A phased approach to AMI

The City of Frisco, Texas, has grown rapidly over the past three decades, and as the population grew, so did the demands on the city’s Public Works Department to manage water resources efficiently. In the early 2000s, Frisco moved from manual readings to mobile AMR using radio frequency technology, laying the foundation for a more data-driven approach to water management.

Kevin Grant, Assistant Director of Water Operations, was pleased with the long-term investment. Over the course of several years, Grant’s team had installed an average of 50 to 60 meters a week, amassing more than 50,000 accounts. Their older meters were still reading with over 98% accuracy, but Grant recognized an opportunity to improve their overall operations. At the time, two meter readers spent nearly an entire month each cycle reading accounts, a significant amount of time that could be directed toward other priorities.

Beginning the migration journey 

The Public Works Department began a pilot program to test fixed network AMI in a newly constructed subdivision. Starting with 200 to 300 meters, they quickly expanded to 600 to 700 over six months. While the pilot demonstrated clear efficiencies, a nationwide economic downturn temporarily paused further AMI deployment.

By 2014, the economy had improved, and the utility decided to revisit its initial AMI migration strategy. "Water’s only going to get more expensive, and we need to conserve as much as possible," Grant said. "Right now, 90 percent of our customers are residential, and 90 percent of them have automatic irrigation systems. Our end goal is to empower our customer to see exactly what their water usage is, so that they can set their own budget – and save water and money."

Transitioning to AMI without stranding assets

Grant endeavored to make the most of Frisco’s already well-performing endpoints. The city moved forward from mobile AMR to fixed network AMI using its existing and migratable R900 technology from Neptune. “It was the only feasible way to make the transition,” Grant said. This approach enabled Frisco to phase in upgrades as the budget allowed while maintaining service continuity and preserving existing investments through a continuous meter replacement program. Because the technology was designed with build-on compatibility, the city could upgrade to AMI without replacing all its existing meters or endpoints.

Propagation studies guided the placement of fixed network data collectors across nine zones, from traffic signal poles and light poles to Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) antennas, water storage tanks, lift stations, and weather stations. Each data collector was strategically placed for a one-mile operating radius. The collectors capture consumption data from the same endpoints as before, now at 15-minute intervals instead of once a month. Mobile and fixed network readings operate simultaneously, with endpoints requiring no programming to switch between methods.

"It’s a win-win," Grant said. "We save on truck rolls, and we can always use mobile and handheld readings as a backup. We still use all the reading equipment we’ve invested in."

This approach allowed Frisco to maximize their technological and human resources. Grant noted, “We don’t have to grow our department as fast, so we’re not having to invest in new personnel.”

Using data to improve customer service 

Beyond operational efficiency, Frisco’s new AMI system has transformed customer service. "Before our AMI system, we answered high bill questions by being able to point to the meter’s rate of accuracy,” Grant explained. Now they can access daily consumption data to pinpoint specific times and amounts and use that information to walk customers through their water usage.

Grant said, “We can look at data, pull up an address, and say to them, ‘We can see that you’re using 2,000 gallons every Tuesday and Thursday night. Could that be your irrigation system?’ They may not have known how much water they were using. It ‘turns on the light bulb’ for a lot of people.”

Frisco has also incorporated a cloud-based platform that enables them to provide proactive customer notifications and continuous leak detection. Grant emphasized its impact, saying, “This system has helped us answer the question: ‘What can we do to work smarter and provide a better product to our customer?’ Information that we get back on water consumption is the single-most beneficial result so far.”

A phased, smart approach

By phasing in fixed network AMI over time, Frisco maintains daily operations without disruption. "By not having to change out everything at once, we can continue to do business just like we do every day," Grant said. Build-on compatibility has been central to achieving these outcomes, ensuring each new step forward works seamlessly with what was already in place. The system’s flexibility equips them to keep up with growth while delivering more accurate, timely data to the city and its residents.

For Frisco, the move to AMI represents a significant step toward becoming a smart city that promotes conservation, strengthens community engagement, and ensures operational excellence for years to come.