{ "schemaVersion": "1.0.0", "constitutionVersion": "1.0.0", "createdAt": "2026-08-12T00:00:00Z", "description": "Append-only Evidence Passport records. Old revisions are immutable; corrections create a new revision and preserve the previous permalink.", "entity": { "type": "project", "id": "houston-water-smart-metering", "title": "Houston Water's Decade-Long Smart Meter Replacement", "canonicalUrl": "https://1001smartcities.org/projects/houston-water-smart-metering/" }, "currentRevisionId": "2026-11-04-evidence-baseline", "revisions": [ { "id": "2026-11-04-evidence-baseline", "createdAt": "2026-11-04T04:53:01Z", "effectiveAt": "2026-11-03", "changeType": "baseline", "summary": "Created the first structured Evidence Passport with 18 claims and 5 source dossiers.", "preparedBy": { "type": "automation", "label": "AI-assisted evidence preparation", "humanApproved": false }, "review": { "status": "unreviewed", "by": null, "date": null, "note": "Awaiting operator and domain-expert review; publication of this revision implies neither." }, "changes": [ { "operation": "add", "path": "/evidencePassport", "summary": "Added claim-level evidence mapping and source dossiers." }, { "operation": "add", "path": "/revisionHistory", "summary": "Established a permanent, hash-addressed baseline revision." } ], "snapshotHash": "sha256:8c28bf8a683e1fad85c4018e4972ce5a483178a418f856f4d8f78d680837f513", "snapshot": { "asOf": "2026-11-03", "projectFingerprint": "sha256:c527e6b1e57f1630cddcbfb0711c8df41acacdd198bb9e74396f3f1e57284d62", "assurance": { "status": "unreviewed", "scope": "evidence-passport-revision", "statement": "AI-assisted structural preparation. This revision has not been reviewed by a human or subject-matter expert.", "machineChecks": [ "schema", "publication-diff-contract", "material-project-fingerprint", "claim-text-drift", "source-reference-resolution", "complete-source-dossier", "snapshot-hash" ] }, "projectState": { "status": "construction", "outcome": "ongoing", "evidenceGrade": "media", "timeline": { "started": 2021, "ended": null } }, "governance": { "operator": "Houston Public Works (Houston Water)", "actorTypes": [ "utility" ], "fundingModel": "public", "fundingDescription": null, "cost": "$8.5M for the 2025 pilot phase (25,000 meters)", "ownership": null, "decisionRights": null, "exitConditions": null }, "claims": [ { "id": "clm-cab9ebe3c22a9b4c", "field": "snippet", "text": "Houston Public Works began replacing the remote-read sensors on the city's roughly 480,000 water meters in 2021, aiming to finish within a decade", "statementKind": "quantitative", "textMode": "verbatim-from-project-record", "mappingStatus": "mapped", "sourceRefs": [ "src-78e95f515696d86e" ], "supportNote": "The report states the city is replacing the remote-read sensors on all 480,000 meters, that installation began in 2021, and that the project will take a decade.", "caveat": "Public Works' May 2026 update counts 514K meters, so the 480,000 figure reflects the 2024 count.", "interpretation": { "added": false, "interpolation": false, "note": "The passport copies the published claim and its recorded source mapping without adding a conclusion." } }, { "id": "clm-e0582aa0d44411c0", "field": "snippet", "text": "by December 2023 only 78,905–85,000 had actually been swapped", "statementKind": "quantitative", "textMode": "verbatim-from-project-record", "mappingStatus": "mapped", "sourceRefs": [ "src-78e95f515696d86e" ], "supportNote": "The report gives 78,905 sensors replaced as of late December; Public Works' statement in the same article says over 85,000 devices installed to date.", "caveat": null, "interpretation": { "added": false, "interpolation": false, "note": "The passport copies the published claim and its recorded source mapping without adding a conclusion." } }, { "id": "clm-6beb1245731ba8bb", "field": "snippet", "text": "more than 125,000 of the remote-read sensors already installed elsewhere in the system had stopped transmitting", "statementKind": "quantitative", "textMode": "verbatim-from-project-record", "mappingStatus": "mapped", "sourceRefs": [ "src-78e95f515696d86e", "src-71f34f88736d4f98" ], "supportNote": "The