Southlake to get smart water meters this summer

Smart water meters are coming to Southlake this summer, making it possible for customers to track their water usage weekly and monthly in real time.

The city has partnered with Badger Meter to install 10,000 of them by August. The first installations will begin in May. In addition to real-time usage, it can alert customers if there’s a leak so it can be fixed immediately.

This comes one year after Southlake and other Tarrant County cities were hit with skyrocketing water bills.

Mayor Laura Hill called it a "nightmare" and one of "worst experiences of my political life."

"I don’t blame people for being mad," Hill said at the April 5 City Council meeting where staff presented the new smart water meters.

Other North Texas cities are installing similar water meters, including the city of Fort Worth and Arlington. They use a cellular network similar to the smart electric meters that Oncor installed throughout North Texas several years ago.

In Southlake, the actual installation will be done by Badger workers, but they will have cards with information so residents can call the city with questions.

It’s a massive undertaking, and the city will be sending out more details as it gets closer, City Manager Shana Yelverton said.

Southlake is taking other proactive steps to stave off what happened in 2015. It again will offer the W.I.S.E Guys program to residents this year, which includes a free evaluation by an irrigation specialist and a $200 rebate or credit on your water bill for doing recommended improvements or maintenance work.

They’ll look for outdated technology, misaligned sprinkler heads and other problems that could waste water.

This story was originally published April 13, 2016 at 10:59 AM with the headline "Southlake to get smart water meters this summer."