Denton City Council Approves $7M Pilot for Digital Water Meters
Denton City Council has greenlit a pilot program to modernize its water utility system. The project, approved on September 30, aims to replace analog water meters with digital ones, aiming to detect leaks more swiftly and efficiently. This move comes as water utility rates are on the rise.
The pilot program, set to begin in the current fiscal year, has a budget of $7 million. It will test and evaluate advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) over six to 12 months, with a total contracted amount of about $614,000. If successful, Denton may proceed with full implementation, estimated to cost around $20 million for its approximately 42,000 water meters.
Austin, which started a similar project in 2020, offers customers a portal to track their water consumption and receive alerts for higher-tiered billing rates. Denton's move towards digital meters aligns with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Smart Grid Cybersecurity Framework, providing guidelines for securing customers' data.
Denton's pilot program marks the first step towards full automation of its water utilities. If successful, it could lead to quicker leak detection and improved customer awareness of their water usage. The city's commitment to digital meters, at an estimated cost of $20 million, signals a significant investment in modernizing its infrastructure.
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