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Turlock adopts joint water management plan and clears $4.26M meter replacement phase
Summary
Council adopted a joint urban water management plan and water‑shortage contingency plan with SRWA and authorized advertising for bids on phase 1 of a water‑meter/AMI replacement project estimated at $4.26 million, funded by the water enterprise; council votes were unanimous.
The Turlock City Council unanimously adopted a joint Urban Water Management Plan and an updated Water Shortage Contingency Plan prepared with the Stanislaus Regional Water Authority and authorized staff to advertise for bids for phase 1 of a water‑meter replacement and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) rollout.
Public Works staff explained the joint plan is required for systems serving more than 3,000 connections and projects demand through 2050. The plan describes supply sources—local groundwater and imported SRWA surface water—conservation targets under state requirements, reliability assessments for normal and drought years, and demand management measures. Staff said the plan will be submitted to the Department of Water Resources for review after council adoption.
On the AMI project, staff said many of the city’s meters (installed in 2007) have reached end of life and about 15–20% currently have communication failures. Phase 1 focuses on replacing 3/4- to 1.5-inch meters that are not communicating and migrating customers to a Badger AMI system with cellular endpoints. Staff estimated phase 1 construction and installation costs at about $4,260,000, funded entirely by the water enterprise; customers will not be charged a separate meter replacement fee.
Staff said the AMI platform will enable near‑real‑time customer portals, proactive leak alerts, and reduced meter‑reading labor; the city plans to phase upgrades over time. Council authorized the resolutions and the authorization to advertise for bids on a unanimous vote.
What happens next: staff will submit the adopted plans to the Department of Water Resources and proceed to advertise and solicit bids for phase 1 of the AMI replacement project; staff said procurement and installation will be funded from water enterprise resources and phased through FY26–27 budget approvals.
