Manufacturer will Replace 47,500 Water Meters in DeKalb

DECATUR, Ga. – Today, the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners approved a legal settlement that will replace 47,500 iPerl water meters within the next two years. 

Kendall Supply Inc. and Sensus USA Inc., pursuant to the meter warranty provision, also agreed to deliver and install 30,000 radio devices that transmit real-time customer water consumption data and reprogram 17,500 previously installed radio transmitters. 

The total value of the negotiated settlement amounts to approximately $8.64 million in equipment, installation and reprogramming services. The cost breakdown follows: 

• Delivery and installation of 47,000 new Accustream meters: $4.75 million 

• Delivery and installation of 30,000 radio transmitters: $2.46 million 

• Reprogramming 17,500 previously installed radio transmitters: $1.43 million 

“I would like to acknowledge the new executive leadership team at Sensus for engaging in good faith negotiations,” said DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond. “The removal of all water meters with an increased propensity for malfunctioning will help restore public trust and significantly improve customer service.” 

Between 2011 and 2015, the DeKalb Department of Watershed Management purchased and installed approximately 50,000 iPerl water meters, manufactured prior to 2014. The county believes these meters contained a manufacturing defect. All iPerl meters installed during that four-year span will be replaced with new Accustream water meters. The Accustream meters are engineered to eliminate premature wear and designed to be compatible with the county’s radio transmitting Advanced Metering Infrastructure. 

The new meters will be equipped with radio transmitters that record more accurate billing data by eliminating the need for manual meter reading. Prior to signing the agreement, the county hired an independent engineering expert to validate the quality and performance of the Accustream meter. 

Since January 2018, the Department of Watershed Management has installed or replaced more than 12,000 new meters. The county will replace approximately 102,000 meters which includes the 47,500 iPERL meters and 54,000 meters that have outlived product lifespan. 

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