Water consumption is the volume of water used by a household or business. This includes all water used for various purposes, including drinking, bathing, cooking, cleaning, and irrigation. 

A water meter can be read electronically or manually. 

Electronic readings are transmitted directly from your water meter to the Water Business Office. This is primarily done through a system known as Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). Advanced meter systems allow for more accurate and faster collection of water usage readings. 

Manual readings are taken at the meter when the electronic reading is not transmitted electronically to the Water Business Office. A third-party meter reader visits each address to visually verify and record the water reading.  

1. Failure to Transmit: This happens when the transmitter on top of the meter (also called an MXU) fails and the radio signal that interfaces with the AMI does not transmit to the Water Business Office.  

2.Does not register (DNR): The Meter is no longer registering the water passing through it. The register will show the same reading month after month, causing a zero-consumption bill. When a meter is found to be DNR the WBO will estimate the consumption until the meter is replaced per the ordinance. Once the meter is replaced, the customers will be charged for the water that is passing through the meter, which may cause the customers to see higher bills. 

Meters can be deemed DNR when the meter begins to slow down and not register all of the water going through it, when the numbers get stuck (analog meters), when the register comes off the base of the meter, and when the face of the meter is broken so that a reading can’t be taken. 

Tyler Water Utilities will replace approximately 11,000 identified water meters that are not electronically reading; or not registering consumption by December 2025.    

Water meters measure the amount of water delivered to a customer’s tap. The most recent meters in our system were installed in 2005. Over the last several years, 27 percent of the existing meters had problems not registering consumption, and not communicating the reading to the Water Business Office.  

The City Council approved replacing 8,000 water meters on December 13, 2023, due to funding received from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). The federal funding allows us to expedite replacing more meters than our annual replacements by covering the costs instead of passing them on to Tyler Water Utilities customers. During the fiscal year 2024-2025 budget process, $1 million in funding has been allocated to replace approximately 11,000 meters either identified as not working correctly or scheduled for annual replacement.  

The first phase of the meter replacement program will commence on August 19. Since the budget adoption is scheduled for September 11, we have notified certain customers in advance about the program so they are aware that Tex Specialty crews may be present in their yards. Once the City Council approves the budget, notifications will be sent to the remaining customers to keep everyone informed and prepared for the replacement. 

Improved Accuracy: The new meters will provide more accurate readings by eliminating the need for manual readings and estimations, ensuring that customers are billed for exactly the amount of water they use. 

Enhanced Transparency: Customers receiving the new Neptune meters will have access to detailed water usage data, which will help them better understand their consumption patterns and identify opportunities for conservation. 

Reduced Operational Costs: The new technology allows for remote reading of meters, significantly reducing the need for manual meter readings and lowering operational costs, which benefits the entire community. 
 

Historically, Tyler Water Utilities has replaced faulty meters on an annual schedule using revenue generated from water use and will continue this practice of annual replacements in future cycles.  

ARPA funding has allowed us to expedite the replacement of these meters. The City Council approved replacing 8,000 water meters on December 13, 2023, due to funding received from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). The federal funding allows us to expedite replacing more meters than our annual replacements by covering the costs instead of passing them on to Tyler Water Utilities customers. During the fiscal year 2024-2025 budget process, $1 million in funding has been allocated to replace approximately 11,000 meters either identified as not working correctly or scheduled for annual replacement.  

The first phase of the meter replacement program will commence on August 19. Since the budget adoption is scheduled for September 11, we have notified those customers in advance about the program so they are aware that Tex Specialty crews may be present in their yards. Once the City Council approves the budget, notifications will be sent to the remaining customers to keep everyone informed and prepared for the replacement. 

Tyler Water Utilities will replace all identified water meters that are not accurately reading water usage; not registering consumption or not communicating the information by December 2025.   

The City utilizes a third-party meter reader to manually read water meters identified as; not registering consumption and/or not transmitting the information to the Water Business Office. This information is provided to the Water Business Office so that accurate bills can be generated and provided to our customers.  

Water meters, like any mechanical device, can malfunction. This could be due to age, wear and tear, or defective parts. A malfunctioning meter might not accurately register water usage, leading to incorrect readings.  

Mistakes can also stem from human error in the manual meter reading process. These issues may arise when the human meter reader mistakenly misinterprets the digits, transposes numbers, or incorrectly inputs the data into the billing system. 

For the majority of the meters earmarked for replacement, the issue is not with the physical meter itself, which accurately registers, but with the transmitter atop the meter failing to send readings to our Water Business Office. Consequently, we must take manual readings to capture consumption data. 

Our Water Business Office team is equipped to conduct rechecks upon request and will adjust your bill if any discrepancies are identified in the manual reading. 

Incorrect water meter readings can significantly impact water billing in a few ways. First, when a meter reader makes an error, such as underreading the meter manually, it can result in a lower bill for that time period. However, once the meter is read again or by someone different, the customer will receive a higher bill, due to the consumption being caught up, which will include payment for the previously unbilled water usage, leading to a higher charge. 

Secondly, if the meter reader transposes numbers, misreads the meter, or enters the information into the reading device inaccurately, it can lead to incorrect billing. This means the homeowner could be charged too much or too little for their water use. 

Yes. We understand concerns about billing accuracy and uphold the right for customers to request a rechecking of their meter readings. If upon reevaluation, we discover any inaccuracies, we will make the necessary adjustments to your bill.   

To adjust a bill, we follow the City ordinance and estimate the usage based on the customer's or the location's average for the three months around the current month of the previous year. 

Customers can request a free recheck of their meter reading once every 12 months and the Water Business Office will adjust your bill if the reading needs to be corrected.  

We do not receive notifications of a potential high consumption issue unless an account’s consumption reaches 100,000 gallons or more for residential customers and 300,000 for commercial customers.