ALBUQUERQUE, Oct. 1—The Water Authority is in the process of replacing some 27,000 residential water meters in its Northwest Service Area with “smart-meter” technology that will eliminate the need for manual meter reading and allow remote collection of meter data.
 
It’s the first phase of a multi-year plan that will eventually see replacement of all water meters in the Water Authority’s service area with AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure) technology.
 
Customers in the Water Authority’s Northwest Service Area, which includes the Paradise Hills, Taylor Ranch, and Ventana Ranch subdivisions, may notice crews in their neighborhoods working to install the new “smart” meters over the next couple of months.   The work will involve cutting holes in the tops of existing meter boxes to accommodate the AMI units.   About 800 commercial customers citywide have already been converted to the new technology.
 
Once operational, the new residential meters will allow remote collection of water usage data and provide a more accurate measurement of water use for customers.
 
“AMI will help the utility save on data collection costs, deliver more accurate bills to water users, and allow the users to be actively involved in conservation" said Hobert Warren , Northwest Service Area Manager.  “What’s more, this technology will allow the utility to furnish our customer service staff with exactly the data they need to serve customers better than before, and give utility administrators access to detailed analytical reports that will inform key planning decisions.”