Second Time Smarter: Medford Upgrades AMI to Strengthen Accountability

The City of Medford, Massachusetts is a primarily residential community just two miles north of Boston, serving roughly 60,000 residents across 8 square miles. Like many long-established communities in the Northeast, Medford maintains aging infrastructure—roughly 144 miles of water main, much of it more than 100 years old. That reality makes leaks difficult to prevent and even harder to locate quickly.

Medford is also a member of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA), purchasing water and receiving wastewater treatment services through the Authority. And like many utilities across the region, rising wholesale water costs have increased the urgency around accurate measurement, accountability, and fair rate-setting. As Ron Baker, Network Administrator for The City of Medford Water Department explained: 

Compounding the pressure, Medford’s existing AMI system had reached the end of its lifecycle. Their reading devices were aging out and becoming unreliable—creating a moment of reinvestment, not just replacement. Medford wasn’t new to AMI; they had lived through a full system lifecycle and knew what they needed next.

As Kamstrup’s Blake Michal noted: 

When Medford began evaluating next-generation AMI solutions, reliability and long-term performance were non-negotiable. The team piloted Kamstrup as their older system deteriorated, and the results were immediate: the transition was straightforward and confidence-building.

“We didn't run into any problems with that,” said Baker. “So it was a clean crossover.”

Medford ultimately selected Kamstrup ultrasonic meters because the technology aligned with what the utility knew mattered most: durable, accurate, low-maintenance performance built for real-world conditions. Baker described the evaluation clearly: 

That “all-in-one” simplicity was especially valuable in a community where basement installations are common and component complexity can increase service calls over time. With Kamstrup, Medford gained an integrated metering and reading system designed to reduce failure points and support long-term confidence in data. 

With Kamstrup installed, Medford improved measurement accuracy and strengthened billing confidence—supporting the accountability the utility needed as MWRA costs continue to rise. But the benefits extended beyond reads and revenue.

According to Noel Ayala, City of Medford Water Superintendent, the new system has improved end-of-year reporting and overall utility visibility: 

Even more importantly, Medford gained a proactive advantage in leak response. The system’s intelligence helps track leak development over time, providing historical context that can change how crews prioritize and respond: 

The result is a smarter, more efficient approach to managing an aging distribution network—without relying solely on time-intensive field searching.

And perhaps the clearest evidence of success is advocacy. Since implementing Kamstrup, Medford has become a reference point for neighboring communities seeking their own AMI upgrade: 

For Medford, modern metering isn’t just a billing upgrade - it’s a clearer, more reliable way to manage accountability, reduce uncertainty, and make better decisions across the network.