Modernizing an Essential City System
Reliable water service depends on infrastructure residents rarely see—but Public Works teams manage every day. For the City of Duncanville, Texas, modernizing its water metering system presented an opportunity to improve not only aging infrastructure, but the way staff monitor the system, manage data, serve customers, and plan for the future.
Duncanville partnered with Performance Services to implement a comprehensive Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) project that will replace aging mechanical meters with modern technology, improve water revenue, reduce operational costs, and provide better information for both City staff and residents. The $11.9 million project includes upgrades to 13,176 water meters across the community and is expected to be completed in July 2027.
From Mechanical Meters to Actionable Data
At the heart of the project is the turnkey replacement of 13,176 existing mechanical water meters with solid-state ultrasonic meters equipped with AMI endpoints. The new infrastructure will give Duncanville access to more timely and actionable water-use data, allowing staff to move beyond traditional meter reading toward more proactive system management.
With greater visibility into system performance, Public Works staff can identify irregularities sooner, make data-informed decisions, and better understand how the system is performing over time. Meter boxes and lids will also be replaced as needed to support the upgraded infrastructure. The result isn’t simply a new meter network. It’s a stronger foundation for managing the City’s water utility with greater accuracy, visibility, and confidence.
Making Implementation Work for Public Works
Technology is only valuable when all the pieces work together. Performance Services is providing a turnkey approach to implementation, helping ensure the City’s new platforms, meters, endpoints, and supporting systems are properly integrated and communicating as intended.
During installation, a Work Order Management System (WOMS) provides staff with the ability to monitor and track progress in real time. This added visibility helps the City understand what has been installed, track project status, and maintain accurate information throughout the transition.
By coordinating technology, installation, data, and workflows as one implementation strategy, Duncanville can move into its new AMI environment with a system designed to work cohesively from day one.
Giving Staff Better Tools—and the Confidence to Use Them
Successful AMI implementation doesn’t end when the final meter is installed. Performance Services is helping Duncanville prepare its employees to confidently operate and manage the new system. Staff training supports platform adoption and ensures employees understand how to access data, monitor system performance, manage workflows, and use the technology as part of their day-to-day responsibilities.
This combination of technology and training helps the City transition from reactive processes toward more proactive utility management. Instead of spending valuable staff time gathering information manually, employees can focus on analyzing system data, identifying issues, prioritizing maintenance needs, and serving residents.
From Reactive Maintenance to Proactive Management
Better data gives Public Works teams the ability to see more—and act sooner. With improved system visibility and analytics, Duncanville will have better tools to identify usage irregularities and potential system issues before they become larger problems. Staff can use the information generated by the AMI platform to inform maintenance decisions, investigate concerns, and better prioritize resources. Over time, this data-driven approach can help the City understand trends across its system and make more informed decisions about operations and future infrastructure needs.
Improving the Resident Experience
The operational improvements behind the scenes ultimately translate into better service for Duncanville residents as well. A new customer portal will provide customers with greater access to their water-use information, giving them more visibility into consumption and billing. At the same time, City employees will have better data available when responding to questions or investigating concerns.
The benefits extend across the utility:
- Improved water-use data and analytics
- More proactive system monitoring and maintenance
- Streamlined Public Works workflows
- Greater billing visibility
- Improved customer service
An Investment That Delivers a Return
Duncanville’s AMI modernization is also designed to create significant financial value. The project carries $1,071,379 in guaranteed annual operational and utility benefits over a 20-year term. Against the City’s initial $11.9 million investment, those guaranteed benefits position Duncanville to realize more than $8 million in net benefit over the project term.
The financial return is supported by improvements that reach throughout the utility—from increased meter accuracy and water revenue to reduced operational costs and more efficient staff workflows. For Duncanville, that means the investment isn’t simply paying for new infrastructure. It’s creating value that continues well beyond implementation.
