GILBERT, AZ — An independent water meter audit presented at Tuesday night's town council meeting found no glaring issues with how meters are operating in Gilbert.
The consulting firm Kimley-Horn reviewed seven million transactions over the course of six years. The independent auditor told the town and the council that anomalies were found in less than 3% of the transactions, meaning everything was mostly running as it should.
"Overall, this audit confirms this system is fundamentally sound while clearly identifying targeted improvements that will further strengthen accuracy and customer confidence going forward. Approximately 3% experienced an anomaly, and they do not reflect a systemwide problem," said Paige Helfinstine of Kimley-Horn.
Anomalies discovered in that 3% included rounding errors, miscalculated consumptions, multiplier settings, and billing code issues. Fewer than 2,700 customers were impacted.
Over the course of six years, just over 1,000 residential accounts were overbilled by an average of about $125. Just under 800 accounts were underbilled by an average of $110.
Recommendations from the consulting firm suggest billing and usage flags to show any possible inconsistencies, increased communication with customers, and planned meter replacements.
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The council said they will make their own recommendations, which could include updating operating procedures and expanding tracking tools.
Water issues continue for Gilbert as the population increases, and the council said they need upgrades at their water treatment plant.
The full audit will be available at KHWaterMeterAudit.com at the end of this month.
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