MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Manatee County has unveiled a new program called WaterWise Manatee. Crews will eventually replace all 150,000 water meters in the county by the end of 2027.
County officials say this initiative will reduce costs and save time. Upon installation, residents will receive notice before workers come out to replace their water meter. Residents will be notified by postcard and a door hanger.
The county hired workers from Envocore to install the new meters, which the county says will enhance efficiency and reduce costs for residents. Blunt is one of the site supervisors.
The goal is to replace up to 6,000 meters a month.
These new water meters transmit information electronically, allowing staff to read the meters remotely. Jim Renneberg with Manatee County Utilities explains the benefits.
“It’s going to provide some efficiencies for the county," he said. "There are many meters we have to manually read, which means we have to go out into neighborhoods and physically look at each meter. We're going to be able to do that remotely, so we can pull that data at our office."
Because the meters will also provide real-time data to residents, the county says the technology promotes water conservation — leading to reduced costs.
“They don’t need to come out, open the lid, or open the flap,” said Devin Blunt, an installer.
It’s a new and improved system with a focus on efficiency that will save county employees time, and save residents money.
There will be a resident customer service portal that provides homeowners with real-time data on their usage. The portal is still under development but is expected to launch by the end of 2026.
