Smarter Utility Management Brings Lasting Change to Miamisburg

Nestled along the Great Miami River in southwest Ohio, the City of Miamisburg is a community of 20,000 residents with a vibrant downtown and deep roots. Like many older cities, Miamisburg is facing the realities of aging infrastructure. Particularly in its water utility. Frequent meter failures, growing maintenance costs, and limited options for customer engagement prompted city leaders to look for a modern solution.

At the same time, residents were increasingly asking for monthly billing instead of quarterly statements. However, the existing meter reading system couldn’t support that. “It’s just easier [for customers] to budget that way,” Griffin explained. “Getting a one-month bill instead of a three-month bill is easier to manage.”

What steps did Miamisburg take to update its aging utility infrastructure and increase customer satisfaction?

“We’re an older city and we were finding that a lot of meters were failing every year. We were having to budget more and more for replacements,” said Public Works Director Valerie Griffin. “And, we really didn’t have a good customer interface for more engagement so people could track their water and sewer usage.”

To meet these challenges, Miamisburg partnered with Ferguson Waterworks to implement a new Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system. Ferguson brought deep industry experience and a comprehensive, turnkey approach that included project planning, meter selection, system integration, and post-installation support. “Ferguson was very helpful working with us through that process,” Griffin noted.

The city ultimately transitioned from a manual and drive-by Automated Meter Reading (AMR) system to a fully automated AMI network. The solution included around 8,000 residential meters, 500 irrigation meters, and 125 commercial meters, using a mix of Multi-Jet meters and ultrasonic Octave meters from Master Meter. The new system operates through Master Meter’s Harmony Meter Data Management (MDM) platform and is supported by the My Water Advisor customer portal.

Ferguson’s role as a project partner was integral to the city’s transformation. With a dedicated team of AMI specialists, project managers, and integration experts, Ferguson supported Miamisburg from the initial planning stages through to full implementation and beyond. The collaborative approach helped ensure that the transition was efficient, organized, and tailored to the city’s needs.

“Ferguson was very helpful in implementing the meters with our staff,” Griffin recalled. “Their contractor was great, working hand-in-hand with our staff for installations. And they even provided some training for our water billing staff, so everyone was very confident with the system.”

The shift has had a wide-ranging impact across city operations. Previously, two employees spent up to three weeks each month manually reading meters. “Now we have the Harmony system that can pull up the meter readings instantly,” said Public Works Superintendent Justin Geer. “It allows [former] meter readers to do other projects within the city so we can focus more on our valve exercising program, our annual hydrant flushing, or hydrant inspections—and anything else that’s needed with our infrastructure.”

What is the My Water Advisor app?

The My Water Advisors app provides real-time water usage data. Residents can log in at any time to check their water usage, sign up for leak alerts, and view water data trends, without needing to call in.

“One of the things I really love is that it allows customers to be empowered to take control of their household water usage,” said Caitlin Evans, a finance technician for the city of Miamisburg. “So, it’s not just us sending [customers] a bill every month. [They] can look at it and see what’s happening in real time.” This enables customers to proactively address possible leaks and reduce any water waste or unintentional usage before it turns into a high bill.

“We want our residents and businesses to feel that they’re part of this utility and that they have more of a role in what we do. We want them to understand how their bills are calculated,” added Griffin. “I think it’s really provided a level of confidence in our utility and transparency that wasn’t there before.”

Sustainability and efficiency go hand-in-hand when it comes to smarter utility management.

Beyond customer engagement, the system supports Miamisburg’s broader goals of sustainability and conservation. “We want to be sure we’re operating the utility as efficiently as possible,” said Griffin. “In managing the water system, it’s very important to know where the water is going—and this system helps us do just that. We’re able to detect problems [in our system], just as a resident would, which helps us be more efficient in addressing those leaks and keeping our costs down.”

Today, Miamisburg’s upgraded metering system is helping the city deliver on its promise of reliable service, smarter utility management, and stronger customer engagement. It’s a major milestone—and one that positions the community for continued success.

“The city of Miamisburg is really proud of the high-quality water we’re able to deliver to our residents and our community,” said Griffin, “and this project really ties in with our goals of maintaining that system, improving that system, and making sure that it’s sustainable for years to come.”