Q. Shalom Aleichem Rav Bartfeld; Families in Thornhill recently received notice that WAMCO, a company retained by the city of Vaughan, is going to replace mechanical water meters with digital water meters. (See https://www.vaughan.ca/services/residential/water/Pages/Water-Meter-Replacement.aspx) Apparently, this is already underway and continuing in the coming months.
I know that Rav Shlomo Miller ????”? has dealt with this issue, as per the following article from Yated Ne’eman – https://yated.com/a-third-of-lakewood-saved-from-chillul-shabbos-water-meter-redesigned-in-light-of-shabbos-concerns/. The article also mentions marketing Shabbos-friendly meters in Toronto.
Do you know whether any of the water companies in Toronto/Thornhill have adopted Rav Miller’s modified meters?
A. I showed Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit’a your Shaila and the article of the 2013 Yated Ne’eman.
The Rov’s opinion is that one can be lenient in Chutz La’aretz on using the common digital meters offered in our days widely.
He maintains that it is different from Eretz Yisroel, since Jewish people are not involved.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as advised by Horav Shlomo Miller, Horav Dovid Pam and Horav Aharon Miller Shlit’a.