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MD.3Leak monitoring, alerts, and notifications

Progress

On time
  • Not started
  • Planning
  • Implementation
  • Continuous

Lead paragraph

Modern water meters installed by the City enable monitoring for continuous leakage and abnormal water use. Longmont staff routinely run a report of residential accounts “flagged” for continuous consumption that has been occurring for over 14 days. Staff then send a letter notifying customers of the “flag” and provide them tips on how to find and repair leaks. Customers with continuous consumption of more than 10 gallons per hour (summer) and 5 gallons per hour (winter) for 14 days receive a phone call from Customer Service Representatives. This practice will continue until an online water use portal is available for customers, which will automate the leak alert process.

Tasks

What has been done?

  • Done12/30/2024

    Automated Meter Reading (AMR)

    Making progress on installing electronic meters is integral to evaluating water loss and developing strategies. Ultimately the goal is to have meters electronically relay incremental data through "gateways" to show real-time data on a public-facing real-time data portal. This will allow leaks at the service connection to be detected sooner. Twelve out of nineteen gateways are currently in use, another propagation study will occur after all nineteen gateways are installed. The City received a WaterSMART Grant to support the installation of new AMR meters in 2020, about 99% of water meters are now radio read.

    Supply chain disruptions have slowed down access to new meters and gateways.

  • Done12/31/2023

    Launch Continuous Use Notifications

    In lieu of an automated, customer-facing data portal, the City has taken a proactive approach by sending manual notifications to customers experiencing continuous flow through their water meters for a minimum of 14 days. In 2023, the City initiated communication through nearly 800 mailed letters and conducted 300 phone calls to provide valuable information to customers regarding continuous water usage and guidance on identifying and addressing potential leaks.

Summary and contacts

Timeline

2023 → Continuous

Responsible organizations

Contact persons

  • Hope Bartlett
    Water Conservation Specialist
    Water Resources
Information updated 07/17/2025

How this action contributes to the outcome