Dave Bohrer / The Meridian StarMeridian City Hall

 Expect to see better-looking water meters in Meridian early next year, as the city is preparing to replace the older models with state-of-the-art upgrades.

The City Council on Tuesday approved an energy services contract with McNeil-Rhoads for services that include the replacement of about 14,000 water meters and the LED lighting in city-owned buildings.

McNeil Rhoads president Chris McNeil said the project, which will begin in January, will cost about $9 million and take about two years to complete.

“We will get a network in place, test the infrastructure, install the software and start the process,” McNeil said. “Once we get started we can do about 100 to 150 [meters] a day.”

McNeil said the new technology will enable city employees to detect issues such as leaky faucets and toilets by running a daily report from the office. The new technology will also eliminate the need to read every meter on site.

City of Meridian Chief Administrative Officer Richie McAllister said the new meters will also help save money — both for customers and for the city.

“You can break it down to the hour when you use the most water,” he said. “If you as an individual want to see ways to use less water, you will have that ability.”

McAllister said the first wave of replacements could begin in late January of 2018, but it will be a long process.

“This isn’t something you can do overnight,” McAllister said. “Some meters go in easier than others and some might take a little more time.

About every three months you’ll be able to do an audit of the meters’ efficiency to see how well you’re doing.”

In other action, the council approved:

– A resolution authorizing execution of a jail contract with Lauderdale County at a rate of $45 per day.

– An order authorizing application submittal for a Police Traffic Services Grant in the amount of $9,000.

– An order authorizing application submittal for the Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Program Grant and an interlocal agreement for said grant in the amount of $35,000 to be split 60/40 with the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department.