Smyrna approves $2.77m AMI phase as billing shift reaches customers
Smyrna, Georgia · Meeting date: November 2, 2026 · Published: November 3, 2026
Smyrna Mayor and Council unanimously authorised Kendall Supply to install Phase II of a three-year water-meter modernisation programme. The 2027 phase will replace about 5,000 meters and add AMI infrastructure, while the city works to explain a move from 1,000-gallon billing increments to gallon-by-gallon measurement.
Key points
- Council approved up to $2,773,243.50 for Kendall Supply to deliver Phase II, funded from the Water Capital Improvements Programme.
- Phase II is scheduled for completion in 2027 and includes AMI infrastructure plus replacement of approximately 5,000 meters of varying sizes.
- The approved price comprises $2,352,026.50 for meters and transmitters and $421,217 for replacement labour.
- About 3,500 of Smyrna's 15,000 meters had been replaced since July, according to the city’s earlier programme update.
- A final phase will require separate council approval to complete citywide deployment, anticipated for late 2027 or early 2028.
Full report
Smyrna Mayor and Council has approved a $2.77 million Phase II contract for its citywide advanced metering infrastructure rollout, committing the city to replace approximately 5,000 more water meters in 2027 as it shifts customers to more granular consumption measurement.
The council unanimously approved an amount not to exceed $2,773,243.50 for Kendall Supply Inc. to supply and install the meters and required AMI infrastructure. The expenditure will be paid from the Water Capital Improvements Programme.
The award is the second stage of a three-year, 2026-28 meter replacement programme intended to integrate AMI technology across all city water meters. Phase I has been completed. City staff said the system is intended to improve meter-reading operations, water billing processes and customer-service capabilities.
Kendall Supply’s quotation allocates $2,352,026.50 to meter and transmitter equipment and $421,217 to labour. The equipment package includes 4,466 three-quarter-inch meters, 400 one-inch meters and meters in larger sizes, alongside 5,007 FlexNet transmitters.
The approval follows an October water-department briefing in which Public Works Director Paul Osburn addressed concerns from residents about higher utility bills, possible leaks, changed billing and installation issues. At that time, staff said approximately 3,500 of Smyrna’s 15,000 water meters had been replaced since July.
Under the former system, consumption was generally recorded in 1,000-gallon increments, meaning usage beneath the next threshold could appear in a subsequent billing cycle. The new system bills on actual gallon-by-gallon usage. Staff said that change can make bills appear higher or different even when consumption has not materially changed. Some aging meters also had not been functioning properly or accurately recording consumption, according to Osburn.
The city has received a limited number of installation-related complaints. Staff said the installation vendor failed to complete utility-locate procedures properly at some locations, damaging fibre lines; the vendor is responsible for those costs. The Utility Department has prepared explanatory material covering the revised bill format, calculations and the difference between former and current meter-reading systems.
One further AMI phase will be needed to complete the citywide deployment. It will return for separate Mayor and Council approval and is anticipated in late 2027 or early 2028 through the annual CIP process.
This summary was generated by AI based on the source document and may contain errors.
Source: Mayor and Council Meeting - A. Max Bacon City Hall Council Chambers, Smyrna