Kalamazoo utility reports drop in water-quality complaints, pushes faster smart-meter rollout

The City of Kalamazoo Utility Policy Committee on Feb. 13 reviewed its 2024 utility annual report, which officials said shows fewer customer water-quality complaints, significant pipe replacement work and plans to accelerate smart-meter installations tied to lead-service work.

City staff told the committee that systemwide water-quality complaints fell from about 670 in 2023 to about 260 in 2024, and that operational changes dubbed the "Siesta 1" plan have helped reduce complaints in the High Pressure District. City staff also reported 68 water-main breaks in 2024 and 51 breaks since Jan. 1, which department leaders said has stressed crews and delayed pavement restoration work.

The annual report and discussion focused heavily on metering. The city said the system serves about 46,000 customer meters, of which roughly 7,500 have been replaced with advanced (smart) meters — about 16% of the system. Staff described a goal of replacing roughly 5% of meters per year and said the city is pursuing partnerships and operational steps to speed that pace. James (city water department staff) said the city added smart-meter replacement to lead-service-line contracts and is negotiating a contract with Gull Lake Sewer & Water Authority to install approximately 1,200 meters in Richland-area accounts. Staff said the partnership is intended to reduce installation costs and speed deployment by using Gull Lake as the installation contractor while the city purchases the meters.

Why this matters: officials said more advanced metering improves billing accuracy, helps identify unbilled pumpage and supports future changes in billing frequency. City staff told the committee that older residential meters often run slow as they age, creating a disparity between measured pumpage and billed consumption; a larger AMI fleet would give the utility better data to reconcile those differences.

On operational performance, staff said recent capital work improved redundancy. The city completed a transmission loop on 30th Street and revalved Station 39 so water could be routed into the East Side High Pressure District when Station 25 failed. "It's paying off," James said, describing how temporary network changes preserved pressure and flow during a multiweek station outage. He added: "If we've got a fire or something like that, we're going to be moving water to satisfy that demand." The department listed priorities in order: maintain pressure/flow, meet regulatory requirements, then water quality.

Staff also described changes in corrosion-control chemical dosing tied to a switch to an "optimized corrosion control" product. The department said phosphate dosing increased as the new formulation is fed at higher rates; staff described the product as providing a protective coating to reduce lead release and also sequester iron, but said it is not a full iron-removal treatment.

Committee members asked about the feasibility of moving to monthly billing. Staff said the city is not yet at the smart-meter penetration needed to move the entire system to monthly billing, but that zoning billing cycles and targeted pilots (for example, the Richland-area rollout) could allow a limited monthly conversion in the near term. Staff also said state rules allow a customer to opt out of smart meters but would require the customer to pay for manual-read alternatives and the additional administrative cost.

The committee discussed customer outreach and installation logistics. Staff said the city will send an initial notice to impacted customers announcing meter replacement and that Gull Lake (the contractor) would schedule appointments and provide follow-up notices. For customers who refuse entry for required work such as meter or lead-service replacement, staff said the city can discontinue water service under its ordinances as a last resort, though such shutoffs are rare.

Looking ahead, staff said the utility will continue pairing lead-service-line replacements with meter replacements, pursue the Gull Lake installation contract, and return to the committee and affected local boards (Richland Village and Richland Township) with implementation details and customer outreach plans.

Ending: Committee members indicated interest in tracking the pilot’s measured impacts (for example, recovered billed volume after meter swaps) and having the rate consultant analyze administrative costs tied to any move to monthly billing. The city will return to the UPC with further details when the Gull Lake installation proposal and corresponding capital plan are ready for the City Commission.