TO:Andrew P. Powers, City Manager
FROM:Clifford G. Finley, Public Works Director
DATE:January 30, 2024
SUBJECT: Purchase of Water Meters and Equipment (CI 5598) RECOMMENDATION:
1. Authorize expenditure in the total amount not to exceed $3,000,000 as follows:
$1,500,000 in FY 2023-24 from A/C #613-8030-682-8300 (Cl 5598, Automated Meter Replacement Program) and $1,500,000 in FY 2024-25 from A/C #613-8030- 682-8300 (Cl 5598, Automated Meter Replacement Program) for the purchase of Badger water meters, appurtenances, meter reading equipment, and associated software.
2. Find that this action is not a project as defined under the California Environmental Quality Act.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
No Additional Funding Requested. The annual not-to-exceed amount of $1,500,000 for the Automated Meter Replacement Program (CI 5598) is included in the Adopted FY 2023-2025 Water Capital Budget.
BACKGROUND:
The City’s water distribution system serves more than 17,000 water connections and provides water services to approximately 53,000 residents throughout Thousand Oaks. The water distribution system is separated into two service areas:
the main Thousand Oaks service area and the Newbury Park service area. The City’s Water Division provides field meter reading services and provides meter reads to the Finance Department for water utility billing purposes.
In 2005, the City began exploring Automated Meter Reading (AMR) technology, also known as drive-by meter reading. AMR technology utilizes radio communication to provide water use data to a collection receiver mounted to or within a vehicle. To eliminate the need for physically walking and reading each meter on a route, meter reads are gathered as staff performs a drive-by of the meter route being read. The City began replacing its analog meters with AMR
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7 meters in 2007, with the first AMR water meters being installed in the Newbury Park service area and then moving toward the main Thousand Oaks service area.
In 2013, City Council approved the standardization of water meters and meter reading equipment purchases from Badger Meter Inc., and in 2021 nearly 100 percent of the City’s water meters were replaced with AMR.
In 2015, as AMR technology continued to evolve, Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) was introduced to the water industry. AMI refers to technology that modernizes the traditional utility metering system, allowing for more advanced and automated collection, measurement, and analysis of water consumption data.
AMI also improves upon the AMR technology by transmitting data remotely either through a city-maintained radio network, or through a cellular carrier's network, eliminating the need for drive-by data collection through each route. Staff began to evaluate the feasibility through an AMI pilot utilizing data collectors and radio transmitters to capture meter data from field-mounted collectors located at City pump stations and reservoirs. The AMI pilot included the purchase of five data collectors which covered approximately one-third of the Thousand Oaks service area. Meter data is collected remotely and uploaded into a software system that provides more accurate and timely water use data for City staff and utility billing purposes. The eventual goal is to expand the remote data collection and provide software access for timely water use data to all City water customers.
As an alternative to data collectors, recent improvements in cellular technology provide an additional pathway to achieve AMI. Cellular technology offers increased accuracy and timely water use data while reducing infrastructure investment in data collectors. Meter read data can be collected through cellular connections at each water meter, providing data directly to the meter reading software. Staff has researched the cellular option for AMI, and in 2023 began installing cellular- enabled water meters in the Newbury Park service area. The timing of meter replacements in this service area coincides with the end of battery life for AMR meters installed 15 years ago. Currently, these cellular meter installs represent approximately 10 percent of the total service area.
Staff plans to continue with the installation of AMI technology, utilizing a hybrid strategy of optimizing the data collection system in the Thousand Oaks service area while upgrading older AMR meters with AMI cellular meters. This strategy will allow staff to continue to replace older AMR technology with AMI technology, utilize and improve upon existing data collection infrastructure, and utilize cellular data collection technology where feasible or practical. The overall goal is to complete the AMI system with full customer interface.
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7 DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS:
Through the City’s Meter Maintenance Program, the proposed two-year purchase of Badger water meters, appurtenances, meter reading equipment, and associated software will facilitate the goal toward the conversion to the AMI system including customer interface functionality. Badger meters are standardized throughout the City's water distribution system for residential and commercial water meters.
Below is a list of benefits of AMI technology:
1. Improves efficiency and accuracy – enhances efficiency and accuracy of data collection through elimination of manual reads.
2. Timely leak detection – allows for more timely detection of leaks and abnormal usage, reducing water use and loss for customers.
3. Customer engagement and transparency – provides customers with more timely, detailed, and accurate water use data, empowering customers to make more informed decisions related to water consumption.
4. Remote monitoring and management – allows for remote monitoring and management of water meters improving efficiency in managing infrastructure with less physical presence.
5. Improve data collection for mandatory state and federal agency compliance reporting.
Staff recommends authorization to purchase Badger AMI Meters, meter upgrade equipment, and AMI infrastructure components for an amount not to exceed $1,500,000 in FY 2023-24 and $1,500,000 in FY 2024-25.
This project meets City Council’s Top Ten Priorities #6, “Public Works + Infrastructure Investments”.
CIP PROJECT PRIORITY (as outlined in FY 2023-24 and FY 2024-25 CIP Program Budget)
Priority Two – Necessary, but not essential, and there could be consequences if deferred.
COUNCIL GOAL COMPLIANCE:
Meets the following City Council goals:
C. Operate City government in a fiscally and managerially responsible and prudent manner to ensure that the City of Thousand Oaks remains one of California's most desirable places to live, work, visit, recreate, and raise a family.
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7 F. Provide and enhance essential infrastructure to ensure that the goals and policies of the Thousand Oaks General Plan are carried out and the City retains its role and reputation as a leader in protecting the environment and preserving limited natural resources.
PREPARED BY: Bret Sherman, Utilities Maintenance Supervisor DPW:1000-30\ev\Council\2024\013024\/CI 5598\ Purchase of Water Meters and Equipment staff report.docx