Fort Smith engineers: New water meters needed for better system management

Editor’s note: This is the fourth story in a series addressing identified Fort Smith water system replacement and repair needs with cost estimates that approach $600 million. Link here for the first story, link here for the second story, and link here for the third story.

While Fort Smith’s water system, which provides water to many metro communities and water user groups, is layered with complexity and is in need of significant and expensive modernization, there are two words city engineers often use when asked how to better manage the system: water meters.

The Fort Smith Board of Directors on March 17 voted unanimously to proceed with an estimated $5.2 million plan to fix what city engineers say are a few issues on a longer priority list of what could be $600 million in overall water infrastructure updates and expansions. Water-treatment plants, and completion of a 48-inch water transmission line are estimated to cost between $328 million and $585 million. However, that cost estimate does not include replacing aging city water lines and around 40,000 water meters. Also, the March 17 vote did not include money for water meters.

Water system unknowns – frequent sources of frustration with members of the Fort Smith board – are connected to the performance of residential, commercial, and industrial water meters. Specifically, “non-revenue water,” which hovered around 25% in 2019, results in city decision makers not having full insight into existing water use, future demand, and potential revenue to help fund ongoing maintenance and necessary replacements and upgrades. Unaccounted-for water was 36% of the water produced in 2025, according to the city.

A 2022 report from Hawkins-Weir Engineers notes that non-revenue water “is that volume attributed to water loss caused by distribution system leaks, system flushing, fire hydrant flows, water meters under-registering, etc.”

A BETTER ‘DATA COUNTER’
Jimmie Johnson, deputy director of engineering, was quick with an answer when asked about where water meter replacement is on the priority list.

“Meters are our cash register, and our cash registers are not working properly,” he said.

Todd Mittge, the city’s director of engineering, said new, more advanced water meters would cut unaccounted for water “by probably a lot.” Lance McAvoy, the city’s director of utilities, said up to 33% of water meters in the city’s system are 20-years old or older. Matt Meeker, the city’s director of public works, has told the board the old meters are a “weak point” in the system.

Johnson said if a residential customer has a leak of one gallon a minute, that’s 43,000 gallons a month. That leak may go undetected if that customer’s meter is not functioning properly.

Mittge, Johnson and Lance McAvoy, the city’s director of utilities, agreed that better water meters would generate revenue more closely tied to actual water use, thereby reducing the unaccounted for water percentage. Better meters would give the city a better idea of future demand, and possibly give the city more time to build out systems to meet future water demand projections, they said.

“If your data gets dialed in, because your data counter is working better, how can it not be (better for water system management)?” Johnson said.

REPLACEMENT COSTS
But better management comes at a cost.

Meeker said the city’s public works employees can replace about 10,000 meters a year, but it would cost at least $2.6 million annually. Meeker said the city may not see an immediate recovery of costs through more revenue. Johnson suggested a better plan may be replacing 5,000 meters a year instead of 10,000. The city would budget the same amount every year, with full replacement happening every 8 years. That process would ensure a modern water system without the city facing a huge capital cost every 15 or 20 years.

“That way, you don’t get in the position where you have meters that are 20 years older or more,” he said, adding that more accurate revenue will help pay for a replacement process that ensures all user categories pay “their fair share.’

The city in 2025 generated $38.328 million in water system revenue. Just a 5% gain in revenue through improved water meter accuracy would generate around $2 million, possibly more than enough to fund an annual replacement cycle of 5,000 meters.

SEEKING FEDERAL FUNDS
The board in August 2025 rejected a plan put forth by city staff to begin the process of replacing water meters in the city. The estimated cost for that project ranged between $20 million and $48 million. McAvoy said at the time that in 2024 the city had to write off more than $1 million in leakage adjustments because of old meters.

The board on March 3 approved an application for $10 million in federal funds through the Community Project Funding (CPF) to fund new water meters. The application is through the office of U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, R-Rogers, and funds would come form the federal fiscal year 2027 budget. The federal program requires a 25% match. It is unknown when the 2027 budget cycle will be complete, and odds are against a successful application.

“Implementing a comprehensive, modern water meter replacement program using meters from a proven meter manufacturer is a vital investment for the long term viability of the city’s water system, directly advancing revenue recovery by addressing aging and failing infrastructure,” Chris Hoover, the city’s grants and government affairs manager, noted in a memo about the funding request.

Editor’s note: Upcoming stories in this series will include details on critical weak points in the water system, revenue options to fund identified needs, water rates, and wholesale water users.