Town of Lenoir, NC AMI Project Communications Plan 1

ADVANCED METERING INFRASTRUCTURE

IMPLEMENTATION COMMUNICATIONS

PLAN

Version Date Author Comments1.0 3/12/20 LN Original Draft 1.2 3/17/20 LN Revisions

Town of Sawmills, NC March 12, 2020Communications Plan: Advanced Metering Infrastructure Implementation Project

I. Purpose

The Advanced Metering Communications Management Plan documents the process for communicating with internal and external project stakeholders in an effective and efficient manner throughout the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Implementation Project. This Plan shall help the Town create awareness of the project and technology, foster support from utility customers and Town leadership, promote transparency, and provide adequate resources and training for the utility to engage with customers in a proactive manner. Development of this plan requires defining the following three key areas of successful communications management, which are: 1.) Communications Planning, 2.) Information Distribution and 3.) Communications Timeline. This activity will ultimately provide direction for the Sub-Team to develop the phases of the plan, detailed activities and target timeline.

The Communications Sub-Team will develop topic areas of communication and key messaging, as well as design and facilitate the strategic outreach efforts to coincide with the implementation timeline and key activities. Existing and new communication channels will be used with a focus on establishing public engagement efforts to educate customers on advanced metering technology, utility and customer benefits of AMI, and conservation efforts.

II. Project Overview

The AMI Implementation Project was established by the Town of Sawmills (“Town”) to facilitate the effective deployment of the Town’s selected AMI technology. The implementation will follow a targeted, Town-wide deployment with proactive risk and issue identification, progression management of the systems integration and installation activities, change management elements, and system and field training performed alongside the key implementation activities.

The Project will involve the replacement of 100% of the Town’s water meters, installation of a Town-wide AMI network serving 100% of the Town’s water services, and installation and integration of Meter Data Management System (MDMS) software with the Town’s utility billing system. The anticipated completion date for conversion to fixed-base meter reading is August 1, 2020. The key milestones and timeline of the project is detailed below.

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III. Goals

The overarching goal is to create awareness, foster support, and promote transparency so the utility can engage with customers regarding water consumption in a proactive manner. In addition to the following goals:

Educate customers about the technology

Educate customers on the operational and resource management value of AMI

Inform customers on self-service options

Inform staff of system functionalities and opportunities for automation

Create a dialogue of leadership and elected officials about policies, procedures and ordinances aligned with the new technology

Establish internal processes for system performance and long-term capital planning

IV. Objectives

The objectives of the communications plan are to:

Plan and manage the timely and consistent distribution of project information to the project teams, Town leadership, and stakeholders to keep them energized, informed, and engaged

Accommodate storing of the information where it can be easily accessed and updated

Collect historical and cultural information on utility operations supporting the development of the Communications Management Plan

Establish effective communication messaging and channels for advanced metering and conservation throughout its lifecycle

Draft and gain approval of key messaging in support of technology education and resource conservation awareness for internal and external stakeholders

Identify proper communication channels for proactive information sharing on advanced metering benefits, safety and security measures within AMI, resource conservation initiatives through advanced metering, and enhanced customer service

Identify risks associated with project and develop a communications strategy aligned with minimizing negative impacts to the project implementation

Planning and employing a sound communications management strategy through the Communications Plan will produce the following benefits:

Ensure the interests of all stakeholders who may affect or be affected by the project are considered

Adapt the communications to the stakeholders’ needs while maintaining a consistent message

Generate optimal stakeholder support while mitigating negative impact

Provide structure and ownership for distributing project information to stakeholders

V. Communications Sub-Team

The Communications Sub-Team is comprised of MeterSYS and Town staff. The Sub-Team will need to create a plan for publishing, including identifying deadlines for specific releases and an internal project

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timeline to guide the completion of deliverables to be published. Altogether, the team has the responsibility to plan and implement the communications management strategy.

