Yesterday, the California Water Association (CWA) joined San Jose Water (SJW) as they hosted staff from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the Public Advocates Office for a tour highlighting their deployment of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), also known as smart meters. The visit offered an up-close look at how this innovative technology is being implemented and the positive impacts it is already having on customers and water supply.
Approved by the CPUC in 2022, SJW’s AMI project represents an essential investment in the future. The technology gives customers real-time access to their water usage data, enabling early leak detection, high-use alerts, and better tools to manage water consumption, particularly critical during drought periods. For SJW, the benefits extend beyond customer service: AMI supports climate goals by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from both water loss and truck rolls, with an anticipated annual reduction of 103 tons of CO2e once fully deployed. As the first CPUC-regulated utility to deploy AMI, SJW has an ambitious timeline of four years to install smart meters across its service area.
During the tour, CPUC and Public Advocates staff received a comprehensive overview of the project, from the technology behind the meters and base stations to data security and customer engagement. The presentation included a demonstration of the customer portal, which showcased how households can now monitor their water use 24/7 and receive timely alerts. The bus tour provided additional insights into AMI-meter installation, with 40% of meters already installed across the service area. Since installation, customers already actively benefiting from leak and continuous flow notifications.
AMI empowers customers to manage their water bills while also protecting precious resources. We congratulate San Jose Water on their leadership in deploying smart meter technology and thank CPUC and Public Advocates staff for engaging directly with the innovations that are shaping the future of water service in California.
