Ameresco Partners with City of Hurst, Texas to Replace Aging Water Meter Technology and Improve Efficiency

Rhea-AI Summary

Ameresco (NYSE: AMRC) has partnered with the City of Hurst, Texas for a $9 million project to modernize water management infrastructure. The initiative includes replacing residential and commercial water meters and implementing advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) technology.

The project, which began in February 2024 with field surveys and meter testing, will feature mass meter deployment starting in May 2025. Key components include:

• Installation of new AMI technology
• Web-based customer portal for monitoring daily water consumption
• Lead-line and copper surveys to meet EPA requirements
• GPS coordinate collection for all accounts

This upgrade aims to address significant water waste concerns, as the EPA reports average American families waste up to 9,400 gallons annually. With 40 out of 50 U.S. state water managers expecting water shortages within the next decade, this technology will help the city better manage water resources and provide residents with improved usage monitoring capabilities.

Positive

• Secured $9+ million contract for water infrastructure modernization
• Project provides recurring revenue through system-wide upgrades and maintenance
• Expands presence in municipal water management sector

Negative

• Extended project timeline with mass deployment not starting until May 2025

Insights

Financial Analyst

Ameresco's $9+ million contract with the City of Hurst represents a positive development in the company's municipal services portfolio. For a company with a $686 million market cap, this single contract contributes meaningfully to revenue, though its financial impact will be distributed across multiple quarters given the May 2025 deployment timeline.

This project strengthens Ameresco's position in the growing water infrastructure modernization sector. Water management technology offers a natural extension of their core energy services business, potentially opening additional revenue streams as municipalities nationwide face similar infrastructure challenges.

The contract demonstrates Ameresco's ability to secure significant municipal projects amid increasing water conservation priorities. The EPA's data highlighting water waste concerns suggests growing market opportunities as 40 out of 50 state water managers anticipate shortages in the coming decade.

From a financial perspective, these types of long-term municipal contracts provide revenue visibility and potentially recurring service components. Ameresco's presentation at the Smart Cities Connect Conference may further enhance their competitive positioning for similar projects, creating a potential pipeline of comparable opportunities with other municipalities.

Utility Infrastructure Specialist

The Hurst project demonstrates Ameresco's technical capability in Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) implementation beyond their traditional energy efficiency focus. The comprehensive scope includes not just meter replacement but also customer portal development, lead-line surveys, and software integration—showing a full-solution approach that addresses both infrastructure and user engagement needs.

The timing is strategic as aging water infrastructure and conservation needs converge nationwide. With EPA data showing families wasting 9,400 gallons annually and 80% of states expecting water shortages, AMI technology positions municipalities to better manage critical resources.

From an execution standpoint, Ameresco's phased approach reflects industry best practices: beginning with field surveys and testing in February 2024, progressing through an investment grade audit, and planning full deployment for May 2025. This methodical implementation minimizes disruption while ensuring system integrity.

The customer portal component is particularly valuable as it enables consumption-based behavioral changes—a proven method for reducing water waste through increased user awareness. This technology-enabled conservation approach offers municipalities a path to postpone costly infrastructure expansions while improving resource management.

The over $9 million project involves the replacement of residential and commercial water meters along with the installation of a customer portal

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. & HURST, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Ameresco, Inc. (NYSE: AMRC), a leading energy solutions provider dedicated to helping customers navigate the energy transition, announced its partnership with the City of Hurst. This collaboration aims to install water meters and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) technology, significantly enhancing the city's water management capabilities and ensuring more efficient, accurate, and transparent water usage data for its residents.

Collaborating with the City of Hurst, TX, Ameresco is replacing residential and commercial water meters and introducing a customer portal, ensuring efficient and modern water management for the community.

The project kicked off in February 2024 with various field surveys, meter testing, and data analysis; with all results being included in Ameresco’s investment grade audit (IGA) report performed on city-operated water metering infrastructure in August 2024. Since then, the Ameresco team has begun conducting lead-line and copper surveys to meet EPA requirements, coordinating all software integrations, and collecting sub-meter GPS coordinates for all residential and commercial accounts in preparations for mass meter deployment to start in May 2025.

