by Nicole Bradford
Several years in the making, a new utility billing system allowing residents to monitor water use closely is expected to go online this summer.
“The Pearland Water Customer Portal is currently in the final stage of development,” a City of Pearland announcement dated March 13 states. “The launch date is anticipated to be around the end of May 2024.”
In 2019, the city began installing “smart water meters,” which transmit data to a central database, as part of an upgrade to Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). The main goal, city leaders say, is residents’ convenience and ability to monitor water use.
The customer service portal will provide hour-by-hour insights into customers’ water use, the ability to create text, email, or phone call alerts when water use reaches a set limit, expanded bill payment options, and leak detection alerts.
Since a new payment processing system is also being implemented, the new system does require action on the part of customers, who will be prompted to create an account and re-enter payment information.
Signing up for the new portal is free. Regular updates on the progress of the new system, information on how to sign up, and more are available at pearlandtx.gov/portal.