press investigation reports more than 125,000 sensors not working at all; Public Works' own April 2024 plan counts about 125,000 failed devices.", "caveat": null, "interpretation": { "added": false, "interpolation": false, "note": "The passport copies the published claim and its recorded source mapping without adding a conclusion." } }, { "id": "clm-0eefa81a932be03d", "field": "snippet", "text": "meaning some customers were being billed on estimates rather than real readings", "statementKind": "descriptive", "textMode": "verbatim-from-project-record", "mappingStatus": "mapped", "sourceRefs": [ "src-71f34f88736d4f98" ], "supportNote": "Public Works' plan says bills were estimated where meters could not be read manually and later back-billed with actual readings.", "caveat": null, "interpretation": { "added": false, "interpolation": false, "note": "The passport copies the published claim and its recorded source mapping without adding a conclusion." } }, { "id": "clm-2228f386d74da886", "field": "snippet", "text": "After a multi-year local-news investigation ('DRAINED') into unexplained bill spikes", "statementKind": "descriptive", "textMode": "verbatim-from-project-record", "mappingStatus": "mapped", "sourceRefs": [ "src-7e412475f3394b4e" ], "supportNote": "The article describes KPRC's multi-year 'DRAINED' investigation into surprise high water bills.", "caveat": null, "interpretation": { "added": false, "interpolation": false, "note": "The passport copies the published claim and its recorded source mapping without adding a conclusion." } }, { "id": "clm-ffc0116a8d7162d2", "field": "snippet", "text": "City Council approved an $8.5 million pilot in August 2025 to install 25,000 smart meters", "statementKind": "quantitative", "textMode": "verbatim-from-project-record", "mappingStatus": "mapped", "sourceRefs": [ "src-7e412475f3394b4e" ], "supportNote": "The article reports the council's approval of an $8.5 million plan funding 25,000 new smart water meters.", "caveat": null, "interpretation": { "added": false, "interpolation": false, "note": "The passport copies the published claim and its recorded source mapping without adding a conclusion." } }, { "id": "clm-4896f44e25d547dc", "field": "snippet", "text": "with no moving parts and near-real-time online usage data", "statementKind": "descriptive", "textMode": "verbatim-from-project-record", "mappingStatus": "mapped", "sourceRefs": [ "src-30339a008adb6c48", "src-7e412475f3394b4e" ], "supportNote": "Public Works describes the pilot meters as smart meters with no moving parts; the article says customers will see their usage online almost in real time.", "caveat": null, "interpretation": { "added": false, "interpolation": false, "note": "The passport copies the published claim and its recorded source mapping without adding a conclusion." } }, { "id": "clm-589baca5dd9c2645", "field": "snippet", "text": "testing installation logistics across every council district ahead of a wider rollout", "statementKind": "descriptive", "textMode": "verbatim-from-project-record", "mappingStatus": "mapped", "sourceRefs": [ "src-7e412475f3394b4e" ], "supportNote": "The Public Works director is quoted saying the pilot will hit every council district to test whether the city can support a larger rollout.", "caveat": null, "interpretation": { "added": false, "interpolation": false, "note": "The passport copies the published claim and its recorded source mapping without adding a conclusion." } }, { "id": "clm-f26ef8ad68dc1985", "field": "snippet", "text": "The pilot started in March 2026; by May 2026, 1,200 meters had been replaced", "statementKind": "quantitative", "textMode": "verbatim-from-project-record", "mappingStatus": "mapped", "sourceRefs": [ "src-30339a008adb6c48" ], "supportNote": "Public Works' May 2026 committee update gives the March 2026 start and 1,200 meters completed.", "caveat": null, "interpretation": { "added": false, "interpolation": false, "note": "The passport copies the published claim and its recorded source mapping without adding a conclusion." } }, { "id": "clm-1ab6d39a9dc9abc6", "field": "snippet", "text": "more