St. John the Baptist Parish (St. John) is now in possession of some well-needed water meter upgrades thanks to the efforts of Greenup Industries Inc. (Greenup) with partner Aclara Technology. Greenup was awarded a $5.27 million contract from the Louisiana Parish in December 2019 to install 16,491 residential smart water meters, 382 commercial meters, and 10 fire hydrant meters. Greenup reports that installation on 15,000 residential and commercial smart water meters were completed despite numerous setbacks (COVID, 2020's most active Hurricane Season since 2005, Global Supply Chain Impacts, Hurricane Ida causing extensive damage to LaPlace and damaging some of the installed equipment). St. John Parish officials issued a resolution on March 28 to issue a Change Order on the existing contract and have the remaining 2,600 meters installed at a later date.
The new smart water meters feature more accurate leak detection and improved residential and commercial services. Residents can use a Customer Portal on their computer or mobile device for utility maintenance, such as setting up alerts for their water consumption, monitoring leak detection in real-time, and viewing live data to keep their water bill down. The water meters are networked into the St. John Parish data management system, allowing the parish to bill customers more accurately and monitor any potential infrastructure issues. “This new smart water meter system allows us to efficiently detect and minimize water loss for the residents and businesses in the parish,” said Rodney Greenup, CEO of Greenup. “It is more responsive infrastructure which enables us to pinpoint and respond to potential problems before they happen."
The St. John Parish Council agreed that the benefits of the “state-of-the-art” water meter outweigh its costs as it will provide for water usage readings to be taken every hour and transmitted to base stations that are built on the parish's water towers. Customers can access their water usage online in real-time, and the meters will send out alerts when their batteries get low. With the ability to monitor water usage daily via a computer or smartphone, the new system will eliminate estimated reads, provide customers with consistent billing, ensure smooth revenue collection, and reduce calls to customer service representatives. The new smart water meters also provide real-time leak detection alerts, allowing more accurate readings. Individuals will also be able to set up alerts for water consumption that exceeds a certain threshold. Part of the installation involves attaching a data collector to track water usage to the billing system. “We program the smart meter to transmit its location to the Parish's data collector. This lets us know how much water is being used immediately, every second of every day. This lets us know how much water is being used immediately, every second of every day. The previous meters had to be read manually," Greenup said. “The new meters allow the parish to respond to any leaks or potential infrastructure issues in real time."
Greenup faced adversity as it neared the completion of the St. John Smart Water Meter Project. In addition to the devastating effects of the supply chain crisis, ongoing disruptions from COVID, and hurricane damage slowing down installation efforts, Greenup said rolling layoffs in 2020 affected communication with Greenup Industries' subcontractors. The shipping delays from tech suppliers were a significant challenge the company had to overcome. "This project revealed our resiliency and can-do attitude, as our company faced setbacks time and time again. What we learned from this experience is that Greenup's team is experienced and willing to go beyond what is expected of them and to overcome obstacles to get our projects completed in a timely and efficient manner. I am so proud of them," Greenup said.
The construction phase broke the parish into six areas, or “water cycles.” Each cycle was completed before moving on to the next one. After the DCY network and installation routing plan were completed, training on the installation and smart meter software began in September 2020. The initial installations began in October, and by the beginning of 2021, Greenup had already completed several thousand installations. Recognized by Parish officials for their professionalism and communication throughout the project, Greenup expressed pride in being able to help solve a problem that affects so many people.
The St. John water meter project is one of several successes this year for the growing construction and maintenance firm. Greenup is nearing the end of its clay excavation efforts in the Bonnet Carre Spillway as part of the West Shore Lake Ponchartrain Project and have excavated 100,000 cubic yards of material for the LaReusitte to Myrtle Grove Levee and drainage canal, placing them ahead of schedule for the joint project with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Cajun Industries of Baton Rouge, LA.
Based in Kenner, Greenup Industries offers contracting and specialized construction services for industrial, commercial, and municipal clients. From refurbished roads and bridges to industrial construction and maintenance, the company is behind countless projects across the Gulf South that contribute to the region's growth and vibrancy. Since its start in 2012, Greenup has experienced unprecedented growth, becoming a leading construction contractor and provider of maintenance and third-party procurement services. President and CEO Rodney Greenup is a New Orleans native who began his career as a mechanical engineer and project manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. "There's a lot of growth potential and work to be done throughout the region," said Greenup. As we continue to grow and diversify, we owe our success to our relationships with our employees, clients, and vendors.
For more information on Greenup Industries, visit www.greenupind.com or email info@greenupind.com.