Amarillo’s $25M Digital Water Meter Project Could Wrap Early

Things in life evolve; we've seen that happen here in Amarillo, especially over the last five years or so. Buildings have been renovated and repurposed for different uses, technology continues to improve, and just the overall way of life has gotten better and easier.

We've seen the utility companies work on updating antiquated systems as we evolve more and more into a digital world, and while we feel like maybe it took a bit longer than it should've, we're starting to reach the pinnacle.

XCEL and Atmos Ahead Of The Curve

These two companies jumped out relatively early on replacing their meters from the old school ones, where someone had to come out and get the numbers off them each month, to digital ones that are more accurate and easier.

It's also allowed them to repurpose staff into more useful roles and improve their services. It has also made it easier for them to power on and off since someone doesn't need to physically come out.

City of Amarillo Right Behind Them

As the city watched them replace these meters, they went to work on their own system. The Texas Water Development board granted the city $25 million to work on replacing all the manual meters with digital ones.

Today, nearly 70% of the meters in the city have been moved to digital, but there's still a way to go.

How Soon Will The Project Be Done

Initially, the project was set to be completed some time in early 2026. That timeline moved up as they began cranking through the project. However, things have slowed a bit recently as they near the end of completion. The reason?

Well, they realized they needed more meters than they had initially planned on needing. The reason for that was that the initial estimate was made back in 2019, and the city has grown exponentially in the six years since then. They still anticipate the project finishing a touch ahead of schedule, however, by the end of 2025.