LCRA representatives present a $6,050 grant to the City of Granite Shoals to add a customer portal to its smart meter system. The grant is part of LCRA’s Firm Water Conservation Cost-Share Program. Pictured, from left to right, are: Michael L. “Mike” Allen, LCRA Board member; Peggy Smith, Granite Shoals assistant city manager; Stacy Pandey, LCRA senior water conservation coordinator; George W. Russell, LCRA Board member; and Susan Patten, LCRA Regional Affairs representative. GRANITE SHOALS, Texas – The City of Granite Shoals will add a customer portal to its smart meter system to help customers monitor their real-time water use more easily, thanks to a $6,050 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority.
The grant, along with a matching contribution of $6,050, will allow the city to add the new portal to its advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system, which the city began installing in 2015. The new software will allow Granite Shoals’ 2,350 customers to receive alerts on their mobile devices about abnormally high water use, which could be an indication of a leak.
City officials said the portal is expected to help reduce the number of high-bill complaint calls by providing customers information about their water use throughout the billing cycle, enabling them to manage high use and address any potential leaks quickly.
“The City of Granite Shoals would like to thank LCRA for its generous contribution to help our city conserve water and provide additional customer service,” said Jeff Looney, city manager. “Through cooperative efforts like these we make a difference in our community, Texas and our precious water resources.”
Granite Shoals anticipates the project will save about 10 acre-feet, or roughly 3.26 million gallons, of water from the Highland Lakes annually.
“The Highland Lakes are a major water supply for Central Texas,” said John Hofmann, LCRA executive vice president of Water. “Establishing good water conservation practices and putting more efficient, water-saving technology in place is important to help manage our water supply in the future. We’re pleased to work with Granite Shoals to help get the new customer portal up and running.’’
The grant is awarded through LCRA’s Firm Water Conservation Cost-Share Program, which provides funding for water efficiency projects and programs established by LCRA’s firm water customers. Customers include cities, utilities, industries, irrigation and recreational water users. Projects funded through the program include converting irrigated areas using raw or potable water to recycled water, and decreasing utility system water loss, such as flushing reductions or leak detection and repair.
About LCRA
The Lower Colorado River Authority serves customers and communities throughout Texas by managing the lower Colorado River; generating and transmitting electric power; providing a clean, reliable water supply; and offering outdoor adventures at more than 40 parks along the Colorado River from the Texas Hill Country to the Gulf Coast. LCRA and its employees are committed to enhancing the lives of Texans through water stewardship, energy and community services. LCRA was created by the Texas Legislature in 1934. For more information, visit
lcra.org.
Media Contact
Clara Tuma
512–578–3292
clara.tuma@lcra.org
Source: LCRA Business News
