Beaver City staff push for exemption from state irrigation-metering; warn $3 million install cost and cross‑connection risks

Beaver City staff and council members spent a focused portion of the meeting debating whether to install pressurized-irrigation (PI) meters citywide or to seek an exemption from the state's metering requirement.

The utilities presenter (Speaker 5, water/staff) said bluntly: “It is going to cost the city about $3,000,000 in order to install these meters.” Staff expanded that estimate to include not only the meters but required automatic meter-reading (AMR) systems, installation labor, and ongoing replacement cycles; they estimated the node/device price for remaining Zenner AMR nodes at $294.06 each for 994 outstanding units (product cost ~ $292,236, excluding labor).

Arguments for and against: proponents of metering told the group that meters can lead to conservation in some communities; opponents said Beaver’s water supply and PI system differ materially from many towns. Speaker 4 argued PI metering “doesn’t mean anything” for a mountain‑share pressurized system where the delivered water volume is determined by natural supply, and warned of cross‑connection risks if residents start supplementing PI with culinary water after usage limits are reached.

Legal and funding context: staff reported they are preparing to request an exemption and are working with legal counsel and an advocate named Brandon (Speaker 5 referenced Brandon and counsel), hoping to file an exemption request soon. The group noted there is state funding available on a 50/50 basis for meter installations but cautioned the matching share is shrinking over time; one speaker warned that delaying could forfeit grant support if the legislature changes rules.

Operational concerns: staff reported meter and node technology has had mixed success historically; the Zenner nodes currently in trial have a 97.3% reported read success rate but the existing installed devices have a limited lifespan (speaker estimates ~10–15 years) and are exposed to dirty irrigation water that can shorten meter life. Staff also described critical infrastructure needs—broken force mains and aging PRVs and hydrants—that they want to bundle with grant requests when possible.

Next steps: staff said they will pursue an exemption application while also exploring funding packages (state grants, CIB, loans) and attempting to bundle PRV/hydrant/loop-line repairs into a single funding effort. No formal council vote occurred at the meeting.