The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation grant will aid the city's meter project to continue working on improving water-use efficiency, according to a city of Greeley news release. The new meters communicate wirelessly using an online portal called WaterSmart, which allows registered customers to have secure, real-time access to review and manage water use.
"It's exciting that all of Greeley's water customers will get access to WaterSmart tools and be able to monitor their usage and build more water-efficient habits both inside their homes and with their landscaping," Greeley's director of Water & Sewer said Sean Chambers said in the release.
The Bureau announced in June 2021 that Greeley's project was one of the 14 to be part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to safeguard local water supplies during a severe western drought.
In 2020, the city received a similar $1.45 million grant, which has replaced nearly 12,000 meters throughout the city thus far, according to the release. The additional $2 million will enable the replacement of the majority of the remaining water meters.
Through more accurate reading, early leak detection and enhanced conservation efforts by customers, the new meters are expected to save 740 million gallons each year and serve about 15,000 homes, the release said.
When it comes to serving Greeley's customers and efficiently using the city's water supplies, Chambers said placing more knowledge and control in the hands of customers through the WaterSmart portal is critical.
"By empowering customers to make informed decisions about their water usage, they can impact their monthly bills and enhance our collective wise use of a scarce resource," he said.
The WaterSmart application can send customers email and text alerts when usage is outside normal patterns, which can quickly help identity leaks, according to the release. The portal also has built-in tutorials to guide users through locating a leak, as well as an option to send questions to the Greeley Water conservation team.
To register for WaterSmart and learn more about the ongoing meter replacement program, go to www.greeleygov.com/services/ws/water-budget/metering.
© 2022 the Greeley Tribune (Greeley, Colo.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
