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Carmel Utilities nears completion of digital meters; committee plans irrigation newsletter and HOA outreach
Summary
Carmel Utilities reported near-complete installation of digital water meters; committee members discussed using meter data to pilot irrigation reductions, an irrigation-focused June newsletter and outreach to homeowners' associations after a homeowner association review revealed high water use.
Carmel 'Carmel Utilities told the Climate Action Advisory Committee on May 27 that the city's program to replace water meters with digital devices is nearly finished and that at least one homeowners' association has already used meter history to discover higher-than-expected water use.
Lane Young, Carmel's new utility director, introduced himself at the meeting and confirmed the utility's meter replacement project is nearing completion. Lane said one HOA reviewed its meter history and was surprised by its water consumption, a result the committee described as a promising pilot for outreach and conservation.
The committee also confirmed irrigation would be the June topic in the mayor's sustainability newsletter. Members discussed a potential pilot to reduce irrigation frequency in selected zones (for example, shifting from three days per week to two) and then comparing vegetation health to determine whether reductions could be expanded citywide.
Why it matters: committee members highlighted that water pumping and treatment are energy-intensive. A committee member cited a figure presented earlier in the committee's work that groundwater pumping accounts for a substantial share of the city's energy use, and members said reducing irrigation demand could avoid future capacity expansion and associated costs.
Other relevant details raised at the meeting: the city has installed about 2,900 LED street-lamp bulbs as part of energy-efficiency efforts; the committee received 53 completed responses to a recent newsletter quiz that the communications team wants to use to measure engagement; and the utilities department is interested in working with HOAs to demonstrate consumption reductions and publicize results.
Next steps: utilities and the advisory committee will explore an HOA pilot to demonstrate metering-based conservation, the internal sustainability committee will be asked to consider irrigation actions as part of the six priority initiatives, and staff will produce the June newsletter item on irrigation with links to resident resources.
