PUBLIC UTILITIES ADVISORY BOARD AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Receive a status update of the Water AMI Business Case Analysis.
Discuss any requests for additional or clarifying information.
Recommend approval of the Water AMI Business Case assumptions.
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DEPARTMENT: Water Utilities
SUBMITTED BY: Amy N. Ries
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
N/A
BACKGROUND:
At the Dec. 4, 2018, City Council meeting, Council awarded a contract to West Monroe Partners, LLC to complete a Water Utility Automated Metering Infrastructure Business Case analysis to examine options and feasibility of implementing alternatives to manual water meter reading.
For numerous reasons, manual water meter reading is no longer viewed as a sustainable method to obtain water meter reads. This process generates a large percentage of estimated reads (approximately 25% of the time). In addition, high employee turnover rates and environmental and man-made conditions such as poor weather, animals and locked fences affect the reliability and cost of the process. The City's current manual meter reading vendor, Alexander, does not want to continue contracting with the City for manual read services beyond the current contract requirements, which expire in August 2021 and have requested a cost increase for the upcoming year. Staff is not optimistic about obtaining favorable bids if the manual meter reading contract is re-bid.
In evaluating the goals of the business case, the following factors were considered:
1. Inadequacy of the current system: The current manual reading system is inadequate for a variety of reasons; the primary one being the City's challenge to provide accurate monthly bills.
2. Appropriate and expected service levels: Implementing a new system will allow the City to raise the level of service to our customers. A new system would provide greatly reduced estimated reads, customer-side leak detection, more data to help inform customers about their usage and increased opportunitie...
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