Tarpon Springs preps $4.8m water meter modernization and AMI rollout, defers initial contract

Tarpon Springs preps $4.8m water meter modernization and AMI rollout, defers initial contractThe Florida city plans to replace thousands of aging water meters and install AMI-ready infrastructure over three years, aiming to curb revenue losses from under-reporting mechanical meters.

The city's three-year program budgets $2.4 million for the first year and $1.2 million for each of the subsequent two years.

Year one will target 4,500 residential and commercial meters, prioritizing replacements for units up to 40 years old.

All touched meter boxes will receive new antenna-equipped lids to prepare the utility for an active AMI network.

A $1.45 million contract increase with Ferguson Water Works was deferred to the next meeting due to a drafting error in the agenda packet.

Tarpon Springs Water and Utilities is preparing to roll out a major water meter modernization program, targeting the replacement of thousands of aging meters to stem revenue losses and prepare for advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). According to Water Division Manager Darryl Vasey, the city currently relies on 5,800 residential meters that exceed the American Water Works Association’s recommended 15-year lifespan. Of those, 1,250 are more than 25 years old, and 265 date back to the 1980s. These aging mechanical devices are losing accuracy and under-reporting actual water consumption, resulting in lost utility revenues. The three-year initiative is budgeted at $2.4 million for the current year, followed by $1.2 million in each of the following two years. Favorable bulk pricing has allowed the city to expand its first-year target from 3,500 to 4,500 meters, focusing heavily on 3/4-inch and 1-inch residential and commercial units. Alongside the new meters, the installation—which will be handled by a professional contractor—includes new dual check valves for backflow prevention. Crucially, the city will replace the lids on every meter box it touches with antenna-equipped covers. Vasey noted this is a preparatory step for an ultimate transition to an AMI network, which will provide virtual real-time readings to help both the utility and customers monitor consumption and detect leaks. Despite the program's readiness, the Board of Commissioners voted to defer the initial procurement approvals to their next meeting after Vasey discovered a scrivener's error in the agenda documentation. The city intended to add $1.45 million to an existing $700,000 contract with supplier Ferguson Water Works, bringing the total to $2.15 million. However, the agenda erroneously listed the new total as $1.45 million. The deferral introduces a minor scheduling complication. The city is piggybacking its procurement off a Hernando County contract that expires in early May, with the new contract not taking effect until June 13. Consequently, while the board expects to approve the corrected figures at its next meeting, the city will not be able to issue a purchase order for the new meters until mid-June.