than 240K meters still lacked updated remote-reading devices", "statementKind": "quantitative", "textMode": "verbatim-from-project-record", "mappingStatus": "mapped", "sourceRefs": [ "src-30339a008adb6c48" ], "supportNote": "The same update lists more than 240K meters without updated remote-reading devices as an ongoing challenge.", "caveat": null, "interpretation": { "added": false, "interpolation": false, "note": "The passport copies the published claim and its recorded source mapping without adding a conclusion." } }, { "id": "clm-d54ea0e3a3877fc7", "field": "impact", "text": "More than 125,000 of the roughly 480,000-meter fleet's existing remote-read sensors had stopped transmitting by early 2024", "statementKind": "quantitative", "textMode": "verbatim-from-project-record", "mappingStatus": "mapped", "sourceRefs": [ "src-78e95f515696d86e" ], "supportNote": "The February 2024 report gives more than 125,000 non-working sensors on a fleet of 480,000 meters.", "caveat": null, "interpretation": { "added": false, "interpolation": false, "note": "The passport copies the published claim and its recorded source mapping without adding a conclusion." } }, { "id": "clm-ec5293e068bce934", "field": "impact", "text": "only 78,905–85,000 sensors replaced under the 2021-started replacement project by December 2023", "statementKind": "quantitative", "textMode": "verbatim-from-project-record", "mappingStatus": "mapped", "sourceRefs": [ "src-78e95f515696d86e" ], "supportNote": "The report and Public Works' statement in it give the two counts of replaced sensors by late 2023.", "caveat": null, "interpretation": { "added": false, "interpolation": false, "note": "The passport copies the published claim and its recorded source mapping without adding a conclusion." } }, { "id": "clm-eacfe7b58dd49d1a", "field": "impact", "text": "the city moved single-family customers to set-usage bills from April 2024", "statementKind": "quantitative", "textMode": "verbatim-from-project-record", "mappingStatus": "mapped", "sourceRefs": [ "src-71f34f88736d4f98" ], "supportNote": "Public Works' plan put single-family residential customers on set-usage billing from 1 April 2024 until their devices were upgraded.", "caveat": null, "interpretation": { "added": false, "interpolation": false, "note": "The passport copies the published claim and its recorded source mapping without adding a conclusion." } }, { "id": "clm-b50b11a9eda3867d", "field": "impact", "text": "Public Works reported more than 120K remote-reading devices installed since April 2024 and automated reads averaging 86% across districts by May 2026", "statementKind": "quantitative", "textMode": "verbatim-from-project-record", "mappingStatus": "mapped", "sourceRefs": [ "src-30339a008adb6c48" ], "supportNote": "The May 2026 update reports more than 120K devices installed since April 2024 and an 86% average share of automated reads by district.", "caveat": "These are the utility's own figures to its council committee; no independent audit of billing accuracy was found.", "interpretation": { "added": false, "interpolation": false, "note": "The passport copies the published claim and its recorded source mapping without adding a conclusion." } }, { "id": "clm-011e71fa2d17f534", "field": "impact", "text": "The push also put the wrong meters on hundreds of homes; the city is crediting 637 affected customers", "statementKind": "quantitative", "textMode": "verbatim-from-project-record", "mappingStatus": "mapped", "sourceRefs": [ "src-4c506bf720979a49" ], "supportNote": "The report found Public Works installed incompatible equipment at hundreds of homes during the 2024 push and is calculating credits for the 637 affected customers.", "caveat": null, "interpretation": { "added": false, "interpolation": false, "note": "The passport copies the published claim and its recorded source mapping without adding a conclusion." } }, { "id": "clm-5f067fb750c14b72", "field": "lesson", "text": "Houston's own review found replacements outpaced by failures", "statementKind": "descriptive", "textMode": "verbatim-from-project-record", "mappingStatus": "mapped", "sourceRefs": [ "src-71f34f88736d4f98" ], "supportNote": "Public Works' April 2024 plan says the replacement rate of failed devices was outpaced by the increasing number of failures, causing a backlog.", "caveat": null, "interpretation": { "added": false, "interpolation": false, "note": "The passport copies the published claim and its recorded source mapping without adding a conclusion." } }, { "id": "clm-734f9ae58016b7d1", "field": "lesson", "text": "the city had to put customers on set-usage bills while it caught up", "statementKind": "descriptive", "textMode": "verbatim-from-project-record", "mappingStatus": "mapped", "sourceRefs": [ "src-71f34f88736d4f98" ], "supportNote": "Single-family customers stayed on set-usage bills until they received an upgraded device.", "caveat": null, "interpretation": { "added": false, "interpolation": false, "note": "The passport copies the published claim and its recorded source mapping without adding a conclusion." } }, { "id": "clm-d5c169f164c4497d", "field": "lesson", "text": "a wrong part in one large order left hundreds of homes on inaccurate meters for years", "statementKind": "descriptive", "textMode": "verbatim-from-project-record", "mappingStatus": "mapped", "sourceRefs": [ "src-4c506bf720979a49" ], "supportNote": "The Public Works director traced the error to a manufacturer shipping the wrong equipment in a large order at the end of 2022; the report says it caused inaccurate bills for multiple years.", "caveat": null, "interpretation": { "added": false, "interpolation": false, "note": "The passport copies the published claim and its recorded source mapping without adding a conclusion." } } ], "sources": [ { "id": "src-78e95f515696d86e", "title": "Click2Houston — Has the city upgraded water meter sensors in your neighborhood?", "url": "https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2024/02/23/has-the-city-upgraded-water-meter-sensors-in-your-neighborhood/", "publisher": { "name": null, "domain": "click2houston.com", "classification": "not-classified" }, "sourceType": "web-page", "language": "und", "role": "claim-evidence", "claimRefs": [ "clm-cab9ebe3c22a9b4c", "clm-e0582aa0d44411c0", "clm-6beb1245731ba8bb", "clm-d54ea0e3a3877fc7", "clm-ec5293e068bce934" ], "temporal": { "publishedAt": "2024-02-22", "updatedAt": null, "sourceCheckedAt": null, "recordLastVerifiedAt": "2026-11-03", "dossierCreatedAt": "2026-11-04", "retrievedAt": null, "status": "publication-and-record-dates-recorded" }, "locator": { "type": "descriptive-source-note", "value": "~480,000 total meters, 2021 project start, 78,905–85,000 replaced by Dec 2023, 125,000+ existing remote-read sensors non-functional", "exact": false }, "preservation": { "archiveUrl": null, "archivedAt": null, "contentHash": null, "status": "not-captured" } }, { "id": "src-7e412475f3394b4e", "title": "Click2Houston — New smart water meters aim to resolve Houston billing issues", "url": "https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2025/08/26/new-smart-water-meters-aim-to-resolve-houston-billing-issues/", "publisher": { "name": null, "domain": "click2houston.com", "classification": "not-classified" }, "sourceType": "web-page", "language": "und", "role": "claim-evidence", "claimRefs": [ "clm-2228f386d74da886", "clm-ffc0116a8d7162d2", "clm-4896f44e25d547dc", "clm-589baca5dd9c2645" ], "temporal": { "publishedAt": "2025-08-26", "updatedAt": "2025-08-27", "sourceCheckedAt": null, "recordLastVerifiedAt": "2026-11-03", "dossierCreatedAt": "2026-11-04", "retrievedAt": null, "status": "publication-and-record-dates-recorded" }, "locator": { "type": "descriptive-source-note", "value": "Aug 2025 council approval of $8.5M/25,000-meter pilot, DRAINED billing investigation context, 315,000 meters over 20 years old, near-real-time online usage data", "exact": false }, "preservation": { "archiveUrl": null, "archivedAt": null, "contentHash": null, "status": "not-captured" } }, { "id": "src-30339a008adb6c48", "title": "Houston Public Works — Water Bill Improvement Plan Update (council committee, May 2026)", "url": "https://www.houstontx.gov/council/committees/govtops/20260511/Water-Bill-Improvement-Plan-Update.pdf", "publisher": { "name": null, "domain": "houstontx.gov", "classification": "not-classified" }, "sourceType": "pdf", "language": "und", "role": "claim-evidence", "claimRefs": [ "clm-4896f44e25d547dc", "clm-f26ef8ad68dc1985", "clm-1ab6d39a9dc9abc6", "clm-b50b11a9eda3867d" ], "temporal": { "publishedAt": "2026-05-11", "updatedAt": null, "sourceCheckedAt": null, "recordLastVerifiedAt": "2026-11-03", "dossierCreatedAt": "2026-11-04", "retrievedAt": null, "status": "publication-and-record-dates-recorded" }, "locator": { "type": "descriptive-source-note", "value": "Cited by press as the source underlying the program; PDF text could not be extracted for direct quoting", "exact": false }, "preservation": { "archiveUrl": null, "archivedAt": null, "contentHash": null, "status": "not-captured" } }, { "id": "src-71f34f88736d4f98", "title": "Houston Public Works — Water Bill Improvement Plan (council committee, April 2024)", "url": "https://www.houstontx.gov/council/committees/servicedelivery/20240424/Water-Bill-Improvement-Plan.pdf", "publisher": { "name": null, "domain": "houstontx.gov", "classification": "not-classified" }, "sourceType": "pdf", "language": "und", "role": "claim-evidence", "claimRefs": [ "clm-6beb1245731ba8bb", "clm-0eefa81a932be03d", "clm-eacfe7b58dd49d1a", "clm-5f067fb750c14b72", "clm-734f9ae58016b7d1" ], "temporal": { "publishedAt": "2024-04-24", "updatedAt": null, "sourceCheckedAt": null, "recordLastVerifiedAt": "2026-11-03", "dossierCreatedAt": "2026-11-04", "retrievedAt": null, "status": "publication-and-record-dates-recorded" }, "locator": { "type": "descriptive-source-note", "value": "Houston Public Works' presentation of the Water Bill Improvement Plan to a council committee: about 125,000 remote-reading devices had failed, crews could manually read only about 40,000 meters a month, bills were estimated and later back-billed, and the replacement rate had been outpaced by failures. Single-family customers moved to set-usage bills from 1 April 2024 until their devices were upgraded.", "exact": false }, "preservation": { "archiveUrl": null, "archivedAt": null, "contentHash": null, "status": "not-captured" } }, { "id": "src-4c506bf720979a49", "title": "Click2Houston — Houston Public Works admits meter mix-up led to years of inaccurate water bills (6 May 2026)", "url": "https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2026/05/06/check-your-address-houston-public-works-admits-meter-mix-up-led-to-years-of-inaccurate-water-bills/", "publisher": { "name": null, "domain": "click2houston.com", "classification": "not-classified" }, "sourceType": "web-page", "language": "und", "role": "claim-evidence", "claimRefs": [ "clm-011e71fa2d17f534", "clm-d5c169f164c4497d" ], "temporal": { "publishedAt": "2026-05-06", "updatedAt": "2026-10-06", "sourceCheckedAt": null, "recordLastVerifiedAt": "2026-11-03", "dossierCreatedAt": "2026-11-04", "retrievedAt": null, "status": "publication-and-record-dates-recorded" }, "locator": { "type": "descriptive-source-note", "value": "KPRC investigation: during the 2024 replacement push Public Works installed incompatible meter registers at hundreds of homes, causing inaccurate bills for years; the director traces it to a manufacturer shipping the wrong equipment in a large order at the end of 2022, and the city is calculating credits for the 637 affected customers.", "exact": false }, "preservation": { "archiveUrl": null, "archivedAt": null, "contentHash": null, "status": "not-captured" } } ], "coverage": { "claimsTotal": 18, "claimsMapped": 18, "sourcesTotal": 5, "sourcesUsedByClaims": 5, "sourcesWithPublicationDate": 5, "sourcesWithArchive": 0, "sourcesWithExactLocator": 0, "sourcesWithContentHash": 0 }, "limits": [ "Publisher names and source languages have not yet been classified; domains are recorded without guessing.", "Existing source notes are descriptive locators, not page- or paragraph-exact citations.", "A missing archive, publication date or content hash is shown as null rather than inferred.", "The project-level evidence grade ranks the strongest source in the entry; it is not a truth score for every claim." ] } } ] }