1001 Smart Cities

Permanent project revision

SFPUC Automated Water Meter Programme

Revision 2026-08-12-story-xray-claims · effective 2026-08-12

Superseded. A later revision exists: 2026-08-20-source-dates →

unreviewed

Extended the claim ledger from 17 to 43: the long-form story page is now claim-anchored throughout (26 story-field claims), so expert mode can mark nearly every factual passage in the article.

sha256:362e28211c013390af991e3d888508bd42fdb39e5459bdc870d7d031a2b937d5
All revisions → Current entity page →

Change set

  • replace /snapshot/claims — Updated claims to the current sourced project record.
  • replace /snapshot/sources — Updated sources to the current sourced project record.
43
of 43 claims mapped
13
source dossiers
6
publication dates recorded
0
archives linked
0
exact locators
0
content captures hashed

Claims, one by one

The text below is copied verbatim from the published record. Each claim names the source dossiers that carry it; caveats stay attached to the claim they qualify.

Claim 1 clm-dd43c3c411b2c9de quantitative
picked Aclara's fixed radio network in 2009
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
WaterWorld dates the selection to November 2009: SFPUC 'has selected the Aclara RF Systems Inc. STAR Network' for its citywide AMI project, replacing manual reads taken every two months residentially.
Caveat
Trade press relaying the vendor's parent-company announcement; no SFPUC resolution from 2009 was reachable to confirm the award date first-hand.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. WaterWorld — San Francisco chooses Aclara AMI system to track water consumption (24 November 2009)
Claim 2 clm-b7ac55b8e0995f57 quantitative
began replacing San Francisco's roughly 175,000 water meters in June 2010
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
Government Technology: the SFPUC 'on June 7 began its automated water meter program, a two-year effort' and 'started replacing its 175,000-plus water meters in June.'
Caveat
The two-year plan slipped: the Alliance for Water Efficiency dates implementation as 'primarily occurring from 2010 to 2013', and completion was still a budget line in FY2021.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Government Technology — San Francisco Water Meters to Detect Leaks, Help Customers Track Usage (26 July 2010)
Claim 3 clm-18482db4b092703d quantitative
Transmitters now cover more than 96% of accounts
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
The operator's own page: meter transmission units are 'in place for nearly all of San Francisco's 178,000 water accounts', with the network reading 'more than 96% of San Francisco's water accounts.'
Caveat
Operator self-report; the Alliance for Water Efficiency separately states over 99% of ~180,000 retail connections are on the AMI system — a different measure (installed vs. read).

