Oakland Park, Fla. – The City of Oakland Park announced that it has awarded a $6.4 million guaranteed performance contract to Energy Systems Group (ESG), a leading energy services provider, to develop a comprehensive scope of energy efficiency and infrastructure solutions, the first phase of which is a smart metering program. The meter infrastructure upgrades will enhance customer service, provide early leak detection, increase revenue, provide needed code compliance of backflow prevention, and reduce operating costs. Meter upgrades will begin in 2018.
Like many municipalities with older piping and metering infrastructure, the City of Oakland Park’s meter systems are a source of revenue loss due to water leaks that are difficult to diagnose. Moreover, the costs of manual meter reading and vehicle maintenance have been rising. By installing smart metering technology, data will be collected directly from the meters through a cellular network, reducing the need for manual reading. In addition to the convenient and accurate data collection, the technology has alert capabilities, thereby providing real-time notifications about system leaks, meter tampering, and backflows.
The program will also include a communications platform to help keep the local community informed about the program schedule, benefits, and overall impact via a website and mailers. ESG estimates that the project will result in approximately $15.5 million dollars of cost savings over the 15-year contract term.
“Our City leadership identified smart metering as a long-term cost savings and water conservation measure during the fiscal year 2018 budget process,” said City of Oakland Park’s Public Works Director Albert Carbon. “Oakland Park is committed to making process improvements that maximize our operating efficiency and make the most effective use of our natural resources. Our city is in the midst of significant redevelopment and we project continued population growth. Smart metering is an important component of improving our infrastructure and will help Oakland Park become a greener community.”
“ESG is proud to partner with the City of Oakland Park to implement these metering infrastructure improvements,” said Tracie Lampton, ESG Business Development Manager. “We commend the City Commission for their leadership and commitment to promoting economic growth, modernized infrastructure, and sustainability for the Oakland Park community.”
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Click here to learn more about the City of Oakland Park Smart Metering Program.
