Fredericksburg Upgrades to Smart Water Meters Citywide

$4.5 Million AMI Project Replaces All 8,700+ Water Meters

Fredericksburg has launched a citywide water meter replacement project to upgrade all 8,752 meters with Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) smart meters. The $4.5 million investment will modernize the city’s water system, improve billing accuracy, and help residents monitor real-time water use.

Why This Project Matters

The AMI meter project is designed to:

Improve billing accuracy by replacing aging meters that often under-measure water use.
Enhance leak detection, with meters transmitting usage data every 15 minutes.
Eliminate the need for manual meter reading, saving the city about $150,000 annually.
Reduce vehicle miles and staff labor, cutting the carbon footprint of utility operations.

Project Details

Investment: $4.5 million, funded by the City of Fredericksburg
Meters Replaced: 8,752 city water meters
Technology Partners: Badger Meter (endpoints) and Concord Utility Services (installation)
Annual Savings: Estimated at $150,000 from reduced labor and fuel costs

The upgrades were celebrated with a Phase I ribbon-cutting on September 23, 2025, marking the official launch of the program.

What Residents Should Expect

Installation takes about 30–45 minutes, with a brief water shutoff.
No appointment needed — the city provides advance notice and post-installation confirmation.
No cost to customers — meters remain city property.
Some customers may see slightly higher bills at first, as new meters capture full water usage more accurately.

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