Utility-Grade AMI Without Added Operations

Water utilities increasingly rely on timely AMI data to improve customer service, support leak detection, and enhance operational decision-making. When its legacy communications arrangement neared end-of-life, WaterOne, the largest water utility in Kansas, faced a critical decision: how to modernize metering communications across roughly 156,800 meters while maintaining focus on its core mission of delivering reliable water service.

As Brian Schade, Manager, Field Services, puts it, "We're a water utility, not a telecoms company." This case study explores how the utility selected a managed operating model to support its communications infrastructure, how its lifecycle analysis compared AMI against traditional meter reading, and what changed once hourly data became routine. It also examines performance against service commitments and highlights how utility resources could remain focused on customer service and water operations.

Explore the full story to see how WaterOne approached the decision and what it has accomplished since.