Desert Water Agency taps Itron for final phase of smart meter network rollout

Desert Water Agency taps Itron for final phase of smart meter network rolloutThe California utility has authorized a master services agreement to establish its fixed AMI network, leveraging $875,000 in grants to complete the multi-year deployment.

DWA approved an estimated $433,540 to cover Itron's professional services, network setup, internal labor, and first-year subscription costs.

Phase 2 of the AMI project is supported by a $500,000 US Bureau of Reclamation grant and $375,000 from the state's Urban Community Drought Relief fund.

The utility previously retrofitted 8,700 manual meters with radio transmitters and erected 13 standalone antenna towers.

DWA is concurrently negotiating with Vertex One for a customer portal expected to drive an additional 5% in water conservation.

The Desert Water Agency (DWA) board of directors unanimously authorized its general manager on April 7 to enter into a master services agreement with Itron Inc., initiating the final implementation step of the utility's Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) project. The remaining fiscal impact for this phase is estimated at $433,540, drawn from a remaining project budget of $472,549. The expenditure covers Itron's professional services, initial setup fees, first-year maintenance and subscription costs, as well as internal labor for agency staff to install network repeaters and collectors. According to utility staff, DWA has successfully secured outside funding to underwrite the rollout. Phase 2 is backed by $875,000 in grants, comprising a $500,000 WaterSMART grant from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation awarded in 2022, and $375,000 from the California Department of Water Resources' Urban Community Drought Relief Grant Fund. An earlier phase of the project also received a separate $500,000 USBR grant in 2020. The Itron agreement marks the culmination of a phased smart grid strategy for the Palm Springs-area utility. Phase 1, completed in September 2023, involved equipping over 8,700 manual-read meters with radio transmitters. To support the incoming fixed network, DWA contracted Canyon Springs Enterprises to construct 13 standalone antenna towers at utility sites lacking existing infrastructure, a project completed in late 2025. With the Itron network agreement in place, agency staff will focus on the physical installation of system collectors. Concurrently, DWA is in negotiations with Vertex One to develop a customer-facing data portal. Utility staff noted that the real-time usage monitoring provided by the upcoming portal has been shown to reduce customer water consumption by an additional 5%, a critical component of the agency's strategy to meet state-mandated conservation targets.