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Council accepts $1.4 million Bureau of Reclamation grant for modern water meters
Summary
The council accepted a $1,402,531 WaterSMART (Bureau of Reclamation) Water and Energy Efficiency grant to support an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) water meter replacement program; the award covers roughly half of a multi-year, citywide meter-replacement project.
Public Works Director Don Wilcox briefed the council on a Notice of Award from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for grant R24AP00470-00. The award of $1,402,531 covers approximately 50% of the city’s planned AMI (advanced metering infrastructure) water-meter replacement project, which intends to replace roughly 3,600 meters over three years.
Wilcox described the rationale: older mechanical meters with moving parts lose accuracy over time and can under-report water usage, reducing revenue and impairing leak detection. New ultrasonic meters (no moving parts) will retain accuracy longer, provide near real-time data to both staff and customers, and support leak alerts. The full project cost is roughly double the award (city match expected), and the city plans to phase replacement over three years to match the city’s match-funding capacity.
Wilcox noted the federal funding instrument is subject to administrative delays related to federal shutdowns; the city has been advised to continue project planning but not to spend grant funds until the federal administration opens reimbursement processes. Staff will return with a vendor recommendation and contract award for meter and system procurement and will prioritize replacing oldest meters first.
Council voted to accept Resolution No. 6294 to accept the grant; the motion passed during the meeting.