Sources carrying this claim

  1. SFPUC — About Your Water Meter (authority)
Claim 4 clm-bb1afc5f7cb1c29e quantitative
sending hourly readings to 81 collectors
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
SFPUC: the MTU collects a reading each hour and transmits 'every six hours'; 'A total of 81 Data Collectors are located throughout the city.'
Caveat
Readings are taken hourly but transmitted in six-hour batches — the page says each transmission lasts under a tenth of a second.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. SFPUC — About Your Water Meter (authority)
Claim 5 clm-73127f16c6fc714d quantitative
a courtesy leak alert flags 48 hours of constant flow
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
SFPUC describes a 'courtesy Leak Alert Program' that alerts small accounts after '48 hours of continuous water use of 7.5 gallons an hour or more'; no sign-up is needed.
Caveat
The 48-hour residential threshold dates from November 2021 — before that it was 72 hours (Alliance for Water Efficiency); commercial accounts still use 72 hours plus night-use screens.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. SFPUC — Leak Alerts: Find and Fix Leaks (authority)
Claim 6 clm-e728af0bf02ba69f descriptive
Ageing transmitters have since left thousands unbilled
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
SFPUC's own FAQ: 'a technical problem led to some customers not receiving a water and sewer bill for several months', caused by transponders no longer sending data to billing; KTVU counts about 8,200 residents affected.
Caveat
SFPUC has published no customer count of its own; 8,200 is the figure the utility gave to television press.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. SFPUC — Delayed Water and Sewer Bills, Frequently Asked Questions (authority)
  2. KTVU FOX 2 — Unexpected water bills to hit thousands of San Francisco mailboxes (24 September 2024)
Claim 7 clm-30d6a16775d4780f descriptive
cut mean leak volume per meter by a statistically significant margin for single-family homes
Published field
impact · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
AWE: 'Three of the four single-family notification programs resulted in statistically significant reductions in mean leak volume per meter' — only SSWD's did not, so SFPUC's is among the significant three (its estimate: 0.63 gallons per meter per day).
Caveat
Pre/post comparison with a nine-month pre-period, no control group; SFPUC part-funded its own case-study participation.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Alliance for Water Efficiency — Smart Practices to Save Water: An Evaluation of AMI-enabled Proactive Leak Notification Programs (March 2023)
Claim 8 clm-35b19c7ef69f5ded quantitative
by 18% for multi-family buildings
Published field
impact · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
AWE: 'the SFPUC's registered an 18 percent reduction' in mean leak volume per multi-family meter, one of two of three multi-family programmes with statistically significant results.
Caveat
Same design limits: pre/post, no control group, co-funded case study.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Alliance for Water Efficiency — Smart Practices to Save Water: An Evaluation of AMI-enabled Proactive Leak Notification Programs (March 2023)
Claim 9 clm-060bdddbaff03bc6 quantitative
by 51% on non-municipal irrigation meters
Published field
impact · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
AWE: 'Leak notifications to non-municipal dedicated irrigation meters resulted in a statistically significant 51 percent reduction in mean leak volume per meter.' SFPUC is the only study participant with such a programme.
Caveat
Same design limits as the other AWE results.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Alliance for Water Efficiency — Smart Practices to Save Water: An Evaluation of AMI-enabled Proactive Leak Notification Programs (March 2023)
Claim 10 clm-9518e21f7be4da53 descriptive
alerts to the city's own municipal meters, still handled manually at the time, showed no significant effect
Published field
impact · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
AWE: 'Notifications to municipal meters did not result in a statistically significant difference in leak volume' — the non-municipal side had 'a fully automated process' while municipal notification was 'manual and depends on the availability of water department staff.' SFPUC has since automated it.
Caveat
The report offers the manual process as the likely explanation, not a proven cause.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Alliance for Water Efficiency — Smart Practices to Save Water: An Evaluation of AMI-enabled Proactive Leak Notification Programs (March 2023)
Claim 11 clm-c5756bfa2ff2df74 quantitative
SFPUC itself estimated 47 million gallons saved in the fiscal year before August 2021
Published field
impact · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
SFPUC news release: 'In the last fiscal year, the Leak Alert program saved SFPUC customers an estimated 47 million gallons of water.'
Caveat
Operator self-report with no published methodology; kept separate from the AWE figures, which come from an outside analysis.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. SFPUC — Announces Expansion of Leak Alert Program (12 August 2021)
Claim 12 clm-8ca4743dd6d51d2d quantitative
77% of notified customers had not known they had a leak
Published field
impact · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
AWE, reporting SFPUC's automated post-alert surveys (n=2,138, running since August 2020): '77 percent were not aware of the usage until they received the notice.' 54% traced it to leaky toilets; 45% fixed it themselves.
Caveat
