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Council hears US Water report: production exceeds billed volume; members press for smart meters and leak detection
Summary
U.S. Water reported March production and treatment totals that exceeded billed volumes; councilors discussed aging meters, a planned leak-detection survey, pilot smart meters and the budget implications of replacing meters.
Greenville officials and their contractor U.S. Water told the City Council on April 20 that well production and wastewater treatment in March exceeded billed volumes, prompting renewed discussion about aging meters and leak detection.
Andrew Schuler, who presented the monthly operations report on behalf of U.S. Water, said the March report showed wastewater treated at 11,700,000 gallons and well production at 12,400,000 gallons, and that billing for the period was materially lower (reported in the packet as “down 51%”).
Schuler described planned operational steps: a leak-detection survey for the year, hydro flushing planned for June and July, and ongoing lead-and-copper sampling that U.S. Water will perform twice annually. “First … our semi annual lead and copper samples. We'll be doing that, twice a year right now,” he told the council.
Council members pressed staff on meter replacements and technology. Council member Jerry Westmeyer said the city must be more aggressive about meter replacement because older meters under-report usage: “You know, that's every every month, every year, we're losing a lot of water. And I know these new meters would make a big difference, and we're just gonna have to do something to get new meters put in.”
Staff and council discussed smart meters that communicate usage remotely and alert staff to elevated consumption. A staff member said a satellite-based or higher-end leak-detection service had been priced in discussion at roughly $50,000 and that adopting smart metering would require software and data storage in addition to meters and communication hardware.
Council asked staff to analyze costs and return on investment. A council member urged finance and public works leadership to run numbers: “can you and Matt get together and run the numbers?” The mayor and staff agreed to follow up; staff noted that meter replacements have been budgeted in conjunction with water-main projects but that the city must weigh meter upgrades against other capital needs.
What’s next: Council requested a fiscal analysis and an implementation plan for meter replacement and smart telemetry; U.S. Water will proceed with the planned leak survey and hydro flushing schedule in June–July and continue semiannual lead-and-copper sampling.
Ending: Council members said they want an accelerated plan to reduce unbilled water and improve billing accuracy; staff agreed to return with a detailed meter-replacement cost/benefit analysis and a timeline.
