Nacogdoches council approves one-time, citywide Aquametric meter replacement

The Nacogdoches City Council voted on Sept. 3 to proceed with a one-time, citywide replacement of water meters with Aquametric, approving staff’s recommendation to replace meters that are 10 years or older.

Todd Simo, interim finance director, and Bonita Hall, director of human resources (presenting the item on utilities), told the council the current automatic meter reading system was installed about 2008 and that replacing all qualifying meters at once would cost about $4.6 million. A phased, three-part approach would raise the total to roughly $4.9 million, a difference staff estimated at about $300,000 due to repeated mobilization fees.

Why it mattered: staff said older meters and analog registers have begun to fail, producing unreliable reads and lost revenue. The city’s five-year capital plan includes roughly $4.7 million earmarked for the project and the Utility Fund holds funds reserved for capital replacement, making the all-at-once option financially feasible and likely to reduce operating expenses associated with manual reads.

Council members asked whether the city had explored bids from other vendors. Presenters said Aquametric installed the current system and some components are proprietary; switching vendors would likely require scrapping existing infrastructure and rebuilding interfaces, which staff estimated could add substantial cost and complexity. Council members also asked about reuse or resale of removed meters; staff said prior replacements yielded roughly $40,000–$50,000 in scrap proceeds returned to the utility fund.

A council member moved to proceed with the single, citywide replacement with Aquametric; the motion was seconded and the council carried the motion unanimously.

What happens next: staff will proceed under the parameters discussed and return to the council with procurement and contracting documents as required. The project was presented as part of the city’s capital plan; timing for mobilization and installation will be determined through the procurement and contracting process.

Notes: dollar figures and schedule are as stated by staff during the Sept. 3 meeting; the transcript records the motion as carried unanimously but does not clearly name the member who moved or who seconded the motion.