In Greeley, a water leak that once could go unnoticed for weeks can now show up in the data within minutes.
John Goyen, a civil engineer with Greeley Water and Sewer who managed the city’s meter replacement project, explains the difference between the old system and Advanced Metering Infrastructure, or AMI.
The previous meters essentially provided one snapshot of water use each month. If a pipe started leaking between readings, a customer might not discover it until a much higher bill arrived weeks later.
The new cellular meters transmit water-use information every 15 minutes. That gives the utility and its customers a much clearer view of when water is being used—and when an unusual pattern could signal a leak.
The upgrade was substantial. Greeley needed to replace about 29,000 aging meters across homes and businesses, turning a routine maintenance problem into a major infrastructure investment.
Two Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART grants provided about $3.5 million toward the broader effort. WaterNow helped Greeley compete for federal funding by reviewing grant materials and providing guidance based on successful projects in other communities.
For Greeley, the meter is no longer simply a device for calculating a monthly bill. It has become a tool for finding water loss faster, giving customers better information, and managing demand with much greater precision.
Resilience In The Rockies is a waterloop series produced in collaboration with WaterNow.
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