Duncanville’s smart-meter rollout moves from planning to installation

Duncanville’s planned smart-water-meter replacement has reached its scheduled installation period, with changes that may affect how local utility customers see and manage their water use.

The city announced the project on July 13, 2026. An updated June 8 Utilities Division report said the advanced-metering project began with a May 14 kickoff and that staff were preparing to begin installing meters on July 20. That date was the planned start of the work; the city’s reviewed updates do not establish that every installation began then or that the citywide rollout is complete.

What is changing

The city plans to replace older residential and commercial water meters in Duncanville with meters using an automatic, or smart, reading system. Duncanville says the project is intended to improve usage and billing accuracy, reduce maintenance work and provide better information about water consumption.

The replacement meter is not supposed to create a separate customer charge. The city says there is no charge for the new meter.

What customers may notice

A project representative is expected to notify each resident before installation. Water service will be interrupted temporarily while the meter is replaced, typically for less than 30 minutes, according to the city.

Residents do not need to be home for the replacement. Contractors working on behalf of Duncanville and Performance Services, Inc., are expected to carry identification badges and a letter explaining why they are in the neighborhood. Customers who encounter a work crew should verify those identifiers and ask the city about any concern regarding access or scheduling.

Why a bill could change

Duncanville is not describing the project as a water-rate increase. The city’s explanation concerns how accurately the meter records water use.

The city says older meters may run more slowly with age and may fail to measure all the water passing through them. A new meter also could make previously undetected leaks apparent in a customer’s usage records. As a result, some customers may see a higher bill after replacement, depending on the age and accuracy of the existing meter or whether a leak had gone unnoticed. The city does not say bills will increase for every customer.

Portal planned for later

The project is also intended to support an online customer portal. Duncanville says the portal will give customers more insight into when and how much water they use, help identify continuous usage, support conservation and allow custom alerts.

Access information had not been released in the official materials reviewed for this article. The city says more information about accessing the portal will be shared after installation.

What remains unclear

As of the official materials reviewed on August 4, 2026, Duncanville had not published a verified installation count, completion percentage or detailed public neighborhood schedule. The city’s July 24 weekly update listed a Meter Technician I opening. That shows meter-related city work remained an active staffing matter, but it does not establish how many meters had been installed or how far the rollout had progressed.

Customers with questions or scheduling concerns can contact Duncanville at 972-780-4932 or mailto:utilities@duncanvilletx.gov, the utility email listed in the city’s announcement. Customers should confirm current installation information directly with the city.

Sources

• Updated Weekly Update: June 8, 2026