La Verne customer service representative outlines city’s switch to automatic water meters and leak-detection steps

Crystal, a customer service representative for the city of La Verne, described the city’s water meter program and its move toward automatic meter reading, saying the change will make reads faster and help staff spot leaks.

Why it matters: The city’s switch to AMR is designed to reduce the time staff spend walking routes and to speed the detection of meter irregularities and leaks that can affect bills and water conservation.

Crystal said she has been with the city three years and that she is qualified through the state, including water treatment Grade 2 and water distribution Grade 2 certifications. “I read 400 to 600 meters a day,” she said, and the city’s system covers “approximately over 8,000 meters and 4 cycles.”

The city uses meters ranging from three-fourths of an inch up to eight inches, Crystal said, and is replacing older manual-read meters with AMR models that can be read while driving past. A presenter described the AMR software and route loading, noting an example route of about 130 AMR meters could be read in roughly 15 minutes compared with about two hours for a manual read.

Crystal said technicians typically replace meters about every 20 years — the expected lifespan — or sooner if a meter is stopped or faulty. She identified a current AMR model as a Master Meter one-inch unit and described an older Sensis digital-read meter as the previous type used.

On leak detection, Crystal outlined the department’s field process: when staff receive a service order for leak detection they knock at the residence; if no one is home they check the meter in the box and the leak indicator. “If it’s spinning, we’ll leave a door tag stating that the resident has a leak somewhere on the premises,” she said. Reads are recorded in thousand gallons; Crystal gave an example reading of 36,017 to illustrate how residents can read their own meters.

She explained how to interpret the small center indicator on many meters: continuous spinning while all household fixtures are off usually signals a larger leak — such as irrigation or a main service line — while intermittent spinning often indicates a toilet leak. For suspected toilet leaks she recommended residents use dye tabs placed in the tank and check the bowl the next morning for coloration.

After collecting route reads, Crystal said staff deliver the readings to City Hall where they are uploaded into the billing system; any irregularities generate a customer service order for a reread. She closed by inviting viewers to the next video showing the city’s customer service team.

The description provided here is based on remarks and demonstrations in the recorded presentation; no formal policy action or vote was recorded during the session.