VI. Communications Management Communications management involves the establishment of effective channels, methods, and formats for the timely and appropriate dissemination and exchange of project-related information. It fosters an environment contributing to the sustained commitment and coordinated support of the project participants and stakeholders. This is best accomplished by the provision of a clear, consistent, and comprehensive communications strategy, one that comprises the generation, distribution, storage and retrieval, and disposition of project information. Communications management is composed of four fundamental component processes that is detailed in the following section.

A. Communications Planning. This component addresses the questions of ‘who, what, when, and how’:

Who are the project stakeholders and what are their roles and involvement in advanced metering and conservation? See Section VII. Stakeholder Management.

What process is planned for managing issues/risks associated with evaluating and implementing advanced metering?

What are stakeholder project interests?

What are stakeholder project information needs?

When and how are these information needs best answered?

How will the project achieve stated goals and objectives reliably over its life-cycle?

The communications team will attempt to answer the above questions and design targeted communications that seek to address all key aspects and communication needs identified.

B. Information Distribution. This step involves the dispersal and provision of important project information to both project participants and stakeholders through project meetings, presentations, intranet/internet, email, social media and other delivery methods. The Town’s current communication channels include the following:

Town of Sawmills Website contains press media releases, latest news, FAQ’s, contact information, and links to all Town social media

Facebook: mainly used for community notifications

CodeRed: mainly used for community alerts/notifications (potential to leverage for targeted notification of scheduled installation activities)

Bill Inserts and Mailers: serves as a notification of the AMI project and installation and includes contact information

The Town also has the option of displaying posters at Town Hall to inform and educate its water customers on the importance of the advanced metering replacement project, as well as the benefits to the Utility and customers.

C. Communications Timeline

The communications sub-team will need to create a plan for publishing, including identifying deadlines for specific releases and an internal project timeline to guide the completion of deliverables to be published. Information can either be distributed on a regular schedule or linked to when a project

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activity is started or completed. The communications sub-team will plan for the development and release of information with a focus on educational materials dispersed at selective intervals throughout the implementation. MeterSYS will develop messaging around project background and need and education on AMI technology and benefits. The frequency of public-facing communications will increase to coincide with the initiation of installation, at which point the material will switch from educational based to informational based, with a focus on updating customers on the project and meter replacement schedule.

It is important for the Sub-Team to meet (via conference call or onsite meetings) throughout the project and ahead of the key communications milestones/phases as outlined in Section VIII to discuss any updates to the Plan as necessary and issues or concerns. The Sub-Team shall work together to schedule these tentative meetings.

VII. Risk Management

The potential risks from stakeholders who may pose as a roadblock or require more attention than other customers as the Town moves to adopt AMI are identified here.

Stakeholder Risks and Mitigation Strategies:

Risk: The project experiences significant public pushback, specifically on RF Safety and Health

Mitigation Actions: “Advanced meters” have received some pushback from people who deem RF exposure to be hazardous, despite numerous studies denying that claim and the high regulatory and compliance standards required by the US Government. Additional concerns around privacy have been raised by people claiming the precision of the meters allows for an unnecessary insight into a person’s water use or incorrectly believes that personally identifying information is included in the meter transmissions (it is not). The best way to prevent public pushback of AMI is to follow the Communications Plan, as created by the Town of Lenoir and MeterSYS project team, which addresses both internal (staff) and external (customers and public) components. The RF health and privacy concerns should be addressed and supported with facts clearly conveyed and sources sited.

Risk: Political or customer interference threaten the project

Mitigation Actions: Stakeholder engagement and customer communication are key elements of implementation; identifying potential risks and roadblocks here is critical to plan for the appropriate resources that meet the expectations of that particular stakeholder (i.e. monthly progression reports submitted to Board)

MeterSYS will provide content, language, and additional resources to support key messaging development. The Town will identify the appropriate delivery channels and methods to reach the target audiences. The following section serves as an initial planning resource that identifies the tools and timeline of information dissemination for both internal and external stakeholders.

