The Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency appreciates the opportunity to address Ms. Glenda Roybal’s recent letter to the editor (“No Meaningful Choice,” June 23). In her letter, Ms. Roybal raises concerns about advanced meter infrastructure and SCV Water’s policies and procedures regarding the installation of AMI meters. This includes the process by which a customer may opt out of AMI and have their meter read manually.
While SCV Water cannot discuss the details of an individual customer’s account, we have made multiple efforts to communicate directly and work toward a resolution. We value every customer interaction, and it is our hope that customers are satisfied with their experiences with us. We would like to share more information on AMI meters and answer some questions raised that others may have as well.
First, it is important to note that water infrastructure in the SCV, including lateral connections and meters, are owned and maintained by SCV Water. SCV Water’s Customer Service Policy expressly provides that the meter and meter box are agency property and that the agency has the authority to access, maintain, repair and replace those facilities as necessary. This is the usual arrangement for water service in California.
Although a meter may continue to function, water meters gradually lose accuracy over time. As such, water meters are replaced as part of SCV Water’s asset management and maintenance programs. This ensures that meters remain within acceptable reading standards and are tracking, and therefore billing, customers accurately. When meters are no longer operating up to standards, they are replaced.
In recent years, SCV Water has opted to move to AMI technology when installing new meters and replacing older ones. AMI meters enable customers to receive alerts about abnormal water use, which assists with early leak detection. In addition, the meters are read remotely, leading to a reduced carbon footprint through fewer vehicle trips and lower fuel consumption.
Customers do have the right to opt out of having an AMI meter installed, and the opt-out fee is not intended as a penalty. However, manual meter reading requires additional staff time, vehicle use, administrative processing and ongoing operational support that are not required for customers participating in the AMI program. The opt-out fee recovers those additional costs directly, rather than spreading it across other customers.
We understand there is interest in AMI technology and its capabilities, as well as concerns with what it means to switch to an advanced meter. To provide this information to the community, SCV Water developed a webpage dedicated to the AMI program. On it, customers can find program highlights and answers to frequently asked questions – in English and Spanish – as well as a video explaining how AMI meters work in the Santa Clarita Valley. For more information, please visit yourSCVwater.com/AMI. SCV Water customers may also contact Customer Care directly by phone at 661-294-0828 or via email at [email protected].
Kevin Strauss
Communications Manager
Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency
