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r— City of Cortez PW-14-152 <br /> CORTEZ Interoffice Correspondence <br /> July 8, 2014 <br /> MEMO TO: Shane Hale, City Manager <br /> Mayor and Members of the Cortez City Council <br /> FROM: Philip F. Johnson, Director of Public Works <br /> SUBJECT: WATER METER READING PROCESS <br /> ATTACHMENTS: Spreadsheet <br /> BACKGROUND <br /> The Public Works Department utilizes manual reads of our water meters on a monthly basis. <br /> This is done utilizing two (2) full time employees and assigned trucks. The meters are read using <br /> remotely mounted "odometers" or visual means for each meter in our system. This means all <br /> accounts must be physically visited every month. Currently, there are approximately 3,400 <br /> meters in our system. <br /> ISSUES <br /> This method of collecting billing data is not cost effective. It is inefficient and can be <br /> problematic regarding human error, coverage of down personnel, timely reading/billing, and <br /> provides only static information. <br /> Human Error: There are several opportunities for making mistakes using this method —reading <br /> numbers, writing them down, and again during data input into the billing software system. <br /> Personnel Coverage: This system requires two employees to read our meters and, when one is <br /> sick or on vacation, coverage must be maintained. This takes resources from other programs. <br /> Timely Reading/Billing: Due to the nature of readings trickling in, bills are sent out four times a <br /> month. It takes four full weeks to read our entire distribution system. <br /> Static Information: The current model we are using only provides totalized flow data. We have <br /> no ability to track or identify types,times, and historical information on the meters. <br /> DISCUSSION <br /> Automated Meter Reading (AMR) is the use of radios to read meters via a drive-by or a fixed <br /> base receiver. This makes use of radio frequency to read and store data on every metered <br /> account that is set up in our distribution system. This data would be stored in a laptop device <br /> specific to this methodology. The technology that is currently available for AMR would have a <br />