VIII. Key Communication Phases

The successful communication of the advanced metering project requires equipping utility staff and Town leadership with resources to confidently respond to customer inquiries, promote and support the project from rollout to completion. It also requires leveraging the appropriate tools to educate customers on the importance of the project to the Town and for its customers. Described below are three key communication phases that coincide with the project implementation milestone to support: 1.) Raising Awareness, 2.) Supporting Meter Installation, and 3.) Customer Engagement. Each phase

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includes and is organized by external and internal tactic planning, as well the anticipated timeline for information distribution.

Phase 1. Raising Awareness about the Project

TOOL PURPOSE TIMELINE AUDIENCE (INTERNAL, EXTERNAL OR BOTH)

Staff AMI 101 Training

Offer training opportunities for employees who will be working directly with affected customers to learn about AMI; target audiences will include, but not be limited to, Customer Service/Billing Staff, Field Crews (meter installers/meter readers), Community Affairs Managers, Key Account Managers, State Government Affairs, and Regulatory Affairs

TBD Internal

Town Website

Promote project background (i.e. education on Town’s decision to implement AMI, years of planning through Feasibility Analysis and Procurement); content to include FAQs, news releases, and other downloadable resources (i.e. AMI Key Messages, Mueller solution specification sheets, WaterSmart information based on roll-out timeline); dedicated page

TBD Both

Project Notification Mailers

Intended to inform customers of upcoming deployment plans; Focus on advanced metering benefits and overall awareness of its benefits

Postcards to go out with April bills on 4/25-2/26

External

FAQ Sheets

Fact Sheets during Phase I can focus on advanced meter benefits and overall awareness of advanced meter benefits intended to inform customers of upcoming deployment plans

TBD Both

Social Media

Monitor social media for discussions regarding advanced meters; leverage social media as appropriate to disseminate messages to customers (via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.); get leadership feedback

TBD External

Community Events/Information Tents

Speaking opportunities at Town events or local community sites (i.e. churches); ensure community opinion leaders are informed about advanced meters and answers about project are answered

TBD External

Phase 2. Supporting the Meter Installation

TOOL PURPOSE TIMELINE AUDIENCE (INTERNAL, EXTERNAL OR BOTH)

Pre-Installation Mailer

Each customer can receive a postcard alerting them to the fact that their advanced meter installation date is nearing; to include contact information (via 1-800 number and email) if they have questions and to direct customers to website for more details

TBD External

Staff Training Phase II employee training efforts will build upon TBD Internal

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previous material but be further refined to help customers understand the advanced meter installation process and what to expect before, during and after installation; focus can be on assisting affected customers, gathering customer feedback on the installation process and helping customers through a smooth transition to the new technology

Pre-Installation Outbound Call (CodeRed)

Use community notification system to alert customers to a timeframe window when advanced meter installation will take place

TBD External

Day of Installation Door Hanger

Upon completed installation, use door hanger to inform customers about new meter and let them know where to find more information

TBD External

Bill Inserts

Periodically provide basic information and reminders about advanced meters, featured articles addressing advanced meter/advanced meter topics, and directing customers to available resources for more information. The timing and specific content of bill inserts would be determined based on details of the roll-out activities in this phase as the AMI initiative is finalized

TBD External

Stakeholder Outreach/Community Meetings

Utility managers/Town personnel can meet with public officials and community organizations in area where advanced meters are due to be installed; examples of materials they can provide include specific information about the advanced meter roll out in their area, FAQs to address specific constituent concerns, advance copies of materials affected customers will be receiving, and key Utility contacts for questions; face-to-face meetings with community groups, neighborhood associations, public officials, environmental organizations, business, nonprofits, clubs, and individuals to encourage them to get the word out and answer questions that may arise

TBD External

Community Events

Speaking opportunities in the communities where installations are taking place; ensure community opinion leaders are informed about advanced meters, help answer questions

TBD External

Media Outreach

As important milestones are reached, news releases and outreach to reporters to communicate those achievements; advertising in this phase can continue to build with more robust messages as advanced meters are deployed across the service area

