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Council considers $4.1M residential water-meter replacement; grant to reimburse $2M
Summary
Staff recommended awarding a contract to replace residential water meters, favoring electromagnetic meters with external radio endpoints and a radio-read network; about $2 million of the project is expected to be reimbursed through an EFC grant. Council and public questioned cost, vendor selection and communication testing.
City staff presented a proposal to award a contract to replace residential water meters across the city, recommending electromagnetic meters and a radio-read network with external endpoints rather than in-home endpoints to ensure reliable communication.
Staff said the recommended contract would be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder that met specifications (Core and Main was identified as the recommended contractor) and noted the project cost references in the discussion ranged in the $4.07 million–$4.698 million area. City Controller Ina Resnick said the city has borrowing and cash on hand and will submit expenses to the Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) for reimbursement of an estimated $2,000,000 in grant funds; Reimbursement occurs after the city spends and submits bills, she said.
An H2M engineer explained why the lowest-priced bidder was ruled out: that bidder proposed an integral endpoint inside the home, which would impair radio-read performance for roughly 75,100 meters located inside homes. The council heard that electromagnetic meters were favored because they have no moving parts, are less affected by sediment and air in flow, offer higher long-term accuracy, and require less routine maintenance. Staff said the meters and endpoints use batteries estimated to last about 20 years and carry a 15-year full warranty and a 5-year prorated warranty.
Councilors asked about the exact number of residential meters covered (83,100 was cited), the annual software/hosting fee for the system (an estimated $35,000 figure was mentioned), and lifecycle and communication testing. H2M said manufacturers performed a radio-propagation study and that Sensus (meter manufacturer named in staff remarks) produced the best results in preliminary testing; staff said additional field testing would be done if the contract is awarded.
Several residents asked to review the H2M alternate-analysis report; staff replied the report has been submitted to the city and can be made available for review. Before the council could complete the discussion, the meeting was temporarily adjourned when staff identified a suspicious package in the room.
