AMI Water Metering Technology FAQ’s

Our goal is to equip all water customers in the City of Petaluma’s service area with upgraded AMI metering technology by the end of 2025. A pilot program launched in 2022 in which 58 monitors were installed throughout Petaluma on City-owned properties, City staff residences, and high-use water customers around town. Pilot customers have reported they are loving the new meters and are finding them helpful in their water conservation efforts.

Nothing! The transmitter currently attached to your meter will be replaced with an AMI transmitter by City staff as part of the roll-out of our citywide upgrade in the coming months and years. The lid of your meter box may be replaced as well. No action is required on your part.

No. An opt out option is available. If you would like to opt out (not receive) the AMI technology upgrade to your water meter, please read, fill out, and submit this form:

AMI OPT-OUT APPLICATION – ENG
AMI OPT-OUT APPLICATION – SPANISH

Please note, customers who choose to opt out of the AMI water meter technology upgrade will have a monthly manual reading fee added to their account to cover the cost of City tasks required to obtain water meter information.

CLICK HERE to learn how.

No. There will be no changes to how you are billed for water service.

Yes. The only data transmitted are your radio number, dial number, and your meter reading. Personal customer information is not transmitted.

The City of Petaluma has received grant funding from the Department of Water Resources (DWR) to help with the transition to AMI. This funding will be applied toward the cost of the new meters and their installation.

Once an AMI meter is installed, you can continue to read your meter as usual. CLICK HERE to learn more about how to read your water meter.

No. The wireless portions of the system are operated according to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules, and will not interfere with other radio frequencies in the area.

The radio devices, which are attached to the meters, transfer the service data via wireless signal. The energy exposure from an automated meter’s radio signal or radio frequency (RF) is significantly less than common household devices, including cell phones, laptops, microwaves, baby monitors and internet routers. It is also important to understand that automated meters only transmit signals four times a day for less than a fraction of a second each time, unlike household devices that often transmit continuously, such as those in the image below.

The devices do not exceed health and safety standards set by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for energy emission levels. CLICK HERE to learn more.

Photo courtesy of the City of Santa Barbara