Fort Smith set to replace 30,000 old water meters

FORT SMITH -- The city's utility department is embarking on a mission to replace 30,000 water meters over the next two years.

"They are misreading," Utilities Director Jerry Walters told city directors during a meeting last week. "A lot of them have failed simply because they are so old."

Some of the water meters have been in service for 40 years, Walters said, and as they age internal parts wear down and measuring accuracy declines.

Although he didn't provide any figures, Walters said the city is losing out on revenue because the old meters are not accurately measuring the water that passes through them.

He told city directors in October some old meters that were removed were tested and were shown to read an average of 21.3 percent lower water flow than was actually passing through them.

"Some water meters actually registered no water flow," he said.

City directors voted Tuesday to buy nearly 16,500 water meters from Zenner Performance Meters of Addison, Texas, for $1.222 million. The company was the lowest of three bidders.

Most of the meters, 13,974, will be for five-eighth-inch waterlines that go to homes. The contract also calls for the purchase of 606 ¾-inch meters, 1,348 1-inch meters, 204 1½-inch meters and 359 2-inch meters. The per-meter cost will range from $62 for the five-eighth-inch meter to $315 for the 2-inch meter.

Directors also voted to accept the bid of more than $1.3 million by Itron Inc. of Liberty Lake, Wash., for 18,000 electronic read transmitters that will fit on top of the new meters.

Installing more than 16,500 meters will be enough work for the three crews of two workers each that Walters said he plans to hire to install the new meters this year. The crew will start in the older sections of town where there is a higher number of old meters, he said.

Walters told directors that next year he will ask to purchase about 15,000 more meters and readers to install next year.

The new meters will be automated. Walters said electronic read transmitters will record the water flow through the meters. A utility worker will drive along the street and stop within 17 feet of a meter and collect the data from the meter.

The automated system also will eliminate human error in recording meter readings, he said.

"Every new meter we install today is going to be electronic?" Director Kevin Settle asked during the meeting.

"Yes," Walters replied.

"That's what we need to hear," Settle said.

Now, meter readers walk through neighborhoods all over town opening meter pits in every yard. They read the meter, input the figures into a hand-held data recorder and move to the next yard.

With the new system, a worker will be able to collect the information without leaving his vehicle.

Walters told directors that he hoped to streamline the cost of the project by using city workers for the installation. A contractor will dig the holes, he said, install the meter box and do any necessary line repair, and city crews will come in behind and install the meters.

The city doesn't have the manpower to install the meter boxes and the meters, Walters said. Putting in the meters will be the more crucial part of the job.

"To do that much box work is one-time work, but putting in meters is something the city will always be doing," City Administrator Carl Geffken said.

The America Water Works Association recommends that water meters be replaced every 10 years, Walters said.

State Desk on 02/11/2018

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