Public Works staff briefed the Budget & Finance Committee on the utility fund, focusing on water‑main replacement, emergency pump controls and a smart‑meter initiative.

Nicole Campbell (senior engineer) and John Roshan said capital water expenses are primarily driven by water‑main replacement projects. Roshan reiterated that the utility fund is supported by water and garbage fees and that water rates for residential and commercial users are set by city ordinance; those rates fund infrastructure projects described in the presentation.

Staff described a remote pump‑control capability that would let water operators raise pumps remotely in response to fires or other high‑demand events instead of sending staff to perform manual adjustments. John and Nicole said the upgrade is a public‑safety priority and that they are exploring grant funding; Niceto said several grant opportunities exist and staff were "very hopeful."

The department also described a Sensus satellite-plus‑software smart‑meter system that would automatically collect meter reads, provide near‑real‑time customer usage data and help identify leaks faster. Nicole and Howard (water operator) said initial costs include two satellite receivers and several years of software; staff discussed an initial cost estimate around $170,000 and said the purchase could be justified by reduced non‑revenue water and faster leak detection. In the meeting one staff member said the cost "could go as high as a quarter of a million and as low as $1,500"; staff acknowledged estimates vary and that the department will seek grants and pursue phased deployments.

Roshan also described the city’s relationship with the City of Chicago for wholesale water purchases and told the committee that Chicago is planning capital spending that will change cost structures; staff said they expect roughly 5% annual wholesale increases in coming years and are building those increases into multi‑year rate forecasts. Roshan said the city participates in discussions with the Chicago Joint Water Commission and mentioned 2030 as an implementation target for some larger Chicago water planning items.

Staff said the utilities budget will be refined for the December draft; no formal votes were taken at this meeting.