SUA approves $405K upgrade for faster outage alerts to electric, water customers
Customers can opt in for text and email alerts about outages
Stillwater Utilities Authority
The Stillwater Utilities Authority approved a $405,315 contract Sept. 8 to modernize its outage management capabilities with a new system that will serve both electric and water customers.
The SUA trustees voted 4-0 to approve the contract with DataVoice International Inc., which will replace the authority's 13-year-old outage management system with technology that provides better customer communication and more efficient utility operations.
"This is the kind of stuff that people see," said SUA Chair Will Joyce. "It's not the back end stuff that nobody really cares about until the lights go out."
Electric Utility Director Lauren Smith told trustees the current system, installed in 2012, has become antiquated and relies on multiple vendors for critical functions, making it less reliable. The existing system also lacks capabilities for the water utility.
"The system has performed well over the years however needs an upgrade to allow staff to more efficiently manage outages, to better integrate with newer technologies and to provide better internal and external customer support," Smith said.
The new system will consolidate services under one vendor and add features the current system lacks, including two-way texting capability for both internal and external customers, better integration with existing automated metering infrastructure and SCADA systems, and comprehensive outage mapping for both utilities.
AD
A message from Visit Stillwater
From OSU Family Weekend and Cowboy Football to pumpkin patches, craft shows, and more, September is packed with traditions and celebrations. Experience the season in America’s Friendliest College Town!
System will send automatic text and email alerts
A key improvement will be automated customer notifications through multiple channels. The system will automatically call customers who request notification when service is restored, send text messages and emails about planned outages, and provide real-time updates during service interruptions.
Customers will need to opt in to receive text notifications, Smith explained.
The new system also includes an interactive voice recording system that allows customers to report outages by phone, with the system using text-to-speech technology to verify customer locations and provide outage information.
Trustees praised the collaboration between electric and water utilities on the joint project. The city has significant deficiencies in water outage management capabilities compared to its electric system.
"I am delighted that electric and water are working together on this project," said Trustee Kevin Clark. "There's a huge deficiency on the water side and I'm happy to see we'll be upgrading everything."
The contract includes an annual maintenance fee of approximately $98,000, which Trustee Christie Hawkins noted is built into the total cost.
"The $405,000 includes a recurring $98k annual fee," Hawkins said.
Clark said the annual fee structure should help prevent the technology from becoming outdated again, ensuring the system stays current with modern capabilities and doesn't fall behind over the years like the previous system did.
The system will detect electric outages within seconds at a meter level, while water outages sometimes require more investigation. For water customers, the new system will provide better communication about service interruptions and planned maintenance.
Installation complete within four months
DataVoice will implement the new system over three to four months, Smith said. The company will integrate with the authority's existing customer information system (NaviLine by CentralSquare Technologies), automated metering infrastructure (Aclara), SCADA systems (Advanced Control Systems), and GIS mapping (ESRI ArcGIS).
The contract includes 24-hour customer support, which Smith said will be valuable during major outages when problems typically occur outside normal business hours.
"These folks will be able to get right in and figure out what's going on in real time during the event," Smith said.
Funding and System Reliability
The project will be funded through the Electric Rate Stabilization Fund ($228,004) and Water Capital Fund ($217,844), with both amounts including contingencies.
The authority expects the new system to last many years, similar to how the current 13-year-old system has performed. DataVoice serves other Oklahoma municipalities including Edmond and offers ongoing system updates and modernization as part of their business model.
Smith noted the current system uses the same technology as Edmond's utility and that DataVoice has been in the outage management business for an extended period, providing confidence in the vendor's longevity and support capabilities.
The upgrade represents part of the utilities' broader effort to modernize infrastructure and improve customer service across both electric and water operations.
📺 Watch the presentation to SUA Trustees
Members Discussion