Survey data collected by the operator and relayed by AWE; voluntary responses, so self-selection is possible.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Alliance for Water Efficiency — Smart Practices to Save Water: An Evaluation of AMI-enabled Proactive Leak Notification Programs (March 2023)
Claim 13 clm-f69a46cb398ca6c4 quantitative
The vendor's data sheet promised a 20-year battery
Published field
lesson · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
The era-correct 2008 Aclara STAR Water MTU specification sheet: 'Contains a 20-year permanent battery.'
Caveat
Vendor claim, cited as the promise the failure is measured against. SFPUC itself never publicly names battery end-of-life as the cause — its FAQ says only 'aging automated metering equipment'; the juxtaposition is ours.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Aclara — STAR Network Water MTU specification sheet (©2008, vendor)
Claim 14 clm-3267d66073270131 quantitative
schedules replacement of the system by the end of its 20-year useful life in 2031
Published field
lesson · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
SFPUC's 10-Year Capital Plan: $40.2 million for 'meter renewal, replacement, automation, and replacement planning for the entire AWMP System by the end of its 20-year useful life (ending in 2031).'
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. SFPUC — 10-Year Capital Plan FY 2023-24 – FY 2032-33 (authority)
Claim 15 clm-d24450b2fa17c9ea quantitative
by September 2024 about 8,200 customers had gone months, some more than a year, without a bill
Published field
lesson · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
KTVU: about 8,200 residents affected, 'some customers went three months without bills; others… a year or more.' 48hills broke the story five days earlier with 'Some 8,000 households… haven't received a water bill in months.'
Caveat
Both counts come from SFPUC statements to press; the utility has published no number of its own.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. KTVU FOX 2 — Unexpected water bills to hit thousands of San Francisco mailboxes (24 September 2024)
  2. 48hills — Thousands of SF residents about to get a huge backdated water bill (19 September 2024)
Claim 16 clm-46dd1a498ff91f72 descriptive
the utility could not keep up with repairing its ageing transmitters
Published field
lesson · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
SFPUC's own admission: 'Staffing and equipment shortages left us unable to keep up with repairing our aging automated metering equipment. The situation was exacerbated by supply chain delays.'
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. SFPUC — Delayed Water and Sewer Bills, Frequently Asked Questions (authority)
Claim 17 clm-0b04a6c6fccab9d2 descriptive
remain a courtesy with nothing enforced behind them
Published field
lesson · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
SFPUC itself calls it a 'courtesy Leak Alert Program'; the page describes notifications only — no fine, no shut-off, no obligation follows an alert.
Caveat
The absence of enforcement is our reading of the programme description; no source states it as a design decision.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. SFPUC — Leak Alerts: Find and Fix Leaks (authority)
Claim 18 clm-ac80ae8f692e2e2f quantitative
by September 2024 about 8,200 customers had quietly stopped receiving bills
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
KTVU: about 8,200 residents affected; 48hills five days earlier: 'Some 8,000 households in San Francisco haven't received a water bill in months.'
Caveat
Both counts come from SFPUC statements to press; the utility has published no number of its own.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. KTVU FOX 2 — Unexpected water bills to hit thousands of San Francisco mailboxes (24 September 2024)
  2. 48hills — Thousands of SF residents about to get a huge backdated water bill (19 September 2024)
Claim 19 clm-2a61776afae44118 descriptive
most residential meters in San Francisco were read by a person walking the block once every two months
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
Government Technology (2010): 'Currently most residential water meters are read by meter readers once every two months, and commercial meters are read every month.'
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Government Technology — San Francisco Water Meters to Detect Leaks, Help Customers Track Usage (26 July 2010)
Claim 20 clm-3252d379f914577f quantitative
In November 2009 the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission picked Aclara's STAR fixed radio network
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
WaterWorld dates the selection to November 2009: SFPUC 'has selected the Aclara RF Systems Inc. STAR Network' for its citywide AMI project.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. WaterWorld — San Francisco chooses Aclara AMI system to track water consumption (24 November 2009)
Claim 21 clm-35c58caff4b6cc1a quantitative
on 7 June 2010 it began what was announced as a two-year, $50 million replacement of more than 175,000 meters
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
Government Technology: the SFPUC 'on June 7 began its automated water meter program, a two-year effort'; 'started replacing its 175,000-plus water meters in June'; 'The $50 million program'.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Government Technology — San Francisco Water Meters to Detect Leaks, Help Customers Track Usage (26 July 2010)
Claim 22 clm-fa89a71a6479879c quantitative
funded by a 91-cent charge on every monthly water bill
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
Government Technology: 'The $50 million program is being funded by a 91-cent fee that's being tacked onto ratepayers' monthly bills.'
