\\Upgrading Columbia’s Meters: A Big $42M Tech Leap\\

Columbia plans a costly upgrade that will swap out almost 54, 000 electric meters and about 53, 000 water meters for new digital versions. The goal is to stop the old system’s slow hand‑reading, broken devices and hidden leaks by letting data travel wirelessly to the city’s computers. The plan says the new meters will let residents log in and see how much water or power they use every hour, get email alerts if a pipe starts to leak and let the city fix outages faster because it will know immediately when power goes out. It also promises more accurate bills and less “unaccounted” water loss, which could save the city over $70 million in 15 years. City officials have spent years drafting the proposal and picked Ameresco as the contractor in March 2025. Ameresco already checked out every meter, looked at the data records and mapped where the old meters are buried. The contract is about $42 million, mostly for Ameresco’s work and the new software. The city expects to pay back the money over ten years, with about $5 million each year in debt service.

But some local leaders worry the city is spending too much on meters when other big projects—like a missing transmission line or unfinished water towers—still need money. One activist said the $42 million should be weighed against other unfinished plans and that the city has a track record of not finishing projects even when voters approved bonds. She pointed out that if the meters work well, they could stop wasteful leaks and save money, but she also questioned whether the city can manage so many big jobs at once. The next step is a council vote. If the city approves, new electric meters could start being installed in March 2027 and finish about 18 months later. Water meter work might take two to three years because many are buried deep.

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