The project involves a system-wide upgrade, including new AMI technology to improve efficiency and allow customers to monitor their daily water consumption through a web-based customer portal. This project also includes required ancillary materials such as meter boxes, shutoff valves, bolts and gaskets, as well as an engagement communication plan to help inform businesses and residents of the upcoming work.

“Updating the water meter technology represents a strategic step forward by the City. It will provide regular and periodic data to help customers monitor their usage, conserve water, and make more informed decisions on their water usage. Additionally, the new system will help the City better understand and manage its water resources,” said Clayton Fulton, Assistant City Manager of Hurst. “We appreciate Ameresco’s partnership on this endeavor and are grateful for their ongoing support of the project.”

According to the EPA, the average American family can waste as much as 9,400 gallons of water annually. When 40 out of 50 U.S. state water managers anticipate water shortages in some parts of their state over the next decade, saving wasted gallons can significantly impact preserving water resources. New technology allows cities to better understand their overall water usage and adjust accordingly to prevent and mitigate water shortages and droughts.

"We're thrilled to be partnering with the City of Hurst in installing this cutting-edge technology, designed to enhance water conservation efforts, reduce waste and provide residents with greater control and transparency related to their water consumption,” said Louis Maltezos, President of Central & Western USA, Canada Regions at Ameresco. “By integrating near real-time data, we're helping the city build a more efficient, resilient water system that will benefit their community for years to come.”

In conjunction with this exciting project, representatives from Ameresco and the City of Hurst will attend the Smart Cities Connect Conference and Expo April 14-16, 2025, in San Antonio, TX, and discuss this project in a breakout panel. For more information about the conference, visit the conference website.

To learn more about the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) systems offered by Ameresco, visit https://www.ameresco.com/advanced-metering-infrastucture/.

About Ameresco, Inc.
Founded in 2000, Ameresco, Inc. (NYSE:AMRC) is a leading solutions provider dedicated to helping customers reduce costs, enhance resilience, and decarbonize to net zero in the global energy transition. Our comprehensive portfolio includes implementing smart energy efficiency solutions, upgrading aging infrastructure, and developing, constructing, and operating distributed energy resources. As a trusted full-service partner, Ameresco shows the way by reducing energy use and delivering diversified generation solutions to Federal, state and local governments, utilities, educational and healthcare institutions, housing authorities, and commercial and industrial customers. Headquartered in Framingham, MA, Ameresco has more than 1,500 employees providing local expertise in North America and Europe. For more information, visit www.ameresco.com

The announcement of a customer’s entry into a project contract is not necessarily indicative of the timing or amount of revenue from such contract, of Ameresco’s overall revenue for any particular period or of trends in Ameresco’s overall total project backlog. This project was included in Ameresco’s previously reported contracted backlog as of December 31, 2024.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250325675923/en/

Media Contact:

Ameresco: Leila Dillon, 508-661-2264, news@ameresco.com

Source: Ameresco, Inc.

FAQ

What is the value and scope of Ameresco's (AMRC) water meter project in Hurst, Texas?

The project is valued at over $9 million and includes replacing residential and commercial water meters, installing AMI technology, and implementing a customer portal for water usage monitoring.

When will Ameresco (AMRC) begin mass meter deployment in Hurst, Texas?

Mass meter deployment is scheduled to begin in May 2025, following preliminary work that started in February 2024.

What technology improvements will Ameresco (AMRC) implement in the Hurst water system?

Ameresco will install advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) technology, a web-based customer portal, and new water meters with GPS coordination capabilities.

How will the Ameresco (AMRC) water meter project benefit Hurst residents?

Residents will gain access to near real-time water consumption data through a web portal, enabling better monitoring, conservation, and informed decision-making about water usage.