City of Chicopee Advanced Metering Infrastructure Program

7/28/2019 City of Chicopee Advanced Metering Infrastructure Program

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City of Chicopee Advanced

Metering Infrastructure ProgramMay 6, 2013


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New water meters for all customers with no increase in fees Improved Customer Service including leak detection and high

use notification Transition to smaller monthly bills Increase revenue through accurate and equitable metering Reduce reading operations expense Eliminate estimated bills Eliminate bill abatements Reduce/eliminate theft of service through tamper detection Improve availability of analytical tools, including consumption

history and up-to date meter readings which result in reducedcall volume and reduced transaction time.

Goals of Program

Chicopee DPWWeston & Sampson 5/6/20132


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Submitted Application to DEP SRF

Survey of 143 Pit Meters and larger meters (< 3-inch)

Evaluation of current metering and billing system

Recommendations for Meter Modernization Program

Work Completed to Date



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16,200 active meters with average age 19 years

Meter Read Manually and Obsolete Remote Register Reading System

Abatements 272 - 2010

124 2011

Large meters accuracy 89.2%

$403,000 lost revenue (water and sewer) Small meters accuracy 96%

$637,000 lost revenue (water and sewer)

Existing Meters and Reading System



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Many meters are oversized for their application lost revenue

(38) Large meters downsized to 1.5 or 2-inch positivedisplacement meters

3-Inch Meters Reduced from (36) units to (20) units

4-Inch Meters Reduced from (31) units to (16) units

6- & 8-Inch Meters Reduced from (6) units to (2) units

4-, 6-, 8-, and 10-Inch Fire Meters

Reduced from (29) to (25)units

Large Meter Survey



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Item ValueContract No. 1, Advanced Meter Infrastructure Supply $3,786,060Contract No. 2, Advanced Meter Infrastructure Installation $2,062,119Additional Program Expenses $426,500

SUBTOTAL 1: $6,274,679Contingency (10%)

$627,468SUBTOTAL 2: $6,902,147

Lead Service Replacement (if included)$512,000

SUBTOTAL 3: $7,414,147

Program Costs



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Item ValueWater Revenue Increase

$323,000

Sewer Revenue Increase $717,000Abatement Expense Reduction $4,200Meter Reader Salary Expense Reduction $156,000Employee Benefit Expense Reduction $78,000Vehicle Repair Expense Reduction

$3,750

Vehicle Replacement Expense Reduction $8,100Fuel Consumption Expense Reduction $5,300Vehicle Insurance Expense Reduction $2,445

Total: $1,297,795

Program Benefits

Estimated Annual Revenue Increase & Expense Reductions



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Significantly reduce abatements

Detect meter tampering and stuck meters through zero usage flags andtamper alarms.

Detect reverse flow events to identify backwards meters and backflowevents.

Remote troubleshooting, programming, and software updates with two-waycommunications.

Reduce customer inquiry call duration

Customer education/awareness Provide infrastructure for new distribution system technologies (leak

detection, water quality monitoring)

Audit unaccounted-for water

Eliminate truck rolls

Operational Benefits of AMI



9/9

May 2013 Request borrowing from City Council

July 2013 SRF Funding Notification

September 2013

Issue Request for Proposal for automatedmetering infrastructure (AMI)

November 2013 Award contract to Vendor

January 2014 Issue Invitation for Bid for installation contractor

January 2014

Network installation begins April 2014 Meter installations begin

October 2015 Project Completion

Proposed Project Schedule


Documents

City of Chicopee Advanced Metering Infrastructure Program