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Council approves $755,200 water meter replacement and AMI subscription
Summary
Council approved a water meter replacement package with Census/Core & Main totaling $755,200 (meters & radios $621,120; AMI $113,540; annual subscription $20,540), citing benefits like remote reads and leak detection and authorizing staff to proceed to lock in current pricing.
The Stewartville City Council voted to approve a water meter replacement project and associated advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) subscription after staff presented bids and discussed system capabilities.
Staff recommended staying with Census/Core & Main because the city already has compatible equipment, which reduces replacement costs. The total package presented to the council included meters and radios priced at $621,120, AMI components at $113,540, and an annual software subscription of $20,540, for a total requested authorization of $755,200.
Public works staff described the AMI functionality — remote reads, frequent interval reporting, automatic flags for unusually high usage and an option for homeowners to access usage details via an app — and said the system can help detect leaks sooner. Council members questioned the subscription model and whether alternative reading technologies (Wi-Fi versus cellular) would change long-term costs. Staff said the subscription gives access to the software and that some vendors use cellular connections rather than Wi-Fi.
Council approved the roll bid with Census to purchase the meters, radios, AMI and the yearly subscription; a motion was made, seconded and carried by voice vote. Staff said installations would be performed by city staff, scheduling would include outreach to homeowners, and the city would run old and new systems in parallel during the transition.
Next steps: staff will proceed with procurement and scheduling; the council authorized expenditure from water and wastewater reserves that were previously set aside for meter replacements.