TBD Internal

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Phase 3. Post-Deployment Customer Engagement

TOOL PURPOSE TIMELINE AUDIENCE (INTERNAL, EXTERNAL OR BOTH)

Staff Training Training guides can reflect the type of inquiries received from customers; can create a customer service procedural reference as a tool to capture learnings on an ongoing basis

TBD Internal

Town Website

Include newer fact sheets, FAQs, and video vignettes to existing web content, as well as direct customers to link to sign-up to WaterSmart platform; include “how-to” guides for customers to register to platform and to use it

TBD External

FAQ Sheets

Staff to continue handing out fact sheets that provide “how to” information for customers using online bill pay and the customer portal, understanding their bill, and their personalized water usage information

TBD External

Direct Customer Email/Mailer

Follow-up email customers to provide a check-in and drive them to available online resources for increased engagement; can also help gather customer satisfaction feedback

TBD External

IX. Communications Plan Approval

The Plan is a living document subject to change as the project plan timeline may shift due to slight deviations in project planning activities. It serves as a guiding document for strategic communications engagement based on the key stakeholders and accepted communication plan goals and objectives by the project team. The Plan also serves to provide communications outreach strategies through existing channels to mitigate customer inquiries and misinformation about AMI technology, as well as provide staff directly involved with the project, management, and Town officials with consistent messaging and resources to learn about the project and AMI, as well as confidently and properly respond to customer questions and concerns.

X. Appendices

The exhibits and reference documents that support this Plan are below. Included is the content and messaging for public communications.

A. Project Announcement Press Media ReleaseB. AMI Frequently Asked QuestionsC. Completed Replacement Door Hanger D. AMI Project Notification Mailer E. Utility Contractor Vehicle Decal

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Appendix A. Project Announcement Press Media Release

Town upgrading water meters, improving water systemCONTACT: Chase Winebarger, Town Manager, manager@townofsawmillsnc.com

Date: XXXXXX

The Town has authorized the replacement of its public water utility meters as they have reached or exceeded useful life and may no longer be recording water consumption accurately. In place of the Town’s current touch-read and manually-read system that collects one meter read every 30 days, the Town will implement a network reading system that will collect 720 reads each month. This new technology is referred to as Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and will provide exponential benefits to the Town and customers. Customers will have direct access to detailed usage information and the opportunity to receive alert notifications for water leaks and high consumption to proactively capture leaks. Utility staff will have access to enhanced system reporting and functionalities, as well as detailed trending data to deliver improved customer service support and expedited response time.

The project involves the installation of highly accurate and state-of-the art metering technology for residential and commercial water customers. The new AMI system uses wireless and radio frequency technology to transmit hourly water usage data from individual meters to an antenna and collector at Town-owned poles and water tanks. The data transmissions sent by the meters to the collectors and on to the Meter Data Management System (MDMS) software utilized and managed by Utility staff are secured by encryption and contain no customer information.

Project Background: In April 2019, the Town of Sawmills began researching options for automating its meter reading processes and replacing meter infrastructure that had reached the end of its operational useful life. The Town conducted a business case analysis and, from the results of the study, determined that replacement of existing water meters with newer, AMI meters provided far greater benefit to Town utility operations and customer service, and the community than the costs associated with the upgrades.

In July 2019, the Town conducted a comprehensive bid process for new water metering technologies. Through competitive evaluation, the Town has selected Mueller Systems and its Mi.Net solution which will provide significant improvements to customer service, while achieving greater utility operational efficiencies.

Project Implementation: The Project will involve the replacement of 100% of the Town’s water meters, installation of a Town-wide AMI network serving all of the Town’s water services, and installation and integration of the MDMS with the Town’s utility billing system. The project is expected to be completed in August 2020.

Installation will require a short disruption of service, generally 10-15 minutes for residential customers and less than 30 minutes for commercial and industrial customers. After the new meter has been installed, a door tag will be placed on the front door notifying customers the work has been completed. Commercial and industrial customers will be contacted by the Town to have their meter replacement scheduled outside of business hours to limit service disruption.

