Restoring Trust in Rural Water through Science, Service, and Smart Metering 

In west-central Georgia, Talbot County spans 400 square miles of rolling farmland and timberland, home to just under 6,000 residents. With no grocery stores, one local diner, and 117 miles of aging water mains, it’s among the most rural and economically challenged counties in the state. For decades, the community’s water infrastructure reflected those challenges—neglected, leaking, and on the verge of collapse.

That changed when Scott Huckaby arrived.

A former high school science teacher turned water superintendent, Huckaby brought both a scientific mindset and a deep sense of civic duty to the struggling utility. In just two years, he transformed Talbot County Water Works from what he calls “a catastrophe” into a state-recognized Distribution System of Excellence—and in doing so, became one of Kamstrup’s most credible advocates. 

When Huckaby took over in early 2023, the Talbot County water system was failing on nearly every front. The utility had no functioning leadership, one field employee, and infrastructure that hadn’t been touched since it was installed with federal funds in 1989.

“There were 117 miles of substandard irrigation pipe pretending to be water main,” Huckaby recalls. “You could breathe on it and it would break.”  

The consequences were staggering. The utility was losing roughly 60% of all purchased water, paying suppliers for millions of gallons that never reached customers. Residents in the northern part of the county routinely ran out of water every Sunday night due to leaks and pressure drops. 

It wasn’t just about leaks. Meters—some more than 30 years old—were failing, often broken or buried without lids. Customer trust had eroded. Data was nonexistent. And oversight had all but disappeared. 

Huckaby’s approach to rehabilitation was methodical and data-driven—rooted in his 30-year background as a science teacher and geologist.

“I tell people I didn’t inherit a water system; I inherited a crime scene,” he laughs. “So I treated it like an investigation. You find the problems, you gather data, you fix the cause—not the symptom.”

Within his first year, Huckaby reduced water loss by more than half, restructured maintenance contracts, and rebuilt community confidence. But he knew real sustainability required reliable data and modern technology. 

In 2024, Talbot County launched a full AMI meter change-out program—replacing all 1,500 mechanical meters with Kamstrup flowIQ® 2200 ultrasonic meters featuring embedded Acoustic Leak Detection (ALD) and hybrid AMI/Cellular communications

The upgrade, funded through a $1.2M GEFA loan with 50% forgiveness, replaced outdated manual reads that took two employees two weeks per cycle. Huckaby anticipated not only labor and fuel savings but also a 20% immediate increase in billed revenue once accurate metering data came online

“Meters are your cash registers,” Huckaby explains. “Ours were running slow or not running at all. Kamstrup’s ultrasonic meters don’t just read water—they listen to the system. They help us find leaks before they become crises.”  

He first encountered Kamstrup through a demonstration at the Georgia Rural Water Conference. Skeptical at first, he tested the meter’s durability himself. 

Today, Kamstrup’s smart meters are a cornerstone of Talbot County’s modernization plan—providing accurate, real-time data and leak intelligence across a vast, rural service area that previously relied on guesswork. 

By 2024, just one year after Huckaby’s arrival, the system’s transformation was recognized statewide. Talbot County earned a Distribution System of Excellence Award from the Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP). 

Among the many improvements Talbot County enjoyed included streamlined operations: reduced manual reads, improved billing accuracy, and real-time leak visibility. Perhaps the greatest impact is this, a community once out of water every Sunday night now enjoys reliable service and confidence in its utility leadership.  

Operational improvements include:

Huckaby is quick to credit Kamstrup’s technology for enabling his success, but even quicker to point out that it’s not just about the meters—it’s about the partnership.

“Kamstrup has engineered a product that aligns with how I think,” he says. “It’s scientific, it’s precise, and it’s built to last. When you’re working in a county that can’t afford to do things twice, that matters.”

For Huckaby, Kamstrup’s ultrasonic design, ALD capability, and long battery life aren’t simply technical features—they’re a blueprint for operational integrity in small, rural systems where every gallon counts. 

With booster stations, control valves, and hydraulic modeling projects now underway, Talbot County Water Works is planning for the future rather than reacting to emergencies. Huckaby, now retired, continues to advise utilities across Georgia—and remains one of Kamstrup’s most persuasive ambassadors.