Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Smart Meter Pilot Program
We plan to launch the one-year pilot in early 2026.
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As part of efforts to enhance customer satisfaction and modernize operations, WSSC Water is launching an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Smart Meter Pilot.
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With AMI Smart Meter technology, customers can better manage water usage and protect against high bills. Through a user-friendly portal, customers selected for the pilot will have access to real-time water usage information at their fingertips and be able to sign up to receive leak/high-water-usage alerts, thereby reducing bills and saving money.
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Conversion to Smart Meter technology is FREE. Pilot participants will also benefit from monthly billing, enabling more predictable, manageable bills. We plan to launch the one-year pilot in early 2026.
We are enrolling 1,500 residential customers in the year-long pilot and will notify you if selected.
I do not want to participate in the Smart Meter Pilot Program
Frequently Asked Questions about the Smart Meter Pilot Program
AMI Smart Meters use technology that allows water meters to communicate encrypted water usage information to WSSC Water wirelessly using radio or cellular technology. The resulting data is used to optimize operations, administration and infrastructure management. The Smart Meter Pilot Program will use cellular technology.
Through a user-friendly portal, customers selected for the pilot will have access to near real-time water usage information at their fingertips and be able to sign up to receive leak/high water-usage alerts, thereby reducing bills and saving money. AMI Smart Meters also enhance meter reading accuracy and allow for monthly billing, which makes bills more manageable for customers. From a utility perspective, this technology creates a safer work environment for employees and creates a greener future by reducing our carbon footprint.
WSSC Water plans to kick off the AMI Smart Meter Pilot in early 2026 and run it for one year.
Based on customer feedback during the pilot, WSSC Water will seek approval from the WSSC Water Board of Commissioners to fully deploy AMI Smart Meters to all customers. If approved, customers in the pilot will continue receiving the benefits of this technology – including monthly billing. If full-deployment approval is not granted, customers in the pilot continue with monthly billing via a different technology – Automated Meter Reading (AMR).
Through targeted community outreach, WSSC Water is seeking 1,500 residential customers to be part of the into the pilot, along with several commercial accounts. For residential participation, we will prioritize recruitment from income-constrained customers and those living along challenging meter reading routes. It’s possible that not everyone who expresses interest will be able to participate in the pilot.
Yes. Customers on quarterly billing who are selected for the pilot will switch to monthly billing.
Only the property owner can fill out the form to be considered for the pilot. If you are not the property owner and pay your WSSC Water bill, please coordinate pilot participation with the property owner.
We encourage property owners to share water usage information with tenants, property managers or other bill-paying representatives during the pilot. If selected, we will provide training in setting up your portal account and show you how your representative can have access to water-usage information.
In most cases, WSSC Water will install a new water meter, free of charge, along with a cellular transmitter to communicate encrypted water usage information to WSSC Water wirelessly using cellular technology. WSSC Water will coordinate the installation of the new meter and transmitter at your convenience. In limited cases, existing meters can be outfitted with the cellular transmitters.
Yes. Customers will not be charged additional fees/charges (beyond water usage and current fees) to be part of the pilot.
No. AMI Smart Meters use non-ionizing radio frequencies (RF) to communicate water usage information. According to the National Cancer Institute, and the American Cancer Society, this type of RF is low frequency and low energy - too low to damage DNA.
Approved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), this type of RF is commonly used in cell phones, TV remotes, Wi-Fi, baby and medical monitors, garage-door openers and Bluetooth devices. RF also exists naturally in our environment due to the sun’s interaction with our atmosphere. Smart Meters give off very low levels of radiofrequency waves - less than cell phones or microwave ovens. The signal can be compared to a cellular text message.
Yes. Like many other utilities that have already implemented AMI Smart Meters, WSSC Water is relying on the analysis and research on the health effects of non-ionizing RF by leading scientific and government agencies, including the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, the California Council on Science & Technology, American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute.
Yes. The Maryland Public Service Commission has approved AMI Smart Meter technology for electric utilities BGE, PEPCO, Delmarva Power and Light, SMECO and Choptank Electric Cooperative.
Baltimore City, DC Water, and Loudoun Water use this technology for their water meter networks.
The City of Rockville plans to update their drive-by AMR water meter network to AMI Smart Meter technology. Fairfax Water is scheduled to start an AMI Smart Meter pilot this summer. Anne Arundel County is scheduled for a mass deployment of AMI Smart Meter technology for their water meters in early 2027.
No. AMI Smart Meters do not transmit RF signals continuously. These meters can be programmed to transmit water usage data at specific times. Typically, AMI Smart Meters transmit information approximately 4 to 6 times per day, with each transmission lasting just seconds at a time.
WSSC Water will use Badger* meter technology for its AMI Smart Meter Pilot program – expected to launch in early 2026. This equipment will transmit data up to 4 times per day on weekdays and once per day on weekends via a secure cellular network. As mentioned above, each transmission takes just seconds. Meter information and usage data will be encrypted using industry processes before being transmitted to WSSC Water. Personal, identifiable information is not transmitted to or from the meter.
* The use of Badger meter technology during the AMI Smart Meter Pilot does not tie WSSC Water to Badger or any single vendor if the decision is made to engage in a full smart meter deployment in the future.
Meters equipped with drive-by, Automated Meter Reading (AMR) technology are transmitting water usage data via RF signals approximately every four to six seconds.
Background: Approximately six percent of WSSC Water meters are equipped with AMR. This technology has been in use since 2005. Instead of a Meter Reader walking meter to meter to obtain a reading, a Meter Reader can get the information while driving past the meters. Using RF, a device in the Meter Reader’s vehicle picks up a signal sent from the equipped meter to capture the reading. However, the meter does not know when the reading will be taken and therefore is transmitting an RF signal every four to six seconds.
We are happy to answer all your questions regarding our AMI Smart Meter Pilot. Please contact us at smartpilot@wsscwater.com.
Last Modified: October 30, 2025, 2:12 pm EDT