The City of Valdosta is continuing to replace utility meters throughout the city as part of the Advanced Meter Infrastructure (AMI) system deployment. The system will replace all utility meters in the city of Valdosta. During this process, there will be contractors from Vanguard Utility Service working throughout the City changing out water meters.

During this time, customers may experience a period where their water will be off, but it should only be for a short period. The installation of the new meters will be conducted at no cost to customers.

Customers may notice contractors coming out more than once to work on the new meter:

1. Installation – An installation crew will work to remove the current meter and replace it with a new AMI Meter. The current meter is located in the customer meter box which is usually in the front yard of each residence.

2. Activation – An Activation crew will visit the residence to activate the meter

3. Quality Control – A Quality Control crew will have a final visit to the residence to ensure proper installation and activation.

At this time, crews have completed approximately 20% of meter installations city-wide.

Citizen Engagement Sessions are held every other week on Mondays at Mathis Auditorium for residents to learn more about the project and ask any questions they may have. The next session will be held on Monday, November 9 at 5:30 PM.

City staff continues to hang door hangers in the neighborhoods on the routes scheduled for installation.

The improved metering system will allow the City to remotely read meter data on an hourly basis. This will create the ability to track system leaks, reduce meter reading costs, and provide immediate and transparent information to customers.

The installation of new, Diehl ultrasonic water meters alongside Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) from Smart Earth Technologies (SET) will also increase billing accuracy to help support ongoing utility operations and infrastructure investments and to maintain high levels of water service.

In addition to the new infrastructure, Valdosta residents will also receive free access to a web-based Customer Portal from SetFlow. The portal will allow them to see their water consumption in near real-time and set personalized alerts in the event of leaks, possible pipe-freezing incidents, and vacation notifications. Money and water-saving tips will also be provided to help customers better manage their water consumption.

For more information on the new smart water network and answers to frequently asked questions, please visit www.valdostacity.com/utilities/new-utility-smart-meters.