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Home My WebLink About12,Water Meter Progress RptWorkshop Item # 12 Water Meter Project Progress Report and Water Usage Trends September 18, 2013 Background / History • The Water Department began installation of the automated meter reading system in September of 2008 • The initial phases (2008-2010) were performed by Measurement Control Systems • All of the meter installations from 2011 to the present have been completed by District staff 2 New Information • As of September 9, 2013 a total of 11,657 meters have been installed — 700 commercial — 10,957 residential — 93% of customers • These totals include both new construction and new meters installed on existing customer connections 3 New Information • A total of 896 locations remain on the "Red Flag List" — Locations where a meter has not yet been installed • The main factors preventing previous meter installations have been: — Meter box was buried and/or could not be located — Meter box was paved over or located under a deck, large rocks, tree, fence or similar obstruction — No meter box, only a curb stop — Meter box was too small, too deep or damaged — Excessive groundwater — Broken/inoperable valves 0 New Information Remaining meter "Red Flag" list by location: Area Quantity Armstrong/Gateway 182 Donner Lake I 37 Downtown/Olympic Heights I 27 Prosser/Northeast I 128 Sierra Meadows/Ponderosa Palisades I 140 Tahoe Donner I 366 Commercial (Various Locations) 16 5 New Information • Water Meter Project Completion Plan — Three -person meter box installation crew created within Water Department field staff — The Glenshire and Hirschdale areas have been completed — Olympic Heights and a large portion of the commercial meters will be completed by the end of September 2013 — Prosser Heights and Prosser Lakeview to be completed in the summer of 2014 — Sierra Meadows 2015 — Tahoe Donner in 2016-2017 — Armstrong and Gateway in 2018 a New Information • Customer Information System (CIS) — CIS has been updated to address changing information in the field — Multiple water services feeding a single residential structure — Single services feeding multiple residential structures — Developer/builder often provided inaccurate information regarding meter/service locations 7 New Information • Water Usage Trends — Currently, approximately 7% of customers have a leak beyond the meter box (compared to 10% in 2011) — The main cause of leaks remains unchanged: • Malfunctioning, damaged or improperly operated irrigation systems • Corroded or improperly operated stop and drain valves • Leaking toilets • Corroded or damaged customer -owned service laterals — The District continues to be strongly pro -active in regards to notifying customers of pipe breaks and large customer leaks during the winter months — Detection and notification of leaks in the summer presents more challenges as seasonal irrigation usage tends to mask leaks New Information Average Daily Metered Consumption (gallons per connection per day) — As expected, there are significant variations in water consumption when comparing winter to summer — Available data indicates a slight upward trend in summer water usage — Winter water usage has remained constant Winter (October -April) 269 317 324 103 103 103 Fiscal Impact • Expenditures related to the water meter project have been funded from the Reserve for Future Meters Fund • Revenues — Fund began with $1.4 million — $3.7 million revenue from 2009-2013 (Water Meter Surcharge) — Additional $250,000 directed into the fund in 2011 • Expenditures — $4.3 million to date Fiscal Impact • The projected balance in the fund for the end of 2013 is approximately $900,000 • Future expenditures are estimated at $450,000 per year for the next five years • Final 3 years, project funding will come from rates 11 Recommendation Receive this report and provide comment 12