Gilbert orders independent audit, expands support after spike in water bills; no late fees until results public

The Town of Gilbert will hire an independent contractor to audit its advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) radios and meters and publish the results publicly, Public Works Director Jessica Marlow told the Town Council at its Oct. 14 meeting as frustrated residents filled the chamber to complain about unexpectedly high utility bills.

Marlow said the town has changed out about 3,400 meters this year and that 14 were sent back for warranty issues — about 0.4 percent — and that newer meters can register low flows that older mechanical meters sometimes missed. "Old meters often under report when they start to fail," Marlow said, and the vendor testing documentation shows new meters meet AWWA standards for accuracy. She also said the town received several million dollars in Bureau of Reclamation grants to help fund the AMI conversion program.

The immediate actions Marlow and council described include: hiring an independent auditor to verify meter and AMI radio accuracy; a public report of audit findings and corrections; expanded customer-service and water-efficiency staff to reduce call wait times and provide more on-site checks; continuing meter testing and adjusting bills where errors are found; and extending the transition grace period so there will be no late fees or disconnections until the audit is complete.…