Ameresco, an energy solutions provider, has announced the completion of a water infrastructure modernization project for the City of Cleveland, Texas. The project, which began in 2024, is expected to generate over $2.5 million in positive cash flow for the City over a 15-year term. The implementation of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is projected to recover approximately $6.8 million in water and sewer revenue.
The contract includes replacing failed meters or meters that have surpassed their useful life, along with integrating data from water meters and AMI components throughout the City. Additionally, the AMI system features a customer portal that offers users easy access to and visibility of their water consumption. The City of Cleveland anticipates substantial operational savings, as the new system will reduce the need for manual meter readings, re-reads, and the dispatch of trucks for move-in and move-out reads. Further savings are expected from the reduced need for meter replacements, labor hours, and the elimination of customer service issues.
The City of Cleveland anticipates substantial operational savings, as the new system will reduce the need for manual meter readings, re-reads, and the dispatch of trucks for move-in and move-out reads
“We started out with a small pilot project and the thought that we could do this project using our own staff,” said Roger Brooks, Public Works Director for the City of Cleveland. “We quickly realized it was much more complicated and had a lot more moving parts than we could handle while performing our normal daily tasks. By partnering with Ameresco, they were able to quickly determine an accurate scope of work, provide a firm, fixed turn-key price, and then efficiently execute all aspects of the construction and data integration required to successfully implement this project for the City.”
Ameresco installed the AMI system, which included replacing water meters with new solid-state meters, retrofitting meters with new AMI radios, and verifying data and installation of additional radios and meters. The new meters are expected to improve accuracy, with an estimated increase from 90.7% to 98.5%, while also contributing to revenue recapture. Ameresco also integrated the data from the new system into the City's existing billing software, which included the software setup and training for City staff. The AMI system will provide transparent daily water usage, ensuring citizens can have confidence in the accuracy of their water consumption billing.
“Our team is dedicated to helping cities solve complex infrastructure challenges,” said Lou Maltezos, President of Central & Western USA, Canada Regions at Ameresco. “It is always rewarding to see our customers reap the benefits of critical infrastructure upgrades while observing the long-term impact on reduced operational costs, providing tangible benefits to their citizens.”
