City Of Oxnard Water Meter Replacement Project Recognized For Construction Management Excellence

Construction Management Association of America Project Achievement Award celebrates complex, citywide infrastructure upgrade program

The City of Oxnard’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Replacement project has been honored with a 2026 Project Achievement Award from the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) Southern California Chapter.

CMAA Project Achievement Awards recognize projects that represent exemplary professionalism, innovation, and excellence in the management of the construction process. Award honorees reflect collaborative project teams and solutions that help utilities meet growth, reliability, and water quality goals while maintaining service for customers.

In 2022, the City of Oxnard began upgrading all Oxnard Water customer meters to new AMI devices to better track and communicate customers’ real-time water data. The complex program included more than 41,500 water meter replacements and AMI endpoint installations across six city zones.

The initiative required intense coordination, including detailed field planning, rapid communication channels, and hands-on oversight by inspectors. To aid efforts, Carollo Engineers’ construction management team implemented a fully customized program-level management framework before construction began. The framework included an innovative custom web-based document control system and step-by-step data-validation workflows to accurately transfer new meter data into the City’s GIS and billing systems.

To facilitate the program’s success while limiting impacts on residents and businesses, the City, Carollo Engineers, and Badger Meter incorporated field surveys, public outreach, and system integration while installing up to 225 meters per day across multiple service zones. The team performed work in parkways, streets, alleys, and commercial facilities, as well as during after-hours shutdowns. They closely coordinated access and sequencing at critical facilities, including hospitals, fire stations, police stations, dialysis centers, City Hall offices, urgent care centers, nursing homes, and long-term care facilities. Subcritical facilities such as schools, major commercial sites, and similar community sites received the same careful coordination.

“This initiative represents a significant modernization of the City’s water system and exemplifies industry excellence and innovation in utility modernization,” said City of Oxnard Water Division Manager Chris Peyton. “The project achieved remarkable success and delivered substantial value, replacing 41,715 water meters throughout the City’s service area while finishing $1.5M under the original budget.”

The project met all major schedule requirements, replacing all 41,715 meters over 49 months. As a result, the City is now able to confidently track, validate, and integrate tens of thousands of new installations at a success rate of 99%, while also giving customers access to their water consumption data and leak notifications.

About Carollo Engineers
For more than 90 years, Carollo Engineers has provided a full range of innovative planning, design, and construction management services to address the water needs of municipalities, public agencies, private developers, and industrial clients. Carollo develops robust water management strategies that leverage collaboration, provide multi-benefit solutions, and achieve sustainability and resilience. Carollo has 1,900 employees located in more than 60 offices across North America. To learn more about how Carollo is “Working Wonders With Water”, visit www.carollo.com