LAPLACE — Parish administration recommends installation of an advanced metering infrastructure system, the lowest-cost option of four solutions to spiked water readings that have plagued the community for more than two years.

If the Parish Council approves the expenditure process during the Aug. 14 meeting, approximately 17,000 AMI smart meters will be installed in St. John the Baptist Parish within 16 months.

Residents would receive hourly real-time meter readings and leak detection to catch periods of heightened water use, Councilman Michael Wright said.

Wright wants the community to know administration is working to resolve the issues, though he understands every concern.

“It’s hard to ask for patience when they’ve been dealing with this for a few years now,” Wright said. “We share the frustrations of the community because we live the problems they’re living.”

The proposed timeline for the project, according to St. John Communications Director Baileigh Helm, includes one month for a pre-project meeting, one month to close a $6 million Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality loan, two months to advertise and bid and 12 months to install meters.

The pre-project meeting for potential contractors and vendors will be held at 10 a.m. Aug. 15 in the St. John the Baptist Parish Council Chambers at 1801 W. Airline Highway in LaPlace.

Contractors will receive information on licensing and system requirements, according to Helm, ensuring potential contractors have the resources to install meters, offer software support and provide personnel training.

By the end of the meeting, contractors should be able to complete a propagation study involving radio frequencies used in meter readings.

The 20-year cost projection for the AMI system comes in at $16.4 million, Helm said. Other solutions proposed at a June 26 workshop ranged from $17.7 to $23.4 million.

“The advanced metering infrastructure system has been chosen since it is the most cost-effective over the next 20 years and the LDEQ loan funding has been approved for this type of system,” Helm said, adding the loan must be paid back over 20 years with a .95 percent interest rate.

Residents’ failing water meters are a byproduct of an antiquated 2006 system left to run past its projected end-of-life, according to Councilman Thomas Malik, who said the administration needed to examine all avenues before making a decision because of the hefty costs.

Though optimistic a solution is within reach, Councilman Larry Snyder believes there’s a pressing need for more manual readings until the new system is installed.

“I know we’re trying to do something, and whether or not what we’ve done has been productive, I don’t see a reflection of it in some of the calls and walk-ins we’re getting at the office,” Snyder said.

“We just passed a motion to go out for bids on that part of it getting someone from outside to help us read them manually. That’s where we are.”

Until AMI metering is in place, Helm said residents should make sure meters are uncovered and cleaned several times a year and contact the utilities department immediately with any billing issues.