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Cave Springs staff propose buying 504 radio‑read water meters after audit finds hundreds of aging units
Summary
City staff told the council they identified about 222 aging water meters and 18 that aren’t reporting volume; they proposed buying 504 radio‑read meters under an existing contract to improve accuracy and reduce water loss.
City staff on Tuesday outlined a plan to upgrade the city’s aging water-meter network and asked the council to consider purchasing 504 radio‑read meters as an expansion of an existing contract.
Kim, the city clerk, told the council staff’s meter evaluation found roughly 222 meters that are due for replacement because of age and wear and that 18 meters were not recording consumption at all. She said the proposed purchase would include installation and MXU radio-read equipment under the contractor the city already uses, enabling automated meter reads and helping the city detect and reduce water loss.
The meters would be installed under the city’s current contract with the vendor; staff said the contractor will replace failing units as they encounter them while performing reads. Installation lead times were described as weeks rather than months.
Councilmembers asked about timing and cost; staff said the upgrade is included in the midterm budget package that will be circulated to the council, and they framed the purchase as an efficiency and loss-reduction measure rather than new system design. No formal vote or contract award was recorded during the work session.
The council asked staff to provide final procurement details, installation schedule and budget line items when the midterm budget is circulated for council review.
