TYLER, Texas — The city of Tyler announced Tyler Water Utilities will begin replacing thousands of water meters throughout the city in August.
A press release from the city of Tyler said TWU will replace 8,000 water meters starting on Monday, Aug. 19 as part of a $3.45 million project approved by Tyler City Council in Dec. 2023. Officials with the city said the first phase will take one year to complete and will replace meters identified as having issues with accuracy and reliability. They added that over the next three years, 1,650 meters will be replaced every year until all identified problem meters have been replaced with Neptune meters.
The city has contracted Core and Main and Tex Specialty Services to replace the meters. Crews will be in marked vehicles and carry ID. Customers whose meters will be replaced during the first phase of the project will be notified via letter and door hangers, the city said.
The last time meters across Tyler were replaced was in 2005. A study conducted by TWU showed 27% of existing meters had problems reading water usage, not registering consumption, and not communicating information to the Water Business Office. The new meters include Advanced Metering Infrastructure, a communication technology method for reading meters remotely without having access to each meter from inside meter boxes underground.
"The new meters will improve accuracy and reliability, ensuring that our customers are billed only for the exact amount of water they use," Utilities Director Kate Dietz said in a press release. "By replacing problematic meters in phases, we ensure that our customers can trust the accuracy of their water bills. This proactive approach allows us to stay ahead as technology advances, providing our customers with the best service possible."
Crews will work from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with after-hours possible due to weather delays or other conditions. Customers can expect services to be interrupted for 30 minutes to an hour while their water meter is being replaced.
TWU will spend $700,000 a year on a meter replacement schedule until all remaining customer meters have been updated to the new Neptune models, the press release said. The first phase of the project will be funded through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and the Capital Improvement Projects program, with future phases paid for through money raised from water usage.