Automated Meter Infrastructure Project

If you receive a water bill from Menlo Park Municipal Water, your water meter will be retrofitted or replaced. To verify your water provider, visit the City of Menlo Park’s Interactive Water Provider Map, and input your address.

Yes, these new meters are more accurate. A large percentage of Menlo Park Municipal Water’s existing meters are more than 20 years old and at the end of their useful life (mechanical parts wear down over time and meters become less accurate). Old water meters tend to record less water use, so after meter replacement, your water bill may increase due to more accurate readings.

No. A malfunctioning water meter may under-register water usage or not register usage at all as it degrades overtime, but will not over-register. MPMW is installing highly accurate digital water meters that use ultrasonic technology that allows for precise measurement of water flow. The most common cause of high usage and a high water bill is a leak in the plumbing system, faucets, irrigation system or hidden beneath your walls and foundation. For questions about your water bill please visit menlopark.gov/waterbilling.

The majority of residential water meters have been replaced. Customers should have received a postcard in the mail within two to three weeks of the scheduled installation date.

Visit this interactive AMI Installation Map for an estimated timeframe for when your address was scheduled for installation.

For efficiency, the City plans to replace/retrofit water meters by meter read routes. In special circumstances (i.e., a water meter cannot be accessed or a business requires water 24/7) the City will notify that customer directly to arrange a date/time. If you are a business and require water 24/7, please notify us at water@menlopark.gov or 650-330-6750.

The AMI project will not affect the look of your water bill and does not affect set water fees and rates. However, some meters that were replaced were over 20 years old which may result in a higher baseline of usage due to more accurate readings.

After receiving a new meter, your water may briefly contain discolored water, air pockets, or sediment. This is normal and can be remedied by flushing your lines. Turn on your bathtub’s cold water faucet, or use an outside faucet to flush water. Avoid flushing from faucets that have aerator attachments or from hot water faucets that may draw sediment into your hot water tank. If you decide to flush your water lines, you can capture and repurpose that water to irrigate your plants.

Only water consumption data and meter numbers will be transmitted by the meters. All meter data is encrypted at the meter and remains encrypted throughout the entire communications path until it is inserted into the City’s database, safely inside the City’s customer firewall. The City maintains the confidentiality of customer information in accordance with standard privacy policies. 

Exposure to radio frequency from an AMI-compatible meter has been shown to be far below federal limits and is lower than the exposure caused by cell phones and laptops. In addition, the meters will transmit meter reads no more than 24 times a day, with each transmission lasting around 1 second. All equipment operates in compliance with state and federal communication standards.

Hourly water usage is not currently available. The data collected by the new AMI meters will be made available after the project is completed. Customers will be notified on how to view and access their data and set leak and high usage alerts.

No, the replacement or retrofit of all water meters to AMI is mandatory. This replacement is part of a mandatory program to comply with local regulations aimed at improving water management and conservation efforts in our community.

While we understand that our customers may have concerns with the new meters, rest assured, the meters only collect data on water usage and do not store or transmit any personal information. They meet all safety standards and have been tested to ensure they pose no health risks.

Additionally, the new water meters will provide you with more accurate, hourly readings, ensuring you are billed correctly for your water usage. It also has the capability to detect leaks early, which can prevent costly water damage to your property.