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<br />I <br />" <br /> <br />, <br />. <br /> <br />Memorandum, Residential Water Meter Replacement <br />Page Two <br />April 20, 1999 <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />2. Radio Read <br />This unit is mounted directly on the meter, and powered by a battery which will <br />last approximately ten (10) years. The meter reading person interrogates this <br />meter with a hand-held interrogator. At the reader's command, the interrogator <br />wakes up the radio read meter and receives data from the meter, stores it with <br />other meter readings, then downloads the reading into the utility billing software <br />at City Hall. <br /> <br />Readings are typically taken from the meter reader's vehicle while on the street. <br />The cost for each installed water meter with radio read capabilities is <br />approximately $250. <br /> <br />Public Works employees have installed approximately 15 of these units at <br />residences where access has been a persistent problem. (i. e., fences, dogs, etc.) <br /> <br />3. <br /> <br />Phone Read <br />This meter is connected directly to a customer's phone line. The billing software <br />automatically calls the meter at pre-programmed times and interrogates the meter. <br />The installed cost of this technology is about equivalent to radio read costs ($250 <br />per unit). However, more problems are resulting in phone read systems and some <br />cities (i. e., Minneapolis and Mounds View) have already converted some phone <br />reads to radio or manual read systems. <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />Renlacement Costs <br />The City currently has approximately 2,350 residential meters and replacement costs are <br />estimated at $250 per installed meter, using radio read meters. The Public Works Director <br />recommends that a replacement contract include installation, due to the high number of units, <br />plus the likelihood of most installations needing to be done after regular working hours or on <br />weekends. <br /> <br />If Badger Meter provides the best proposal for the meter replacement, the City could realize <br />savings, as approximately ten percent (10%) of the City meters are new enough that only a radio <br />read upgrade would be needed. In this scenario, a conservative estimate for the <br />replacement/upgrade would be $570,000. Staff had included in the budget $250,000 for 1999 and <br />$250,000 for the year 2000 for the replacement/upgrade. Any new construction installations <br />would be funded by the meter permit fee, which is based on 120% of the City's actual costs as <br />per code. <br /> <br />tit <br />