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Government Technology — San Francisco Water Meters to Detect Leaks, Help Customers Track Usage (26 July 2010)
Claim 23 clm-c174fd8c97910419 quantitative
the Alliance for Water Efficiency dates the installation as "primarily occurring from 2010 to 2013"
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
AWE: 'The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) was an early adopter of AMI with implementation primarily occurring from 2010 to 2013.'
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Alliance for Water Efficiency — Smart Practices to Save Water: An Evaluation of AMI-enabled Proactive Leak Notification Programs (March 2023)
Claim 24 clm-6c5b7f1ba86b2ecc quantitative
a final-completion line was still sitting in the capital budget in FY2021
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
The 10-Year Capital Plan's scenario table carries the line 'AWMP Completion (FY21) & Repl. Planning (FY22-26)'.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. SFPUC — 10-Year Capital Plan FY 2023-24 – FY 2032-33 (authority)
Claim 25 clm-37d496ac573523ba quantitative
transmitters are now in place at nearly all of the city's 178,000 accounts
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
SFPUC: 'Meter transmission units are now in place for nearly all of San Francisco's 178,000 water accounts.'
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. SFPUC — About Your Water Meter (authority)
Claim 26 clm-46769ad28bd44458 quantitative
Each meter transmission unit takes a reading every hour and sends its batch four times a day, in radio bursts of less than a tenth of a second, to one of 81 collectors around the city
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
SFPUC: the MTU collects a reading each hour and sends 'every six hours' (four times a day); 'Automated Water Meters transmit radio signals only once every 6 hours, with each transmission lasting less than one-tenth of a second'; 'A total of 81 Data Collectors are located throughout the city.'
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. SFPUC — About Your Water Meter (authority)
Claim 27 clm-49b929e8ddca3dd5 quantitative
"20-year permanent battery"
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
Verbatim from the 2008 Aclara STAR Water MTU specification sheet: 'Contains a 20-year permanent battery.'
Caveat
Vendor claim, quoted as the promise the later failure is measured against.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Aclara — STAR Network Water MTU specification sheet (©2008, vendor)
Claim 28 clm-202d33c9c9c25ae4 quantitative
alert fires when a small account runs 7.5 gallons an hour or more for 48 hours without a break
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
SFPUC: alerts after '48 hours of continuous water use of 7.5 gallons an hour or more' at small accounts; no sign-up needed.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. SFPUC — Leak Alerts: Find and Fix Leaks (authority)
Claim 29 clm-91887ec47240c5f2 quantitative
night-time consumption between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. compared against the account's own 90-day average
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
AWE, describing the large-account screens: 'the alert threshold is two times the consumption between one a.m. and four a.m. averaged over the last 90 days' (four times for accounts with routine continuous use).
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Alliance for Water Efficiency — Smart Practices to Save Water: An Evaluation of AMI-enabled Proactive Leak Notification Programs (March 2023)
Claim 30 clm-d6c557a68628d709 quantitative
77 percent did not know about the water use until the notice arrived
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
AWE, reporting SFPUC's automated post-alert surveys (n=2,138): '77 percent were not aware of the usage until they received the notice.'
Caveat
Survey data collected by the operator and relayed by AWE; voluntary responses, so self-selection is possible.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Alliance for Water Efficiency — Smart Practices to Save Water: An Evaluation of AMI-enabled Proactive Leak Notification Programs (March 2023)
Claim 31 clm-20184d496af14a7e quantitative
More than half traced it to a leaky toilet; 45 percent fixed the problem themselves without a plumber
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
AWE, same survey: '54 percent reported leaky toilets as the cause'; '45 percent said they resolved the issue on their own; 30 percent called a plumber.'
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Alliance for Water Efficiency — Smart Practices to Save Water: An Evaluation of AMI-enabled Proactive Leak Notification Programs (March 2023)
Claim 32 clm-79b8039a596c31fa quantitative
a second notice after two weeks, a third after ten, and after 100 days an inspector hangs a final paper notice on the door
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
AWE: 'Customers receive a second notification about two weeks after the first notification, should the condition still persist, and a third notification about 8 weeks after the second. For single-family and small multi-family customers, the SFPUC dispatches a water conservation inspector to leave a final notice door hanger notice as a final contact effort after 100 days.'
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Alliance for Water Efficiency — Smart Practices to Save Water: An Evaluation of AMI-enabled Proactive Leak Notification Programs (March 2023)
Claim 33 clm-59b5fe2bb679b6fb descriptive
the utility has a phone number or e-mail address for only about half of its customers
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
