The Hennessey Board of Trustees held a special meeting Wednesday, August 27, to address ongoing problems with the town’s new water meters. Anticipating a large turnout, the meeting was moved to the Hennessey Senior Citizen Center, but only about a dozen residents attended.
Presentation from UTS
Mayor Randy Bohnstedt opened the meeting by urging attendees to stay focused on the water meter discussion. He then introduced Jeff Shultz and TJ Powell of Utility Technology Services (UTS), the company that supplied the meters. Powell, an AMI Meter Specialist, gave a detailed presentation explaining how the Sensus MTR iPerl meters function and how they integrate with Hennessey’s system.
Several residents with experience in gas measurement raised technical questions about installation and accuracy. Under the current setup, town staff must visit each meter every 30 days with a handheld wand to collect data. If a sensor fails, the meter has to be read manually.
New Automated Meter Reading System
To increase efficiency, the town has purchased a new Automated Meter Reading (AMR) system. Once installed, an antenna on the water tower will communicate with all meters hourly, transmitting usage data directly to Town Hall.
Powell explained that the system can also send alerts when abnormal water use is detected, allowing issues such as leaks or unexpected usage to be flagged much sooner than under the current monthly cycle.
Mayor Bohnstedt added that the town is also exploring mobile apps that would allow residents to track their own water usage and receive notifications of unusual activity.
Questions Remain
One concern raised by residents involved unexplained spikes in usage, including meters reporting high water flow in the middle of the night. UTS representatives acknowledged the issue but said they could not provide answers at this time.
Next Steps
Installation of the new AMR system is expected to begin within the next few months.
Photos by AAH Jack Quirk
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