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Field personnel will have successfully completed a background check and extensive training. They will carry proper identification and have company decals displayed on their vehicles. The meter upgrade project will be managed by a team comprised of the vendors and Town staff. MeterSYS, a Raleigh-based advanced metering services consulting firm will provide project management throughout the implementation.

For more information on the project and answers to Frequently Asked Questions, visit the Town’s website, www.townofsawmills.com.

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Appendix B. AMI Frequently Asked QuestionsTown of Sawmills – AMI Project Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Why is the Town upgrading my water meter?

The Town approved the upgrade of its existing touch-read and manual-read system to a fixed and real-time reading network, referred to as Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), in January of 2020 following analysis and planning in April of 2019. In the initial phase, a portion of the Town’s meters will be replaced, and the billing software will be integrated, so the entire process, from the meter to the bill, will be tested and verified prior to Town-wide installation. The Town will be installing meters and equipment manufactured by Mueller Systems, and manage the data through Mueller System’s Mi.Net advanced and comprehensive meter data management system, thereby expanding the benefits of its existing metering equipment.

2. Why is the Town changing the way it reads the meters?

The enhancement of existing equipment will provide 720 reads during each billing cycle rather than 1 read every 30 days as is currently designed. This detailed usage will enable the Town to automate its meter reading process, provide improved customer service through data access, reduce leaks to promote resource conservation, and improve Utility operational efficiencies by capturing real-time meter reading data.

3. How does the new system work?

The Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system is made up of several advanced or more commonly referred to as “smart” components that communicate using wireless and radio frequency technology. Inside the meter box, a small radio is connected to the water meter that records and transmits a reading on hourly intervals to a collector box. These data transmissions last only several milliseconds and are smaller data size than text. These network units will be mounted on top of the Town’s water tank and on a pole. Repeater units will also be installed at the site of multiple Town-owned property locations. The repeaters collect readings from meters that are too far away from the collector to communicate to it, so it will send its readings to the repeater, which will send the readings on to the collector. The collectors store all the reads and sends batch uploads twice daily to the software at Town Hall.

4. What is the technology that reads my meter and sends it to the Town? Is it safe?

The upgraded meters use wireless radio frequencies, similar to wireless Internet and cable TV, to send and receive information from the Town’s Utility and Billing Staff. The meters and communication system are regulated to meet all Federal Communications Commission (FCC), safety standards and codes. There is no personal identifying information captured by the smartpoint or transmitted by the meter.

5. Do I have to pay for my new meter?

No, the Town pays for the costs of the meters and their installation. The Town has prepared for the cost of this project as part of its annual capital improvement planning process. This project does not have any impacts to the existing water and sewer rates for the Town.

6. Have the new meters been tested for accuracy?

Yes, the all upgraded meters have been tested and guaranteed accurate by the manufacturer, Mueller Systems, in compliance with American Water Works Association (AWWA) accuracy standards.

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Additionally, the design of the installation process includes a testing phase, which allows a sub-set of the meters to be installed and the billing software to be integrated, so the entire process, from the meter to the bill, will be tested and verified for accuracy prior to system-wide installation.

7. Will my water bill increase?

The new meters are highly accurate and will measure customer usage on hourly intervals as compared to once every month. Your upgraded meter measures the amount of water used during the billing period by measuring how much water passes through the meter, which is the same measurement process as your old water meter. New meters may register lower flows that your older meter might not have been able to capture, which means that although your bill may increase, your meter is now accurately recording your water consumption. The benefits of improved and more accurate usage information to the Utility and customers will reduce wasted water through the enhanced system capability to send alerts and notifications such as stopped meter, customer leak detection, and utility distribution system leak detection.

8. Could I have a leak that is causing extra water usage?

If you have an unexplained spike in your water usage or show continuous water flow, it may be an indication of a leak. Customer Service will be able to identify a leak based on your consumption profile and leak alarms from the advanced meter that will immediately notify Customer Service and you if a leak is identified.

