Texas Border Business
ALAMO, Texas – The City of Alamo commemorates the success of a city-wide innovation project after concluding construction in the summer of 2022 in partnership with Schneider Electric. This milestone represents the first stride in fulfilling its goal to transform into a smart, innovative community and better serve constituents. In support of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, the city recognizes the local and global call for action in creating a more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable Alamo.
| Alamo anticipates saving an estimated $6.8 million over the next 20 years |
| City will recover $2.8 million in lost revenue with new water meters and reduce lighting energy costs by 74% with new LED lighting over the lifetime of the project |
The city began this project in February 2021 to modernize city infrastructure with more “smart city” solutions. By substituting outdated water meters with AMI (advanced metering infrastructure) technology and upgrading all city facilities, parks, and sports fields with LED lighting, the city is one step closer to achieving sustainable development.
While saving water is critical at the environmental level, there is a real financial benefit to this project. The city anticipates saving an estimated $6.8 million over the next two decades.
• State-of-the-art water meters ensure accurate consumption records and reduction of maintenance costs associated with outdated equipment, recovering $94,000 in lost revenue in the first year
• Converting all city buildings, parks and sports fields to LED lighting has already saved more than $39,500 in the city’s energy use in the first year
City Manager Robert Salinas says, “This project was a top priority for our city, and we are excited about the immediate impact it has on our community. Our citizens have already seen more accurate billing each month and will experience the benefit of long-term cost savings for our city.”
The new AMI (advanced metering infrastructure) water meters are designed to monitor water usage more accurately for the city and the consumer. Previous water meters throughout the city were installed in the 1990s and relied on mechanical parts to accurately measure water consumption. AMI technology is designed to help the city bill for actual water used and gives consumers a way to monitor their actual water usage in real-time through an online portal. The meters also do not require manual reads each month, reducing billing errors, and time spent by public works staff. This improved technology is part of the city’s efforts to conserve local water resources.
The City of Alamo thanks all parties involved in completing this important project and looks forward to continuing to be at the forefront of smart, innovative communities.
The City of Alamo was recognized with the Innovative Partner Award from Schneider Electric. The award recognized the progress the City of Alamo has made towards becoming a “smart city” as well as the various initiatives that continue to make the City of Alamo an innovative community.
For more information about this project and other city initiatives, please visit www.alamotexas.org.
