Automated Meter Reading (AMR)

Dallas is Upgrading to AMR

Automated Meter Reading, or AMR, is the technology of automatically collecting data from the water meter and transferring it directly to City Hall for billing, troubleshooting, and analyzing. This will eliminate the cost of manually reading each meter every month and will help us provide a higher level of customer service and more accurate billing. This system also has the capability of providing timely leak detection within individual homes and businesses.

Over time, meters tend to register less water than is actually being used. Since new meters work more efficiently, some customers may see a slight increase in monthly water usage on their water bill. Accurate meter reads allow for better long-term budget forecasting and can help keep overall rates lower.

The existing meters in the water system range from 2-50 years in age and must be periodically replaced to ensure proper operation and accuracy. Meters over 20 years old should be replaced. More than half of the City's meters are over 20 years old. The City of Dallas still needs to replace meters over time, and implementing AMR was an opportunity not only to accomplish that, but to also take advantage of existing technology to improve our operational efficiency.