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On The Cover New Technology — Automated Meter Reading (AMR) Roseville has operated a water distribution system since the early 1960s. In order to track and bill for water usage, we installed water meters inside every location connected to the City watermain. In most cases an outside reader /register (OSR) is connected by a wire to the inside meter so that a read can be obtained without entering the home or business. In 2010 the City began implementing an AMR (Automated Meter Reading) system to improve efficiency and effectiveness. Historically City employees walked door to door to manually read the OSR and enter the reading into a handheld device. This practice presented challenges. For instance where there were animals or other hidden hazards, employees face injury risks and associated liabilities. Some meters are located behind locked gates or in challenging terrain. In other cases property owners delayed or restricted access to the meter. All of these challenges increase reading cost. Occasionally inaccurate manual meter reads can lead to customer concerns which take time and resources to resolve. Another area of concern is undetected leaks. These leaks are wasteful and can cause property damage. And the customer usually does not notice until they get a higher than normal water bill. The AMR system can alleviate these problems. AMR is the technology of automatically collecting consumption, diagnostic and status data from water meter or energy metering devices (water, gas, and electric) and transferring that data to a central database for billing, troubleshooting and analyzing. Roseville is improving customer service to each water customer through our Water Meter Replacement and Automated Meter Reading (AMR) Program. In October 2010 the City began replacing older commercial and "difficult to read" residential water meters with new meters equipped with radio transmitting devices that send a signal to a Data Collector Unit in a fixed location. That information is then sent to the finance and utility offices. This new system will allow the City to provide timely and accurate responses to resident inquiries. AMR technologies not �r only allow us to replace manual meter reading, they are designed to be an effective approach in reducing operating costs, increasing cash flow, enhancing customer � service and mitigating risk. The system also provides efficient leak detection to immediately flag an issue so that it can be investigated before a basement is flooded or other damage can occur. Over the next 5 years, the City will upgrade every home and business in Roseville with the new AMR system.