Manatee County to Replace 150,000 Water Meters by 2027

MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Manatee County has launched an innovative program known as WaterWise Manatee. This initiative aims to replace all 150,000 water meters in the county by the end of 2027, a substantial upgrade for local utilities.

According to county officials, the program is designed to cut costs and save time. Residents will be informed in advance when their water meter is set to be replaced, receiving notifications through postcard mailings and door hangers.

Envocore has been contracted to handle the installation of the new meters, which are expected to increase efficiency and offer cost-effective solutions for residents. Devin Blunt serves as one of the site supervisors overseeing this project.

With a target of replacing approximately 6,000 meters each month, the program aims for a significant transformation in water management.

The new water meters will utilize electronic transmission for data, permitting staff to read them remotely. Jim Renneberg from Manatee County Utilities elaborated on the advantages, stating, “It’s going to provide some efficiencies for the county. 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.”

By offering real-time data to residents, the county aims to promote water conservation, which ultimately leads to reduced costs for customers. “They don’t need to come out, open the lid, or open the flap,” explained Devin Blunt, emphasizing the convenience of the new system.

This upgraded system represents a forward-thinking approach, enhancing operational efficiency for county employees and translating into cost savings for residents.

As part of this initiative, there will be a customer service portal available for residents. This portal will provide homeowners with real-time data on their water usage, although it is still under development and expected to launch by the end of 2026.

Key Information

• Program Name: WaterWise Manatee
• Objective: Replace all 150,000 water meters by the end of 2027
• Notifications: Residents will receive postcards and door hangers prior to meter replacement
• Installer: Envocore
• Replacement Rate: Target of 6,000 meters per month
• Features: Electronic data transmission for remote reading, real-time data availability for residents
• Customer Portal Launch: Expected by the end of 2026