AWE: 'The SFPUC has phone numbers or email addresses for approximately half of its customers. Mailed letters are only sent if the customer does not have a valid email or mobile phone.'
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Alliance for Water Efficiency — Smart Practices to Save Water: An Evaluation of AMI-enabled Proactive Leak Notification Programs (March 2023)
Claim 34 clm-172e7856f32940de quantitative
in March 2023 the Alliance for Water Efficiency published a four-utility statistical evaluation with SFPUC as a case study
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
The report itself: 'Smart Practices to Save Water: An Evaluation of AMI-enabled Proactive Leak Notification Programs', March 2023; utility partners Fort Worth, Sacramento, Sacramento Suburban Water District and SFPUC.
Caveat
SFPUC is one of four utility partners that provided funding to serve as case studies — disclosed in the report's funding note.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Alliance for Water Efficiency — Smart Practices to Save Water: An Evaluation of AMI-enabled Proactive Leak Notification Programs (March 2023)
Claim 35 clm-820eeb3f466ccfc8 descriptive
identical alerts to private irrigation accounts cut leak volume in half
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
AWE: 'Leak notifications to non-municipal dedicated irrigation meters resulted in a statistically significant 51 percent reduction in mean leak volume per meter.'
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Alliance for Water Efficiency — Smart Practices to Save Water: An Evaluation of AMI-enabled Proactive Leak Notification Programs (March 2023)
Claim 36 clm-e4932834068ce5e7 descriptive
"depending on the availability of water department staff"
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
AWE, on why the municipal programme showed no effect: 'the process to notify municipal meters is manual and depends on the availability of water department staff.'
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Alliance for Water Efficiency — Smart Practices to Save Water: An Evaluation of AMI-enabled Proactive Leak Notification Programs (March 2023)
Claim 37 clm-ae2859bd7788ea8c quantitative
attributed 92.8 percent of measured conservation to leak detection and repair
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
Rupiper et al. 2024: '92.8% of the estimated water conservation is attributable to leak detection and repair.'
Caveat
Context only: the RCT ran at East Bay MUD, not at SFPUC — it supports the mechanism, never this programme.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Rupiper et al. — AMI water meters deliver end-use water and financial savings in leaky households (Environmental Research Letters, September 2024)
Claim 38 clm-847d5fc46e37a82b quantitative
budgets $40.2 million to replace "the entire AWMP System by the end of its 20-year useful life (ending in 2031)"
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
Capital plan, verbatim: 'Local Water – Automated Meter Reading System: $40.2 million. This program provides funding for the ongoing Automated Water Meter Program (AWMP) including meter renewal, replacement, automation, and replacement planning for the entire AWMP System by the end of its 20-year useful life (ending in 2031).'
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. SFPUC — 10-Year Capital Plan FY 2023-24 – FY 2032-33 (authority)
Claim 39 clm-99a8dbfaefc73ed0 quantitative
local outlet 48hills reported that some 8,000 households had not received a water bill in months
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
48hills, 19 September 2024: 'Some 8,000 households in San Francisco haven't received a water bill in months.'
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. 48hills — Thousands of SF residents about to get a huge backdated water bill (19 September 2024)
Claim 40 clm-8cd5b84fc8a6c95b quantitative
television news put the count at about 8,200, some unbilled for over a year
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
KTVU, 24 September 2024: about 8,200 residents affected; 'some customers went three months without bills; others… a year or more.'
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. KTVU FOX 2 — Unexpected water bills to hit thousands of San Francisco mailboxes (24 September 2024)
Claim 41 clm-98f79c5448c62190 quantitative
at a typical $140 a month for a single-family home
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
48hills: typical bills run about $50/month for an apartment and about $140/month for a single-family home; 'ten months without a bill could mean a sudden payment of more than $1,000.'
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. 48hills — Thousands of SF residents about to get a huge backdated water bill (19 September 2024)
Claim 42 clm-4c1c4e53f6df19d4 descriptive
SFPUC waived interest and late fees and offered payment plans, but the consumption itself stayed owed
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
SFPUC FAQ: 'Customers will not be charged any interest or late fees with payment plans'; KTVU, relaying SFPUC: 'customers are responsible for the cost of water and sewer service they received.'
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. SFPUC — Delayed Water and Sewer Bills, Frequently Asked Questions (authority)
  2. KTVU FOX 2 — Unexpected water bills to hit thousands of San Francisco mailboxes (24 September 2024)
Claim 43 clm-7f9bc34b1acd5a26 descriptive
says it is "evaluating and upgrading" the transponder system
Published field
body · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
SFPUC FAQ, live in August 2026: 'We are in the process of evaluating and upgrading our meter transponder system.'
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. SFPUC — Delayed Water and Sewer Bills, Frequently Asked Questions (authority)

