The Borough of Highland Park is installing new smart water meters in the borough. The new smart meter has an LCD display that changes as you use water. Some Rabbis and Orthodox Jews consider this a form of writing which would be forbidden on Shabbat and Chagim. However, it isn’t universally accepted viewpoint for a variety of reasons. You’re not necessarily considered breaking Shabbat if you turn on your tap on Shabbat and it causes the LCD display to change.
Although it isn’t necessarily considered breaking Shabbat and Chagim, if you have someone over as a guest who is strict on this topic on Shabbat or Chag, they may be concerned about the meter’s LCD display changing as someone turns on the tap. If you plan to sell your house, someone who is strict on this matter may decide not to buy your house.
Fortunately, Sensus, the company that makes this meter, has a special meter model called an iPerl LCD-Off. This model keeps the LCD display off as long as the lid is closed. Opening the lid turns on the display. Closing the lid turns it off. As long as you don’t open the lid on Shabbat, there is no writing on the LCD display.
The borough of Highland Park has agreed to install the special Shabbat Mode meter on households who are concerned about the LCD display changing on Shabbat. However, the Borough of Highland Park need to know how many of these special meters to order.
Therefore:
If you’re a Highland Park resident, and not a resident of Edison or New Brunswick.
And you’re concerned about the LCD display on Shabbat affecting your Shabbat observance.
You may request the special iPerl LCD-Off meter that keeps the LCD display off until the lid is opened, but you must do so in the next few days.
You can use the form below (on page https://www.etzahaim.org/news/water-meter) to let us know how many meters must be ordered, and where they need to be installed. If you have more than one water meter for your dwelling, please indicate that number.