Water Meter Project

The City of Plainview completed a long-range water supply plan in 2021. The plan identified water conservation as a key component of extending our water supplies, thus saving valuable resources.

City staff, along with Ameresco, have been evaluating water meters, technology solutions and customer enhancements over the past six months. This project will modernize infrastructure and enhance transparency by allowing customers to better manage their own water resources and enhancing water conservation.

Why a water metER project?

The City of Plainview is looking for solutions to address aging infrastructure associated with its facilities and water meters, reduce operational and utility cost, and enhance its services to its citizens. As part of this effort, the City of Plainview is also exploring ways to maximize current budget dollars for needed improvements and upgrades to their infrastructure. Several advantages of this project include:

  1. Benefits to Customers
    • Transparency, Fair & Accurate Billing, Water Conservation
  2. Operational Efficiencies
    • Reduced utility costs in our facilities.
    • Reduced meter reading & maintenance costs, enhanced service to our citizens 
  3. Fiscal Responsibility
    • Capture lost water, be proactive on planned meter replacements.
    • Proactively address equipment past its useful life 
  4. Inaccurate meters
    • Tested low flow average accuracy at 72.9% & overall weighted average at 93.86%
  5. Majority of current meters beyond warranty life
    • Approximately 50% of meters are older than 20 years.
    • Current Meterold meter 
    • New Meter
    • Staff Engaged with Various Venders to find Best Solution for Council Consideration

WHAT ARE WE DOING?

  1. Replacing water meters 2” and below with solid state meters (20-year warranty)
  2. Replacing all 3” through 8” water meters with solid state meters (10-year warranty)
  3. Replacing all meter boxes for meters 2” and smaller  
  4. Replacing 21 large meter vaults for meters sizes 3”, 4”, and 6”
  5. Installing Automatic Meter Infrastructure (AMI) 
  6. Conducting EPA Lead and Copper Inventory for compliance due in October 2024
  7. Installing a Customer Portal so Citizens can view their daily water consumption
  8. Migrating meter software to a hosted cloud-based platform

how will THE WATER METER work?

AMI or Advanced Metering System includes a water meter, a register and low-powered communication device/radio in one unit. The register will continuously record water usage and transmit the read through a secure network several times a day to the meter data management software located in the cloud. 

This upgrade will allow residents access to more frequent and detailed information about water usage, better control of resident water usage and monthly bills. 


AMI System

Project costs / Savings

Turnkey Project Cost:

Automatic Metering Infrastructure and Water Meters: $9,401,240

Other proposed projects include lighting and HVAC Improvements at Plainview Civic Center: $154,150

Project Savings:

• Capture of lost water and unaccounted revenues due to inaccurate meters calculated to be more than $4,500,000 and

• Labor and Hardware savings over $3,600,000, both over a 20-year term

• Energy Savings - over $85,000 (over 20 years)

• Guaranteed calculations of cost recovery over life of the project 

• No recommendation to adjust water / sewer rates for this project.


PROJECT Review timeline 

  1. Completed Long Water Supply Plan in December 2021.
  2. Strategic Planning and Budget Priority Workshop in June 2022.
  3. Approved Water Meter Assessment in September 2022.
  4. Council Workshop to discuss project scope on March 9th. 
  5. City Council Meeting to finalize project scope on April 11th, 2023.
  6. Project Open House on April 18th, 2023.
  7. City Council approved the project at the April 25th, 2023 Meeting.

 QUESTIONS?

 Email: watermeterproject@plainviewtx.org

Call: 806.296.1100