Source dossiers and revision state

This layer records what is known about each source, what is still missing, and the exact snapshot this page is rendering. A missing date, archive or hash stays visible as missing.

unreviewed Revision 2026-08-12-story-xray-claims effective 2026-08-12 · created 2026-08-12

Awaiting operator and domain-expert review; publication of this revision implies neither.

sha256:362e28211c013390af991e3d888508bd42fdb39e5459bdc870d7d031a2b937d5
Revision history → Permanent version link → Machine-readable record → Evidence Constitution →
43
of 43 claims mapped
13
source dossiers
6
publication dates recorded
0
archives linked
0
exact locators
0
content captures hashed

Governance facts carried by the record

Operator
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC)
Actor types
utility
Funding model
utility
Funding description
SFPUC water ratepayers
Cost
≈$50M (2010 press figure; a 2014 press account put spending at $56M)
Ownership
Not recorded
Decision rights
Not recorded
Exit conditions
Not recorded

13 source dossiers

SFPUC — About Your Water Meter (authority) sfpuc.gov · 4 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-05d56ac19f794358
Publisher
Name not classified · sfpuc.gov
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-08-12
Dossier created
2026-08-12
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
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The operator's own description of the system. Supports: 'Meter transmission units are now in place for nearly all of San Francisco's 178,000 water accounts'; the Aclara Fixed Network AMI STAR System reading 'more than 96% of San Francisco's water accounts'; the MTU collecting a reading each hour and sending to a collector 'Every six hours'; 'A total of 81 Data Collectors are located throughout the city'; and the My Account data going live in Spring 2014 with downloadable daily and monthly reports.

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Claims linked
SFPUC — Leak Alerts: Find and Fix Leaks (authority) sfpuc.gov · 3 linked claims

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Stable source ID
src-a77ce079bd7d6b86
Publisher
Name not classified · sfpuc.gov
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-08-12
Dossier created
2026-08-12
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Currency check and the mechanics. A 'courtesy Leak Alert Program' that 'reviews hourly water use for all meters that transmit data to us electronically', with no sign-up needed; alerts after '48 hours of continuous water use of 7.5 gallons an hour or more' at small accounts, and on overnight use 100% or 300% above the 90-day average at large ones. Gives the current operating figure: 'over 170,000 meters serving 165,000-plus customers'. Confirms My Account is the live customer portal in 2026.

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SFPUC — Announces Expansion of Leak Alert Program (12 August 2021) sfpuc.gov · 1 linked claim

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Stable source ID
src-926fe954f024ded3
Publisher
Name not classified · sfpuc.gov
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2021-08-12
Updated
Not recorded
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Record last verified
2026-08-12
Dossier created
2026-08-12
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The only quantified result found, and it is self-reported: 'In the last fiscal year, the Leak Alert program saved SFPUC customers an estimated 47 million gallons of water.' Also dates the extension of alerts beyond homes to 'commercial and industrial properties and larger multi-family buildings', and gives the commercial thresholds (increases of 50 percent or more in use over 90 days, plus nightly spikes).

