Every Home, Every Meter: PWD Launches Major Meter Replacement Project

The Portland Water District is launching a three-year project to replace nearly all 55,000 water meters with Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI).

The current meter equipment has reached the end of its planned service life—the last system-wide upgrade occurred nearly two decades ago. After a thorough technology review, AMI was selected as the long-term solution to support modern operations and improve customer service. The new metering system will improve billing accuracy, enhance customer service, improve efficiencies, and strengthen leak detection and emergency response capabilities.

What to Expect

Installations will begin in October in Gorham and continue across our service area. Our installer, VEPO Metering, will contact the customer directly to schedule appointments when they are in the neighborhood. The installer will need access to the meter, generally located inside homes and businesses.

What to expect during your appointment

Explainer Video

MORE INFORMATION

A public information session will be held during the Regular Board Meeting to provide more detail and answer questions.

Date: September 29, 2025

Time: 6:00 p.m.

Where: in person and online

Nixon Development Center

225 Douglass Street, Portland

and

www.pwd.org/AMI (zoom link)

LEARN MORE

Water Bottle Filling Fountain Grants

Now Accepting Applications

Applications for 2025 Water Bottle Filling Fountain Grants are now being accepted. The grant program offers free water bottle-filling fountains to local entities. Since the inception of the grant program, PWD has awarded more than $80,000 to support the installation of 52 Water Bottle Filling Fountains.

Water bottle-filling fountains provide touch free, sanitary access to Greater Portland’s excellent tap water. Applications are due October 31. Complete criteria, eligibility requirements, and the application can be found online, at the link below.

APPLY TODAY

Protecting Your Privacy: New Law Strengthens Safeguards

Until recently, as a public utility, Portland Water District could be required to release customer information—such as names, addresses, water use, or billing history—through public records requests.

As of September 24, that will change. We are proud to share that a new Maine law, L.D. 251 An Act to Protect the Confidentiality of Information of Individual Customers of a Public Utility, now provides stronger protections for customer privacy—an effort that PWD helped initiate and actively supported from the very beginning. We helped draft the legislation and testified in support of its passage, ensuring that the voices of our customers were represented at the State House. Under the law, utilities cannot disclose, sell, or share customer data without your consent. Limited exceptions apply only for lawful purposes.

Just as we safeguard the quality of your drinking water, we are equally committed to protecting your personal information.