Smart Meters, Smarter Service

Wednesday, June 18, 2025 — The City of Sallisaw is taking another step toward modernizing its infrastructure with the installation of new Census Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) water meters across the community. The upgrade is part of a citywide initiative to enhance water service, improve billing accuracy, and empower residents with better access to their usage data.

According to city officials, the AMI meters will replace the current manual-read meters and bring significant benefits to both the utility system and Sallisaw residents. These digital meters automatically record water usage in hourly intervals and transmit the data back to the city using a secure wireless network. The outcome means no more estimated bills or delays in detecting leaks.

Upgrading to AMI meters allows the city to improve billing precision, reduce water loss, and catch issues like leaks much earlier. It also eliminates the need for manual meter readings, saving time and money for everyone involved.

Each AMI meter collects basic usage data, including how much water is used and the unique ID of the meter itself. Importantly, no personal information is stored or transmitted by the meter. The data is encrypted and securely sent once or twice a day to the city’s utility management system, where it is accessible only to authorized personnel.

The city informs that the new technology meets all privacy and safety standards. The radio frequency signals used by the meters are extremely low power, comparable to home Wi-Fi routers or cordless phones, and fall well below safety limits established by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

While the majority of installations will take place outside and won’t require homeowner assistance, residents should be aware that their water service will be briefly interrupted, typically for 15 to 30 minutes, during the switch to the new meter. If a meter is in a location that requires access to the home, the city will contact the homeowner to arrange a time.

The new meters may cause some residents to notice changes in their water bills, especially if their previous usage had been estimated. However, the city notes that the increased accuracy will ultimately help customers monitor their usage, catch leaks early, and avoid costly surprises.

If residents spot a sudden spike in their bill, the city will now have the ability to pull up hourly usage data and pinpoint when and where something went wrong, which is a big advantage that wasn’t there before.

At this time, Sallisaw residents are not able to opt out of the AMI system. Officials say the technology is essential to creating a more efficient and responsive water utility service for the entire community.

The City of Sallisaw encourages anyone with questions to reach out directly to the Utility Billing Office at 918-775-6241, visit the city’s website at www.sallisawok.org, or use the contact form on the site.

Lindsie Dyer, Staff Writer

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