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Government Technology — San Francisco Water Meters to Detect Leaks, Help Customers Track Usage (26 July 2010) govtech.com · 4 linked claims

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Stable source ID
src-068f65ccc40d3705
Publisher
Name not classified · govtech.com
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2010-07-26
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
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Record last verified
2026-08-12
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2026-08-12
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Anchors the start and the money: the SFPUC 'on June 7 began its automated water meter program, a two-year effort'; 'San Francisco started replacing its 175,000-plus water meters in June'; and 'The $50 million program is being funded by a 91-cent fee that's being tacked onto ratepayers' monthly bills.' The cost and the funding mechanism rest on this press account only — no SFPUC or Controller cost document was reachable. Also records that the online-viewing component was expected to lag the installation, which it did by four years.

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WaterWorld — San Francisco chooses Aclara AMI system to track water consumption (24 November 2009) waterworld.com · 2 linked claims

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Stable source ID
src-3a2f4d31d443496d
Publisher
Name not classified · waterworld.com
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2009-11-24
Updated
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Record last verified
2026-08-12
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2026-08-12
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Dates the vendor selection to November 2009 and describes the STAR Network: low-frequency radio, hourly readings sent four times a day, replacing manual reads taken every two months residentially. Carries the claim that SFPUC 'will be the first major California water utility to install Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) technology to track water consumption' — a vendor-announcement claim in trade press, deliberately not used in the entry.

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SFPUC — Delayed Water and Sewer Bills, Frequently Asked Questions (authority) sfpuc.gov · 4 linked claims

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Stable source ID
src-08dc890a504c86b0
Publisher
Name not classified · sfpuc.gov
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-08-12
Dossier created
2026-08-12
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The utility's own account of the failure. 'A technical problem led to some customers not receiving a water and sewer bill for several months. The problem was caused by certain transponders on water meters' — the meters read correctly but 'the transponders were not sending that data electronically to our billing system.' The admission: 'Staffing and equipment shortages left us unable to keep up with repairing our aging automated metering equipment. The situation was exacerbated by supply chain delays.' Also states SFPUC is 'in the process of evaluating and upgrading our meter transponder system', which is the only evidence of a second generation — no contract, count or schedule is given.

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KTVU FOX 2 — Unexpected water bills to hit thousands of San Francisco mailboxes (24 September 2024) ktvu.com · 5 linked claims

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Stable source ID
src-4e6e4249e6d8ce0b
Publisher
Name not classified · ktvu.com
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2024-09-24
Updated
Not recorded
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Record last verified
2026-08-12
Dossier created
2026-08-12
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Scales the billing failure: about 8,200 residents affected, some three months without a bill and others a year or more, with SFPUC saying customers are not charged for the repair but remain liable for the service received. Press account; SFPUC has not published a customer count of its own.

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Alliance for Water Efficiency — Smart Practices to Save Water: An Evaluation of AMI-enabled Proactive Leak Notification Programs (March 2023) allianceforwaterefficiency.org · 14 linked claims

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Stable source ID
src-32de3bffb656d438
Publisher
Name not classified · allianceforwaterefficiency.org
Type / language
pdf · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-08-12
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2026-08-12
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The evaluation that carries this entry's grade — the only outside statistical assessment of the programme. Dates the rollout ('implementation primarily occurring from 2010 to 2013', 'Over 99 percent of its approximately 180,000 retail service connections'), the portal (2014; 'about 53 percent of SFPUC's customers were registered' by spring 2022), the postcard pilot (2015) and the automated programme (2017). Results: SFPUC's single-family programme is one of 'three of the four' with statistically significant reductions; multi-family 'registered an 18 percent reduction'; non-municipal irrigation meters 'a statistically significant 51 percent reduction'; 'Notifications to municipal meters did not result in a statistically significant difference.' Survey (n=2,138): '77 percent were not aware of the usage until they received the notice.' Disclosed limits: pre/post comparison with a nine-month pre-period, no control group, and SFPUC is one of four utility partners that 'provided funding to serve as case studies' — the reason this grades independent, not peer-reviewed.