9. Is the AMI system secure?

The hourly read data that is transmitted from the meter register to the collector and then on to the hosted server is secured by 128 AES encryption. No customer identifying information is transmitted. The data stored in the collector is secured by end-to-end 128 bit RC4 encryption and the server has multiple levels of protection, including TLS 1.2+, 2048 bit RSA SSL Certificate, IDS/IPS/WAF, and SOC 2 Type II. Utility staff access to the system is password protected and is also encrypted.

About the Installation Project

10. Who is doing the work for the project?

The project is being managed for the Town by MeterSYS, a Raleigh-based advanced metering consulting firm, specializing in advanced metering technologies. MeterSYS will be responsible for overall management of the project along with the prime vendor Water Works, manufacturer Mueller Systems, and the installation sub-contractor Keystone Utility Systems. Field personnel working on the project will carry proper identification and have successfully completed a background check. Field personnel will not need to enter a residence.

11. How long will I be without water during installation?

While replacement times will vary, replacing a meter should take no longer than 10-15 minutes for residential meters, during which the water will be shut-off for a portion of that time. The installation crew will make every effort to keep the interruption to your service to a minimum. Commercial and industrial customers will be contacted in advance to schedule installation to minimize the disruption to their business. After the new meter has been installed, a door tag will be placed on the front door notifying customers the work has been completed.

12. Who do I contact with questions relating to my meter replacement?

You can contact Mueller System’s toll-free customer contact line that is staffed 24/7. This number will be made available when the Town starts installations in May.

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About Radio Frequencies

13. What is Radio Frequency? How is it measured?

Electromagnetic fields, radio waves, microwaves and wireless signals are collectively referred to as Radio Frequency (RF) energy. RF energy is all around us. It’s used in various electronics and appliances, including radio and television broadcasting, cellular telephones, satellite communications, microwave ovens, and radars to name a few.

Source: Bender, Klaus, PE.“No Health Threat from Smart Meters.” Utilities Telecom Council.2010. https://www.nema.org/Technical/Documents/SmartMeter-

NoHealthThreat.pdf

14. Is there a health hazard associated with radio frequency?

According to several reputable organizations, including the World Health Organization and Utilities Telecom Council, there is no demonstrated cause and effect relationship between low levels of RF exposure and adverse human health effects.

15. How is RF regulated? Are there any safety limits on human exposure to wireless and RF fields?

Since 1996, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has required all wireless communications devices sold in the United States meet minimum guidelines for safe human exposure to radio frequency energy. The limits established in the guidelines are designed to protect the public health with a very large margin of safety. The radio transmitters are tested to the worst case scenario and conditions against the maximum permissible exposure limit set by the FCC. When an advanced meter is transmitting, the exposure to radio frequency energy is more than 16 times lower than the exposure limit set by the FCC. For information and additional resources on the Town’s AMI network and RF safety, view the data sheet here.

Since March 27, 2013, the FCC has taken additional strides to periodically review existing rules and RF exposure guidelines as a good government practice and provide the opportunity for open dialogue between qualified expert agencies and organizations, as well as the general public to keep or modify current rules and policies on RF exposure. To learn more about the FCC’s policy on human exposure and RF safety, visit its FAQ page here. Together with the FCC are other governmental agencies that consistently monitor and regulate RF safety. These federal health and safety agencies include the

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Low

High

EPA, FDA, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Appendix C. Completed Replacement Door Hanger

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Appendix D. AMI Project Notification Mailer

Limited Text Bill Insert for Town of Sawmills Advanced Metering Installation

The Town will be replacing all water meters. Businesses will be contacted to schedule the installation around service hours. For more information, please visit the Town’s website at www.townofsawmills.com or contact Customer Service at (828) 396-7903.

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Appendix E. Utility Contractor Vehicle Decal

UTILITY CONTRACTOR RESPONSE LINE:

833-NCWATER EXTENSION 3

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