ALAMO, Texas – The City of Alamo anticipates saving an estimated $6.8 million over the next 20 years as a result of installing smart water meters and new lighting.
City leaders believe they will recover $2.8 million in lost revenue with new water meters and reduce lighting energy costs by 74 percent with new LED lighting over the lifetime of the project.
City leaders issued these two bullet points in a press release:
• State-of-the-art water meters ensure accurate consumption records and reduction of maintenance costs associated with outdated equipment, recovering $94,000 in lost revenue in the first year
• Converting all city buildings, parks and sports fields to LED lighting has already saved more than $39,500 in the city’s energy use in the first year
The citywide innovation project happened thanks to a partnership with Schneider Electric that began in the early 2021.
The aim, according to Alamo Mayor Diana Martinez, was to transform Alamo into a smart, innovative community that better served its residents. “We wanted to modernize city infrastructure with more ‘smart city’ solutions,” Martinez told the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service.
Martinez said city leaders also wanted to support the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals.
“The City of Alamo recognizes the local and global call for action in creating a more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable community,” Martinez said.
City Manager Robert Salinas agreed.
“This project was a top priority for our city, and we are excited about the immediate impact it has on our community. Our citizens have already seen more accurate billing each month and will experience the benefit of long-term cost savings for our city,” Salinas said.
Salinas said that by substituting outdated water meters with AMI (advanced metering infrastructure) technology and upgrading all city facilities, parks, and sports fields with LED lighting, the city has moved one step closer to achieving sustainable development.
While saving water is critical at the environmental level, there is a real financial benefit to this project. The city anticipates saving an estimated $6.8 million over the next two decades, he pointed out.
Salinas said the new AMI (advanced metering infrastructure) water meters are designed to monitor water usage more accurately for the city and the consumer. Previous water meters throughout the city were installed in the 1990s and relied on mechanical parts to accurately measure water consumption, he explained.
“AMI technology is designed to help the city bill for actual water used and gives consumers a way to monitor their actual water usage in real-time through an online portal. The meters also do not require manual reads each month, reducing billing errors, and time spent by public works staff. This improved technology is part of the city’s efforts to conserve local water resources,” the City of Alamo press release stated.
“The City of Alamo thanks all parties involved in completing this important project and looks forward to continuing to be at the forefront of smart, innovative communities.”
For its move towards a “smart city” designation, the City of Alamo was recognized with an Innovative Partner Award from Schneider Electric. The award recognized the progress the City of Alamo has made towards becoming a “smart city” as well as the various initiatives that continue to make the City of Alamo an innovative community.
Editor’s Note: For more information about this project and other city initiatives, visit www.alamotexas.org.
Editor’s Note: The main image accompanying the above news story shows City of Alamo leaders with an award from Schneider Electric.
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