Work expected to take 2 years
Workers soon will begin replacing “all 17,000 residential water meters” in the city of Sarasota “to improve resiliency and metering accuracy,” city staff has announced.
The project is scheduled to begin in March; it is expected to be completed in two years, a news release says.
The installation will be conducted between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. by employees of National Metering Services, the release adds.
Limited interruptions to water service are anticipated, it notes. Advance notice of installation will be provided via U.S. mail, the release points out.
After a customer receives one of the new meters, the release explains, the customer will have the ability to view water usage data online through the city’s utility billing portal.
The National Metering Services website points out that the installation of the meters will “reduce manual meter reads,” as the city Utilities Department staff will be able “to securely collect meter data remotely …” The new equipment also will help the staff “identify potential issues such as leaks or abnormal usage more efficiently,” the website adds.
“Increased accuracy of the new water meters may result in a slight increase or decrease in some customers’ water bills,” the release does note.
This $3.86-million project is part of the city’s $300-million, long-term Utilities improvement master plan, which was created to guide the replacement “of aging utilities to improve resiliency and redundancy,” the release adds.
The National Metering Services (NMS) website also notes that property owners will not need to be at home for the installation “unless the meter is behind a locked gate or inside a secured area.”
Moreover, the website explains, the water will have to be turned off for “[o]nly a few minutes”; typically 2 to 5 minutes. Most installations are completed in 20 minutes or less time, it says.
After the work has been completed at a residence, the website continues, the homeowner will receive a notice about how to flush the water, followed by confirmation that that step has been completed. Contact information also will be provided in the event the homeowner needs follow-up from NMS staff.
To reassure residents that workers who show up at their homes are legitimate, the website also points out, “All technicians … will arrive in clearly marked vehicles, wear company uniforms, and carry photo ID badges. If you’d like to confirm their identity,” it adds, call the company office at 1-888-448-0009.
Visit nmsnj.com/sarasota-fl/ for more information on the water meter replacement project, the city news release says. Questions relating to the installation of new meters should be directed to National Metering Services at customerservice@nmsnj.com or 888-449-0009, the release notes.
On Dec. 1, 2025, the City Commission unanimously approved the expense of $1,669,037 for the city’s purchase of the small potable water meters for the project. The company that won the bid was Ferguson Enterprises LLC of Sarasota.
Altogether, as noted in the relevant Agenda Request Form, six companies bid on the project, with Ferguson proving to have the lowest figure. The highest amount was $2,265,865, from Kijero LLC of Morgan Hill, Calif.