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Claims linked
SFPUC — 10-Year Capital Plan FY 2023-24 – FY 2032-33 (authority) sfpuc.gov · 3 linked claims

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Stable source ID
src-079a5e52f9345467
Publisher
Name not classified · sfpuc.gov
Type / language
pdf · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-08-12
Dossier created
2026-08-12
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The utility's own replacement arithmetic: 'Local Water – Automated Meter Reading System: $40.2 million. This program provides funding for the ongoing Automated Water Meter Program (AWMP) including meter renewal, replacement, automation, and replacement planning for the entire AWMP System by the end of its 20-year useful life (ending in 2031).' The transmitters started failing at scale seven years before that end date. An earlier scenario line ('AWMP Completion (FY21)') also shows final installation was still a budget item in FY2021.

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Claims linked
Aclara — STAR Network Water MTU specification sheet (©2008, vendor) hocutt.com · 2 linked claims

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Stable source ID
src-4e4219ba1d9b4c34
Publisher
Name not classified · hocutt.com
Type / language
pdf · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-08-12
Dossier created
2026-08-12
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Vendor material, used deliberately as the claim the failure is measured against, not as support: 'Contains a 20-year permanent battery.' Also documents the design that made the battery last: 'STAR Network MTUs are capable of one- or two-way communications' but transmit on a timer 'over FCC-licensed, 450- to 470-MHz radio frequencies' — in San Francisco the deployment operates transmit-only, per SFPUC's own description of six-hourly sub-second bursts. Mirrored on a distributor site; the vendor's original page is gone.

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Claims linked
48hills — Thousands of SF residents about to get a huge backdated water bill (19 September 2024) 48hills.org · 4 linked claims

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Stable source ID
src-45982861eb30666b
Publisher
Name not classified · 48hills.org
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2024-09-19
Updated
Not recorded
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Record last verified
2026-08-12
Dossier created
2026-08-12
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The report that broke the billing story, five days before the TV coverage: 'Some 8,000 households in San Francisco haven't received a water bill in months.' Scales the hardship — at typical bills of roughly $50/month for an apartment and $140/month for a single-family home, 'ten months without a bill could mean a sudden payment of more than $1,000' — and carries the general manager's response that SFPUC 'plans on accommodating' hardship cases via payment plans and the 25-40% low-income discount.

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Claims linked
Municipal Sewer & Water Magazine — Leading the Fight Against Non-Revenue Water (24 August 2015) mswmag.com · background

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Stable source ID
src-aad1e0fd7076a98b
Publisher
Name not classified · mswmag.com
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2015-08-24
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-08-12
Dossier created
2026-08-12
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Trade press quoting the programme's manager mid-drought, when the alerts were still weekly postcards: 'The Aclara report tells us which accounts have exhibited continuous usage every hour over a three-day reporting period each week' and 'The utility reaches out to those who show up on the report by sending weekly postcards.' Frames the drought context: utilities scrambling 'to meet government mandates for a statewide 25 percent reduction in water usage.'

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Background source; no baseline claim points here
Rupiper et al. — AMI water meters deliver end-use water and financial savings in leaky households (Environmental Research Letters, September 2024) iopscience.iop.org · 1 linked claim

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Stable source ID
src-8e38aaa134894c7d
Publisher
Name not classified · iopscience.iop.org
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-08-12
Dossier created
2026-08-12
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Context only — this randomized controlled trial ran at East Bay Municipal Utility District across the bay, not at SFPUC, and must never be read as evidence for this entry. It is cited because it is the nearest peer-reviewed test of the same mechanism: '92.8% of the estimated water conservation is attributable to leak detection and repair.' It shows what the gold-standard evaluation SFPUC has never had would look like.

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Known limits of this passport
  • 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.