Craven County commissioners voted to approve a $3,600,000 budget amendment to purchase remaining meters and related equipment for the county's ongoing advanced metering infrastructure project, the county's water department told the board.

The funding will buy all remaining meters and materials needed to complete the countywide meter change-outs; installation will proceed in stages, with the next phase covering about 3,500 installations in Harlow Township 6, department staff said.

County Water Department staff told commissioners the new AMI system improves read accuracy and adds leak-detection alarms that can reduce water loss and help customers avoid costs from undetected plumbing failures. The $3.6 million request covers meters, some collectors and equipment; a follow-on contract next year will cover remaining installation work, the department said.

Commissioners asked for clarification about what the $3.6 million would buy and whether installation was included. Water staff said the amount will purchase meters and most equipment and will cover installation for the Harlow/Township 6 phase; additional installation contracts will follow in the next fiscal year. A motion to approve the budget amendment carried on a unanimous roll-call vote.

The project began in 2022 with a county decision to change out 15,000 meters of varying ages. Officials said the AMI rollout has improved accuracy of reads compared with older systems and provides operational benefits for county crews.

The board approved the budget amendment on roll call with Commissioners Hunt, Mitchell, Smith, Vice Chairman Jones and Chairman Bueker voting yes.

The county did not provide an installation schedule beyond the immediate Harlow/Township 6 work and said collectors and some antenna costs remain for subsequent phases.