Stevensville to test cellular water meters; vendor to provide five trial units

Town staff presented a plan to test cellular water meters that transmit usage data over the cellular network and give customers access to near real-time usage via an app. The council heard that the vendor will provide five trial units free of charge; the meters use a cellular signal rather than the truck-mounted radio system the town currently uses.

Staff said the cellular meters reduce the need for drive-by reads, improve reliability for leak detection and usage logs, and enable customers to view daily and hourly usage through a phone or computer app. The presenter said the meters cost roughly the same as the current replacement meters and would be phased in as existing meters fail.

Costs and trial: The town will receive five trial meters at no upfront cost; the vendor estimated a cellular-data fee of about $0.91 per meter per month. Staff will test the units and report back to council before any larger purchase. The town plans to evaluate vendor pricing packages rather than buying all meters at once, given the recent large meter replacement project.

Council members asked about battery life and the feasibility of phased replacement; staff confirmed many of the town’s current meters have nearing end-of-life batteries and that replacement will be done over time. The town’s meter reader (Cody) and field staff were referenced in the discussion; staff also noted other Montana towns using the technology had achieved near-100% read reliability.

Outcome: Council agreed to proceed with a five-meter trial, monitor performance and consider broader replacement packages if the trial shows the technology is reliable and cost-effective.