharging.

“Customers will be able to lower their bills by using less water,” the DPW said in a press release.

The water use is being measured by new smart meters that were installed over the past two years, and the city says that the data is being collected hourly. A new self-service portal also lets them see it. That system can be accessed using an activation code after customers receive their first bill, DPW said.

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