Winter Haven approves nearly $1 million Neptune smart meter procurement to avert inventory shortfall

Winter Haven approves nearly $1 million Neptune smart meter procurement to avert inventory shortfallThe Winter Haven City Commission has authorized the sole-source purchase of 2,800 Neptune Mach-10 potable water meters from Ferguson Waterworks to sustain its monthly change-out program.

The City Commission unanimously approved the $985,916 purchase as part of its June 22 consent agenda.

The Winter Haven Water Department currently replaces or installs an average of 500 meters per month.

Without the new order, the utility's existing inventory of 1,100 domestic and 200 reclaim meters was projected to be depleted by August 2026.

The 2,800 new meters will be delivered in two shipments, securing supply through mid-Fiscal Year 2026/2027.

The City of Winter Haven, Florida, is moving to secure its smart metering supply chain, approving a $985,916 purchase of Neptune Mach-10 potable water meters to sustain its ongoing meter replacement program. The City Commission unanimously approved the procurement as part of its June 22 consent agenda. According to municipal documents, the Winter Haven Water Department currently installs or replaces an average of 500 meters per month across its utility service area. With a current stock of just 1,100 domestic and 200 reclaim meters, city staff projected that existing inventory would be fully depleted by August 2026 without immediate intervention. To avert the shortfall, the city authorized the purchase of 2,800 Neptune 5/8-inch Mach-10 meters from Ferguson Waterworks, the approved sole-source provider for Neptune water products in the area. The order includes 1,800 standard domestic meters, 600 reclaim meters, and 400 cellular-enabled units. The new meters will be delivered in two separate shipments prior to the projected August inventory depletion. City officials noted that this procurement will provide sufficient supply to support the utility's meter change-out program through the middle of Fiscal Year 2026/2027. Funding for the purchase will be drawn from the city's Utilities Inventory account and distributed to the appropriate operational budget as the meters are placed into service. The meter procurement was one of several water infrastructure items approved without discussion on the June 22 consent agenda, which also included a $125,314 annual maintenance renewal with Badger Meter, Inc. for the city's SmartCover gravity sewer monitoring system.