The City of Cookeville is testing an innovative Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system across three city utilities. The program is currently in the pilot phase with smart meters already installed in the city’s water and gas systems. Currently, 20 water and 20 gas meters are undergoing testing. An additional 20 electric meters are planned for installation in the coming weeks.
AMI integrates smart meters with communication systems and software to create a more responsive and transparent utility system. The City’s current utility meters must be read on-site by city personnel. Adopting an AMI system would allow Cookeville’s energy and water departments to remotely monitor utility infrastructure across the city.
With the AMI system, metering changes that point to outages and potential leaks can be swiftly recognized and remedied. Quicker repair times mean reduced disruption and outage times for residents.
According to Carl Haney, Director of the Energy Department, the new smart meters would save the City both money and time when dealing with outages and leaks. “During storm events, we will be able to see what meters are off and when they come back on,” says Haney. “Presently, we have to send employees to check services or rely on customers to call in about utility outages.”
Over the next few months, city personnel will monitor the meters and software installed during the pilot phase to gauge the program’s effectiveness.
If the results prove beneficial, the City will move forward with the installation phase of the plan. During this secondary phase, the AMI system and smart meters will be installed throughout the City’s entire utility infrastructure. The installation phase is estimated to take two years to complete.
For more updates from the City of Cookeville, visit the city’s official website at cookeville-tn.gov.