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AMI rollout: Fayette says 10,000 meters installed but direct-connect plumbing is raising costs
Summary
Water System Director Vanessa Tigert reported roughly 10,000 AMI meters installed (~30% of project); unlocatable meters, tree/ROW obstacles and higher-than-expected direct customer connections are increasing installation complexity and cost and will draw from contingency funds.
Water System Director Vanessa Tigert told commissioners the county has installed about 10,000 residential AMI meters — roughly 30% of the total project — and that work orders had increased as crews encounter unlocatable meters, right-of-way impediments and an unexpectedly large number of so‑called direct connections requiring cutting and repair of customer lines.
Field Operations Director James Munster explained direct connects occur when a customer or contractor connects to the service line ahead of the meter; removing or replacing those meters typically requires temporarily cutting the private service line and then restoring it, which raises labor and materials costs. Tigert said the contractor was approximately one month ahead of schedule but that the project required additional contingency for tree removal, direct connects and other unforeseen work; staff estimated an FY2025 CIP addition of roughly $586,000 to cover anticipated overages.
Rapson and staff said the project is fully funded and will be reimbursed from water-system revenue as meters come online; the county expects to close out the AMI contract in mid-2025 and to realize operational benefits from remote reads and leak detection after full deployment.
