The City of Zachary with vendor/contractor partners, ECCO, VEPO, Aqua Metric and Sensus/Xylem were recently able to bring this project to a close.
Our new AMI gas and water meter reading system replaced a dated monthly drive-by system and now collects multiple reads per day. This allows for better leak detection, increased billing accuracy, and improved customer service. Getting consumption data on-demand, gives our team, a customer service tool, we haven’t been able to utilize until now. We now have over 5700 gas smart points and over 8900 water smart points in our AMI system.
Looking forward, we are excited that this system is expandable for us, using smart gateways. We feel we have only cracked the surface of the potential benefits to the City.
— Chip Troth
Meter Operations Director
PROJECT
OVERVIEW
Enhanced Billing. Optimized Resource Utilization.
Superior Customer Service.
The City of Zachary is modernizing its utility infrastructure with the Sensus FlexNet® Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system. This scalable, secure, and cost-effective solution ensures accurate billing, optimized resource management, and enhanced customer service while reducing infrastructure needs. Key features include real-time outage management, remote meter reading, and a customer portal. With proven AMI deployment expertise, ECCO and Sensus offer a future-ready solution to improve efficiency and reliability for the City of Zachary.
24,523 Meters were installed.
City of , Louisiana
RFP Awarded
01.01.22
TIMELINEPROJECT
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City of , Louisiana
In partnership with the City of Zachary, ECCO has eliminated manual meter readings for gas and water utilities. While some departments were initially skeptical, they now wonder, “How did we operate before this system?”
The AMI deployment has revolutionized metering processes—making them easier, more efficient, and cost-effective. Every feature r has been successfully implemented.
Sonix IQ
iPerl
BASE STATIONS
To ensure seamless communication across all utility networks, ECCO installed two advanced base stations.
The stations were equipped with 360º omni-directional antennas, which collect meter data and securely transmit it to the cloud. These stations manage readings for both gas and water meters with robust coverage.
Ball Field Base Station
Ball Field Base Station is an example of a 360º Omni-Directional Cellular Antenna.
Installation at 270 feet: Workers ascended the tower, winching the antenna into place.
Coax Cable Protection: Ice bridge added for safety.
Data Transmission Setup: Fully operational base station ensuring reliable meter communication
Trenching & Power Supply: City provided necessary trenching and cabling.
System Integration: Coax cables properly grounded, GPS device installed, and data transmission tested.
Final Setup: Fully completed station ensuring compliance with county regulations.
City of , Louisiana
Sixteen (16) Sensus® Smart Gateways have been installed throughout the city’s gas distribution system to monitor pressure levels.
CUSTOMER PORTAL
Empowering Customers with Real-Time Insights
As part of Zachary’s AMI upgrade, the new customer portal gives residents 24/7 access to their water and gas usage. Track consumption, set alerts, and spot issues early—anytime, from any device.
This portal marks a key step in Zachary’s mission to modernize infrastructure, improve transparency, and put control directly into customers’ hands.
Real-Time Access. Smarter Utility Management.
City of , Louisiana
PARTNERSHIP
Together, we navigated challenges, brainstormed solutions, and ultimately delivered a project that shows what teamwork can accomplish. The collective efforts, dedication, and expertise that each partner brought to the table, allowed us to deliver a project that we can all be proud of.
This project was underway when I became Mayor. However, from the beginning, I understood how technology upgrades could benefit our utility customers. We believe that the City has made a good choice with Sensus. Chip has said many times that he couldn’t have brought the project to the finish line without the help from everyone at ECCO.
— David McDavid
City of Zachary Mayor Sensus
City of , Louisiana
THANK YOU
Together we successfully installed six base stations and 24,523 meters and transmitters across two verticals, gas and water.
We wanted to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude to each member of the team for the outstanding work and dedication exhibited during the project. The team’s expertise, professionalism, and commitment to excellence were evident in every phase of the project.
Special shout-outs go to ( ----- ) both champions of this project. It has been our pleasure working with such a talented and dedicated group of individuals. We are confident that our successful collaboration is just the beginning of many more achievements together
