At its July 22 meeting, the Long Beach City Council voted unanimously in favor of seeking professional services for the selection of a new customer information system to replace its antiquated utility billing system for gas, sewer, refuse and water. The action was in follow up to a motion co-authored by Councilmembers Suja Lowenthal and Gerrie Schipske requesting the city manager work with Long Beach Water Department to select a modern system capable of increasing water conservation among residential and commercial customers. The current software system, which is 27 years old, is responsible for managing a utility revenue portfolio worth approximately $200 million. The new system will provide the ability to implement an allocation based tiered rate structure for conservation incentive purposes across customer types, as well as provide other needed functions not currently available with the existing system.
“This approach has been successful in advancing conservation in jurisdictions across the country,” said Councilmember Suja Lowenthal. “Currently, the City’s utility billing system has some capability for tiered rates but must be upgraded to fully implement a rate structure that provides incentives for conservation for all types of customers.”
The new billing technology will enable the City to customize water allocations by individual lot as well as individual business types. Studies and water agency experience have shown that the combination of consumer education regarding the environmental and resource value of water combined with water pricing to reward efficiency are very effective in improving consumer water conservation behavior. Langham Consulting Services, Inc. was selected among nine potential candidates based on their expertise, approach and experience helping numerous cities and utility agencies with similar projects.
New landscape water conservation technologies, design and plant alternatives, and metering options will not achieve their potential water savings unless the water customer is motivated personally or economically to reduce water use. A conservation rate structure encourages efficient water use and discourages waste by ensuring that customer bills communicate the full cost of providing water services including the cost of new supplies.
