Customers who purchase water from the City of Grand Junction can now monitor water use through online accounts.

The advanced metering infrastructure system shows customers how much water they’re using, helping them to conserve water and manage monthly spending.

“The benefits of the new online smart water meter system for customers include being able to detect any leaks before they show up on the monthly water bill,” said Randi Kim, director of the Grand Junction Utilities Department. “Not only does the new system eliminate surprises that could impact the commercial or household budget, but customers can manage their own usage to help conserve this important natural resource.”

The department recently completed a three-year program to replace the remaining meters that were read in person. A $300,000 grant from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation supported the project.

The new system uses a small radio device to transmit low-power radio signals from water meters to receivers positioned on buildings or towers around the city. By providing data transmitted electronically from more than 9,800 meters, the utilities department has eliminated the need to send technicians in trucks to read customer meters for monthly bills.

Through software, customers have direct access online to water usage information. Customers can track water usage in nearly real time through the online customer portal.

An alert system detects unusually high water usage to find leaks within the same day rather than waiting for this to be found when the monthly water bill arrives. Customers also can identify ways to conserve water — fixing a leaky toilet or reducing the frequency of landscape watering, for example.

“This transition to the AMI system is one more way we are providing efficient, safe and reliable water services to our customers,” Kim said.