During the June 8, 2026 meeting, representatives from RG3 presented a drive-by radio water meter reading system to the Olney City Council. The City’s current Sensus-based meter reading system was reported as obsolete and no longer repairable, and staff indicated that it currently takes two employees a full week to read meters manually. The proposed solution would start with a laptop-based drive-by collection approach and could later be expanded with fixed collectors in neighborhoods, with approximately 75% of existing meters able to be retrofitted at an estimated $320 per meter.No purchasing decision or formal procurement was authorized at this meeting, indicating that the City is still in an exploratory phase and considering technology options and funding. This creates an opening for metering, AMR/AMI, and utility IT vendors to position alternative solutions, integration services, financing models, and implementation support before an RFP is written.

City staff noted batteries are expected to last 15–18 years in local climate and that about 75% of meters can be retrofitted with antennae for radio reading.