CLEVELAND, Tenn. - Cleveland Utilities should complete the conversion of about 30,000 manual water meters to new wireless "smart meters" by next summer.
Phase One of the project, which called for the conversion of over 14,000 meters, is nearly complete and will eliminate at least 20 manual reading routes.
On Monday, the utility board voted 5-0 to spend $2.2 million to buy approximately 16,000 automated meters and transmitters, officially launching the second phase of the conversion project.
Craig MullinaxLike the first phase of the meter conversion project, the second phase meter conversions will be funded through a $2.5 million loan through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, said engineer Phillip Luce.
The fixed interest rate of the loan falls between 1.2 percent and 1.3 percent and includes $170,000 in loan forgiveness, said Craig Mullinax, vice president of Cleveland Utilities' water division.
The availability of State Revolving Fund financing for the second phase of the conversion project was not expected to occur so soon, but it was a fortunate opportunity and too good to pass up, said Mullinax.
The unexpected funding will allow Cleveland Utilities to complete the meter conversion project within two years instead of four years, said Luce.
Bids for installation of the meters, manufactured by Badger and Neptune, will be taken on Nov. 19, said Luce. Installation work is projected to start in early January, to coincide with the initial shipments of automated meters and transmitters, said Luce.
"Construction time will take about seven months, so next summer we should have the whole water system under automated reading, just like the electric system," he said, citing a similar conversion initiative undertaken by the utility's electric division a few years ago.
The second phase of the conversion project will encompass water customers living outside of the city boundaries, and is expected to take a little longer due to the residences being more spread out, said Luce.
The wireless meters increase the water division's efficiency and also allow for early warning of customer problems, said utility officials.
Last winter, Mullinax reported that a number of smart meters alerted the water division to heavy water loss that was determined to be caused by burst pipes, allowing Cleveland Utilities to quickly notify the affected customers.
With manually-read meters, the water division would not detect a severe water loss until the scheduled meter inspection date, said Mullinax.
Paul Leach is based in Cleveland. Email him at paul.leach.press@gmail.com.