Branson will receive new, advanced water meter infrastructure; that's following unanimous approval of the project.
During Tuesday night's aldermen meeting, Branson Utilities Director Kendall Powell explained that aging and underperforming meter infrastructure equipment demands an upgrade. That upgrade will move the city's water meter capabilities into the present. "The proposed AMI system enables near real time data collection from water meters," Powell said. That means that water billing and the operational staff doesn't have to watch or measure usage on a monthly basis. With the upgrade, all of that can happen daily.
The utilities director highlighted other results of the upgrade:
- Increased billing accuracy
- Faster leak detection
- Improved system management
Powell added that a "customer portal" allows customers to see their water usage and more. The infrastructure change won't happen overnight.
The utilities director said the process will take a year. The city department contracted the job out but will offer assistance in installing some of the equipment. Missouri House Representative Brian Seitz asked about rate increases.
Powell addressed the concern. He said customers could see an increase because of greater accuracy, thanks to the new equipment. Later, he added that meter failures general work in favor of customers.
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