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North Lauderdale AMI meter replacement underway; 8,400 meters to be replaced, no cost to homeowners
Summary
City staff and contractor representatives told residents at a July town hall that the City of North Lauderdale is replacing roughly 8,400 water meters with advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). Installations occur at the existing meter location, are free to owners, and will allow remote meter reads and data logs once the program is complete.
City of North Lauderdale staff told residents that an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) project to replace the city's water meters is underway and will eventually allow automatic meter reads and hourly usage data. Staff said the program includes about 8,400 meters to be swapped, with 158 reportedly completed and 34 scheduled at the time of the town hall.
David Himes Jr., Customer Service and Billing Supervisor with US Water, showed residents an interactive map and explained how to check whether a property is scheduled: "If you want to know if your property is one of those, what you would do is... click on the... magnifying icon, and you put in your address here, and then you'd be able to see if your meter was one of those being changed." Himes also described the color coding on the map that marks completed, waiting, and scheduled meters.
Allison Gale, the City—s Utility Billing Supervisor, answered technical questions and clarified that the new meters will be installed in the same meter box location: "The meters that's being installed, it will be in the ground. So it's gonna be in the same area that you have your meter currently." She said there is no charge to residents for meter or meter‑box replacement: "The answer is it's no cost to you all as a residents at all. Already taken care of. So there is no cost for the new meter or meter box replacements."
Installation process, timing and access
- Blackout schedule and contractor routes: staff said the contractor works from a city‑supplied blackout schedule that coordinates meter changeouts so they do not interfere with meter reading periods. If a property is missed during a contractor pass, residents will typically receive a door hanger with a phone number they can use to request a return visit. "We provided the contractor with a blackout schedule... Once those 14 days are over with, they can no longer change meters in that area because we have to have a certain time period where they can validate the meter information is correct," Himes said.
- Service interruptions and door hangers: Residents were told staff will briefly shut water to the service while crews swap a meter and flush service lines; the outage can range from about 30 minutes up to two hours depending on site conditions. Crews will knock before turning off water when there is apparent household usage; whether changed or not, crews leave a door hanger notifying residents of the visit.
- Meter location and multiple meters: For multi‑meter situations (for example, townhouses with adjacent meters), Public Works coordinates responses when installations require excavation. Himes said cases are handled individually and Public Works will address any damage caused by contractors.
- Timing for remote reads: AMI automatic reads will not begin until all meters are installed and the system is integrated with the new billing system. Staff estimated the AMI installation will finish in roughly 17 months and said readings will remain manual until then. Mitch Williams, the city IT director, said the new billing system is intended to integrate with AMI after installation.
Data and customer tools
- Data logs and leak detection: staff said the electronic AMI meters will keep usage logs (hourly or daily intervals) that customers can request to investigate high usage or leaks. Himes described advantages of interval data for customers who want to understand when consumption occurs.
- Scheduling and what to do if skipped: If crews knock and residents are not home and the meter shows movement, crews may leave and return later; if they attempted a change but couldn't complete it, the door hanger provides steps and a phone number to schedule a return.
Quotes
- "There have been 8,216 meters to be changed. There have been 158 meters that have been completed so far. And then there are 34 that are scheduled," David Himes Jr., Customer Service and Billing Supervisor.
- "The meters that's being installed, it will be in the ground. So it's gonna be in the same area that you have your meter currently," Allison Gale, Utility Billing Supervisor.
Ending
Staff asked residents to use the AMI map on the city website to check scheduling and to call the number shown on a contractor door hanger if a return visit is needed. Residents with specific installation concerns — for example, meter boxes under landscaping — were told Public Works would review individual situations and, if necessary, the contractor would remediate any installation damage at no cost to homeowners.
