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Company pitches "metering-as-a-service" for Tucumcari water meters
Summary
City officials heard a presentation proposing a month-to-month metering-as-a-service that would replace mechanical water meters with Camstrup ultrasonic meters, funded through a usage-based contract rather than up-front capital. No formal action was taken; staff questions focused on procurement, coverage and data/maintenance details.
TUCUMCARI — City officials heard a presentation proposing a month-to-month “metering-as-a-service” that would replace the city’s aging mechanical water meters with Camstrup ultrasonic meters and provide upfront capital, installation and ongoing maintenance under a usage-based contract.
Ryan, identified in the meeting as the company’s state lead for New Mexico, told the council the model “provides an alternative to traditional asset capital asset purchasing” and converts capital expenditures into a month-to-month, usage-based payment so communities can deploy modern meter networks without an immediate bond or loan.
The presenters said the ultrasonic meters are more accurate and longer-lived than many mechanical meters. Aaron, speaking for ResourceWise, said the Camstrup ultrasonic meter “guarantee[s] accuracy for 20 years” and that the product “is the most accurate meter on the market,” with a battery warranty the presenters described as rated for about 20 years and an expected service life of up to the mid-20s depending on conditions.
Why it matters: presenters said inaccurate or aging mechanical meters can undercount flow and reduce utility revenue, creating a funding shortfall for repairs and operations. The presenters argued a full-system deployment improves leak detection, billing accuracy and short-term revenue — and that those revenue gains can be used to support ongoing system costs.
Key details from the presentation and Q&A: - Cost model: presenters provided a preliminary estimate for the city, saying a conservative residential monthly usage charge would be roughly $5–$6 per meter; they also said an accurate meter can yield an additional roughly $12–$15 in revenue per month per meter in their examples. Presenters described those as early estimates that would be refined after the city provides exact meter counts and system details. - Data and alarms: ResourceWise said the meters store hourly data on the device (the presenters stated the meter stores hourly data for about 100 days) and that the operator software can retain up to several years of interval data. The meters send tamper, low-temperature and leak alarms to the utility and a customer portal can alert homeowners. - Battery and serviceability: presenters said the Camstrup battery is sealed and that replacing the battery requires replacing the meter; they added the meters include a low-battery alarm to give utilities roughly six months’ notice before replacement. - Deployment and coverage: the company said it is running a radio propagation study to determine how many collectors (receivers) the city would need and, conservatively, proposed two collectors pending that study. Collectors can use Ethernet, fiber or cellular backhaul depending on site conditions. - Procurement options: presenters recommended either a standard RFP or cooperative purchasing through Purchasing Cooperative America (the presenters said they hold a cooperative contract). They said the service is structured as a month-to-month service rather than a capital lease so it would not be accounted as long-term debt on the city’s balance sheet, per their description. - Warranty and replacement protections: presenters said equipment warranties plus built-up maintenance reserves are part of the financial model so the city would not incur replacement costs during the contract except where a resident is at fault for tampering.
What city officials asked: commissioners and the mayor questioned tampering, service life and inventory counts. Officials also asked whether the system covers larger meters and meters used by local co-ops; presenters said the product line includes larger ultrasonic meters (they said, for example, 6–8 inch meters) and that they work with co-ops and utilities in the region.
No formal action or vote was recorded during the presentation. Presenters said they would return with the results of the propagation study and with refined cost estimates after the city provides meter counts and other system specifics.
Next steps noted at the meeting: the company said it would complete the propagation study (they estimated that takes about four weeks after receiving necessary data) and refine the city’s cost estimate; procurement could proceed by RFP or through cooperative purchasing if the council chooses to pursue the project.
