New water meters pay off for Granite Shoals
An overhaul of the Granite Shoals water meter system in 2023 has saved nearly $180,000 in its first year of implementation.
The city completed a full-scale replacement of residential water meters in June 2023 after taking out a 10-year, $1.2 million loan. The new system has a guaranteed lifespan of 20 years.
The change was needed due to the city’s water meter system becoming obsolete in 2022 after AT&T ceased operation of its 3G network on which the old meters functioned.
The new meters work on 5G and allow for rapid digital monitoring of all water use in Granite Shoals by residents and city staff, leading to more accurate readings and operational efficiency.
“(The new system) is working better than we expected,” Granite Shoals Utilities Superintendent Josh Hisey told the City Council during a Nov. 12 meeting. “We love it. It is a great program.”
According to Hisey, water bills are now more accurate and his small staff is able to digitally read meters from their trucks and offices, which allows for faster problem solving and leak identification.
“We have more usage inquiries about high bills,” Hisey said. “Well, your bill is high because you’re actually reading the water accurately now.”
Residents can monitor and manage their water use through the Eye on Water system. The new meters track usage and the data can be accessed online along with a suite of tools to keep an eye on the water coming in and out of the home.
Performance Services, the utilities firm that handled the meter transition, installed 2,752 of the new models in the spring of 2023 and then tracked all usage for the first year of operation, which ran from June 30, 2023, through July 1, 2024.
In that timeframe, the meter switchout was shown to have saved the city $179,463 in operational, utility, and capital costs.
A third of the savings came from the durability of the new meters. Hisey said his team was replacing 30-60 meters a month under the old system. The new meters are guaranteed for 20 years, and no meters have been replaced since the system was implemented.
“(The ease of the new system) frees up staff time,” City Manager Sarah Novo said during the council meeting. “It’s a digital meter reading system, which allows staff to utilize that time for repairs or general maintenance.”