Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Meters topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Albion council approves $1.8 million smart water‑meter upgrade to recover lost revenue
Summary
The Albion City Council approved a $1.8 million proposal to replace failing mechanical water meters with a cellular-based smart meter system intended to boost revenue collection, enable monthly billing and send customers alerts for leaks or high usage. Staff estimate the system could recover roughly $1.4–$1.5 million annually.
Albion — The Albion City Council voted to move forward with a cellular-based smart water‑meter system intended to replace the city’s aging mechanical meters and improve revenue collection.
Director Kern told the council the current mechanical meters require manual reads and are failing to record usage accurately; staff estimate the system is currently capturing about 60% of billable water usage. He said the proposed system would be prepaid for 10 years of cellular service — including software upgrades — and that the $1.8 million outlay could be recovered in about 15 months from increased collections and reduced losses.
The system would allow monthly billing, permit remote shutoff for delinquent accounts and send customers automated alerts for unusually high usage or leaks. Staff said more frequent reads and higher-resolution data also could help detect water‑main breaks earlier and reduce systemwide losses.
Council members pressed staff on funding and distribution of the estimated 40% revenue loss. Finance Director Clark said money has been set aside to cover the upgrade so the city would not need a loan for the purchase. Staff said isolating whether losses are residential or commercial has been difficult because the failing system produces inconsistent reads; city staff estimated the inventory at about 2,800 meters and said roughly 70% are residential.
Council members noted practical implementation challenges in older downtown buildings and asked about vendor experience; staff responded the chosen vendor has deployed similar systems elsewhere and the proposal includes integration with the county’s BS&A system.
The council recorded aye votes in favor of the proposal and related agenda approvals. No motion text naming a mover or seconder was captured in the transcript packet provided.
The council’s approval directs staff to proceed with procurement and implementation planning; staff said questions about individual account delinquencies would continue to be handled through the city’s existing certification of unpaid utilities to the property roll and the city’s delinquency processes.
