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Ashland moves to replace top 20 water meters to reduce losses; production ~7–9M gallons, staff say
Summary
At the May 13 meeting the commission approved buying upgraded meters for the system's top 20 users to reduce unbilled water loss. Staff said the city produces roughly 7–9 million gallons daily and is working to identify causes of losses — which staff estimated can reach about 50% — and will report results after installations.
The Board of City Commissioners on May 13 approved purchasing upgraded meters to be installed at the system’s top 20 water users as part of an effort to reduce unmetered or unbilled water loss.
A staff member explained the city has formed an internal water-loss team and began by targeting the 20 largest consumption meters for replacement with newer, more accurate technology. “We have a water loss team that we've put together here internally,” the staff member said. “One of the first things that we started looking at was the top 20 largest consumption meters throughout our water system.”
Engineering staff said the city currently produces roughly 7 to 9 million gallons of drinking water per day. “Right now, it's about — we average somewhere between 7 to 8,000,000. Right now, ... recently, we've been doing about 9,000,000 gallons,” Mark, an engineering/utility staff member, told commissioners. He added that the city has previously estimated losses could be “up to 50%.”
Staff said the upgraded meters (ultrasonic or newer designs) should be more stable and accurate; however, they are not “plug and play” for all locations. Some installations will require excavation, meter-pit changes and construction work. Staff committed to reporting back after several months with findings on revenue and lost-water reductions.
Commissioner Martin asked whether meter replacements would differ from the existing meters and whether remote-reading collectors might be used in future. Staff said the purchases are an initial step focused on accuracy at the highest-use sites and that additional system improvements — including remote collectors — remain under consideration.
The purchase was included on the meeting’s consent agenda and approved without separate roll-call discussion. Staff said they will return to the commission with a report after installation and several months of measured data.
