Water Meters
Water Meters Coming to Sacramento
Assembly Bill 2572 (AB 2572) requires the installation and use of water meters by 2025 across the state, including in the City of Sacramento. This law supersedes the City charter. Signed into law by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on September 29, 2004, the water meter retrofit program affects about 120,000 City of Sacramento residential customers. The law took effect January 1, 2005.
To inform residents and businesses about its plan to begin implementing the comprehensive metering program, the City of Sacramento Department of Utilities will work with customers, City Council Members, and City staff to address water meter implementation costs, and a comprehensive installation plan. The Department of Utilities also will work with the community to educate members about indoor and outdoor water conservation measures and benefits of metering. Customers can also call 916-808-5371 for more information about water meters.
Water Meter Implementation Costs
While AB 2572 mandates the use of water meters, the bill does not include funding to help shoulder the cost of retrofitting and installing water meters. A retrofit program of this size is estimated at approximately $100 million. This does not include the approximate $200 million needed to replace older water mains. These older mains, mostly located in backyards, will be replaced at the same time that meters are installed in a neighborhood to prevent working on the same residence twice in a relatively short period of time.
To help lessen the financial burden of water meter installation and retrofits, the City of Sacramento Department of Utilities is dedicated to minimizing water rate increases for water meter installation. In addition, the Department of Utilities will combine meter installation and moving backyard water mains in an effort to help keep infrastructure costs low, as the mains also will need to be replaced within the next 20 years.
Next Steps in Implementation
The City of Sacramento has 20 years to complete all residential water meter retrofits. The City has until January 1, 2010 to begin charging customers who already have a meter on a metered rate. All customers who will have a meter installed by January 1, 2009 will be provided a comparative bill until metered rates take effect.
All customers who receive a meter after January 1, 2009 will receive one calendar year of comparative billing prior to switching to a metered rate. Click here to learn more about comparative billing.
The City of Sacramento Department of Utilities is dedicated to making the transition to water meters as smooth as possible for customers. In addition to comparative billing, a strategic approach to meter implementation is being developed. The strategy will address various components of the transition to the installation of water meters, including:
- the process for water meter installations and retrofits
- continuous customer notification and updates throughout the implementation process
- continuous conservation education after implementation
Benefits of Water Meters
Water meters are valuable information resources for the City of Sacramento Department of Utilities and its customers. Meters can be used to:
- Budget water use. Customers can track how much water is used on a monthly basis. Using your monthly bill, you can track how many gallons of water you use each month and help your family prepare for changes in water use. Call the City at (916) 808-5371 for help!
- Save water, save money. It may amaze customers to learn how much water is used — and wasted — each month. Try some simple water-saving tactics to see if you can reduce your monthly water use. Decreasing shower time, shortening outdoor watering time, and washing only full loads of laundry are just a few ways to conserve water — and are relatively simple. Click here for more water-saving tips.
- Plan ahead. Water meters enable the City to monitor water use and compare it with historical data to determine future needs and demands, which is imperative to long-term planning purposes.
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