DIXFIELD – A joint meeting Thursday night between selectmen and their Water Advisory Committee reduced the murkiness of information related to Dixfield’s municipal water system.

Both sides came away from the 90-minute meeting with a better understanding of their tasks and of each other’s opinions on water-related matters.

Selectmen, who also act as the Water and Sewer Department trustees, re-formed the committee on Sept. 13.

Since then, committee members have tried to better understand the town’s water system to enlighten selectmen on what needs must be met first.

Committee Chairwoman Sonya Fuller said the group had focused on preparing a metering program to replace old water meters, track water usage by customers, and retrieve recorded data in a meaningful fashion.

Fuller said that establishing a metering program would allow the town’s Water Department to generate much-needed revenues, rather than relying solely on rate hikes to customers.

Public Works Department secretary Darlene Brann said the department has such a program started, but it needs to be perfected.

“Meter replacement was in a shambles when I got here,” said Water and Sewer Department Director Duane Powers. He was hired this summer.

Powers said he needs to install 115 meters within the next 15 months because they’ve either stopped working or are reading customers’ water usage incorrectly.

Some meters, he said, are between 12 to 25 years old.

“What’s scary is that each time we do a round of readings, we have 20 meters that have stopped working,” and there’s no idea why. “Most of the time, it’s a broken wire,” Powers said.

Of the 100 new meters the Water Department purchased, 35 had been installed as of Thursday.