Austin Pilot Project Debuts Smart Meters

Austin may someday be outfitted in smart meters.

At least 100 Austin Water customers are participating in a smart water meter project that allows them to monitor their water use by way of an app on their phones, according to the Austin American-Statesman. It will soon provide access to real-time monitoring.

But universal smart meters in Austin may still be a few years away:

Though Austin has long had smart meters for its electricity customers, such meters for water customers are likely some years away. The possible $75 million price tag is one obstacle, along with a host of technology logistics. Still, Austin Water has been studying the possibilities, and officials will soon consider whether to include smart water meters in a city spending plan for major projects over the next five years.

Smart meters for energy use have been more widely and rapidly deployed in Texas compared to smart water meters, in part thanks to laws that state policies encouraging the use of smart electricity meters. But Texas water utility officials say residents are ready for smart water meters, as well.

“Generally, we’re not hearing a lot from the public,” said John Norman, the meter services manager in Arlington, per The Texas Tribune. “Complaints came mostly after the meters were installed and returned higher bills, Norman said, but his department and others said that was generally a corrective change because older meters tended to slow down over time.”

A citywide metering upgrade may help with billing controversies in Austin. “A thousand Austin Water customers say they got overbilled for water [over the summer]. In some cases, the bills show water being used at 10 times the rate compared to this past spring,” Time Warner Cable News reported. The utility investigated the problem and in some circumstances offered refunds.

For more on smart meters, visit Water Online’s AMR, AMI And Metering Solutions Center.