Asheville City Council approves Advanced MeteringInfrastructure (AMI) project

Press release from city of Asheville:

On July 26, 2022, the Asheville City Council voted unanimously to approve the Advanced Metering Infrastructure Project, or AMI.

The new AMI system will replace the Water Department’s current automated meter reading system now reaching the end of its useful life cycle. The newly approved AMI system will utilize a City owned fixed network of antennas and transmitters to relay data directly to the database.

This new method removes the need for staff to collect data by driving with a receiver in proximity to existing water meters.

Roll out of the system will impact all of the City of Asheville’s approximately 63,000 water department customers.

Benefits to those customers include:

• Updated equipment and data gathering
• A new robust interactive customer portal with near-real-time access to water use data allowing for greater customer interaction and management of their water usage, leak detection and more.
• Provides a smooth transition to a new monthly billing cycle for customers.

What customers need to know:

• Roll out of the system is projected to begin this fall.
• The installation phase is projected to take 30 months.
• The Water Department will be communicating with customers as installers are scheduled to be on site. The City will also be using AVLAlert to let customers know when the program is moving into their area.
• Customers will experience a short service interruption during installation of the physical meter.

Funding for the system:

The project will be funded by a short term low interest loan which will be converted to revenue bonds after completion of the project.

Just over 28.7 million dollars is needed to fund the AMI project. 20 million dollars of those funds were included in the FY 2021-22 Water Capital Improvement Program. The additional funds needed to complete the project is included in this council action.