Boosting water revenue with improved accuracy and cellular connectivity

On the south side of the Salt Lake City metro area, the Taylorsville-Bennion Improvement District (TBID) provides water for around 70,000 residents across more than 17,000 connections. For decades, the district relied on a dependable drive-by AMR system that allowed staff to collect usage data efficiently. As their equipment approached the end of its service life, IT Administrator Lance Fisher saw an opportunity to modernize. His goal was to move to cellular AMI to improve accuracy, increase efficiency, and provide better service to residents.

“We could read all 17,000 meters in a day with the drive-by unit. It was a good system,” Fisher said. But there was still room for improvement because of the troubleshooting required on the backend.

Exploring new solutions

The team began evaluating options for upgrading to an AMI system. In 2019, TBID conducted propagation studies to determine whether it would be feasible to install their own gateways for a fixed-based AMI system. They discovered that due to the district’s hilly terrain, the number of towers needed would make the project cost prohibitive. Meanwhile, the district’s mechanical meters were nearing replacement, and the batteries on existing endpoints were running low.

When they issued an RFP, their priorities were clear: adopt a solution that would enable a seamless transition to AMI, achieve close to 100 percent meter reads, and minimize the need for additional infrastructure.

Upgrading to a system as reliable as the meters

TBID selected Neptune’s R900 cellular endpoints combined with MACH 10 ultrasonic meters. “Having those to begin with and then adding something like cellular AMI on top of that gives you a reading system that is as good as the meters. It’s kind of a no-brainer,” Fisher said.

Before the upgrade, accuracy across the district averaged about 90%. After the new system was implemented, accuracy jumped to nearly 100%, with only a handful of meters not reporting due to known areas of poor cellular coverage.

Fisher said, “It’s amazing. We’re getting more revenue, so that’s saving us money. We’re able to bill for actual usage rather than estimating.”

According to their financial studies, they are now reading 12% more water usage than they were before because of the new, more accurate ultrasonic meters, contributing to between $400,000 and $450,000 of increased revenue per year.

Their operational efficiency also improved as a result. While reading every meter in a single day was possible under the previous system, it still required a week of troubleshooting before bills could be finalized. With the upgraded system, the entire process can now be completed in a single day.

Providing better customer service

Modernizing their hardware was only one part of the equation. TBID also implemented a comprehensive software platform that allows staff to resolve billing concerns using detailed hourly usage data.

“We can actually drill down into their data and say, ‘Well, at 1:00 AM you must have turned your sprinklers on because you used this many gallons and you’ve been doing that every day,’” Fisher explained. “That’s really great. The billing clerk who works with me, her workload has gone down quite a bit.”

The district also rolled out a customer portal, giving residents direct access to their own water usage. “It’s an amazing thing to say, ‘Now you know you have a leak. You better sign up for this and you can watch and actually see when you fixed it,’” Fisher said.

This self-service capability not only empowers customers but also reduces calls and inquiries to the office, freeing staff to focus on other priorities.

Planning for the future

Looking ahead, TBID is exploring additional capabilities in their metering system, such as temperature and pressure monitoring. These enhancements will provide deeper insights into system performance, helping the district quickly identify and address irregularities.

Fisher noted that their commitment to continuous improvement started years ago: “We beta tested a few things and were the first ones to do the drive-by and remote reading. So that’s just a good example of how Neptune’s worked with us over the years.”

For TBID, the upgrade came down to more than just replacing meters. It was about adopting a system that fits the way they work and supports both their operational goals and customer service.

 “It’s the best meter out there,” Fisher said. “You couple that with a good reading system, and you’ve got the best overall system you can get. We love the meters, and now we’re having great success with the cellular product. It’s not just talk, it works.”

With a new AMI system in place, TBID is well-positioned to meet their community’s current needs while being ready to adapt as their future goals evolve.