Photo by Pixabay
On July 21, Gulfport City Council unanimously approved a utility billing system that will allow residents to monitor daily water consumption, and receive leak alerts.
The City expects to launch the Continental Utility Solutions, Inc. (CUSI) customer information system in 2027. Officials said the software will cost about $48,000 annually, roughly $14,000 less than the City’s current billing software, which cost more than $62,000 during fiscal year 2025.
The Utility Enterprise Fund will cover the expense rather than property taxes.
According to Gulfport Utility Billing and Customer Service Director Sonya Levert, the software will connect Gulfport’s digital water meters and radio towers to an online customer portal. This will allow residents to review daily — and potentially hourly — water usage instead of waiting for a monthly bill.
Customers Gain Greater Control
Customers will be able to set text or email alerts for unusually high water use, leaks, or customized consumption thresholds. Someone traveling, for example, could receive a notification if water is detected while the home should be vacant.
“We’re giving you the information so that you can take control of your account and see what’s going on,” Levert said.
Residents can also establish daily water-use limits and receive notifications when they reach a specified threshold.
“If you look at your bill and you’re like, ‘Why is my bill $200?’ you can look and say 5,000 gallons of water was used,” Levert said. “Then you can actually drill down into your daily usage, and we’re hoping hourly usage.”
[read more below]
That’s not all that happened at the July 21 Gulfport City Council meeting. Read about the Casino Dock Project, Lions Club demolition, new welcome sign, planning support, proposed tax rate, Veterans Park Shoreline Restoration Project, and what we overheard.
Leak Went Undetected for Weeks
Levert said the new system could prevent expensive water bills by notifying customers shortly after unusual consumption begins.
She described a resident whose water usage increased from approximately 3,000 gallons to 34,000 gallons while he was away. A contractor entered the home, and a light fixture fell from the ceiling, struck a sink, and turned on the faucet. Water ran continuously down the drain for weeks.
Because Gulfport’s current system records only one meter reading each month, the City did not detect the problem until the next billing cycle.
“We don’t know what happens in those 30 days between,” Levert said.
System Completes Meter Project
The customer information system is the third and final phase of Gulfport’s automated meter infrastructure project. The City began replacing traditional water meters with digital meters in 2014 and activated the radio tower network that transmits meter readings around July 1.
However, Gulfport’s current billing software dates to 2004 and cannot fully integrate with the newer technology.
“This customer information system is the bridge that uses the information from the towers, brings it into the city and allows us to release it to the residents,” Levert said.
City Selects CUSI
Gulfport chose CUSI from nine qualified proposals after a five-member evaluation committee compared vendors on functionality, cost, qualifications, and transaction fees. The committee also reviewed more than 600 utility billing requirements and examined whether vendors would pass additional processing costs on to customers.
“The City covers the online service charge,” Levert said. “We wanted to make sure that they’re not sneaking charges in.”
Before the planned 2027 launch, the City must convert customer data, configure the software, and train employees. Customers may receive new account numbers and will likely need to create new online logins.
Until then, Gulfport will continue mailing its blue paper utility bills and accepting in-person payments at City Hall.
The Gulfport City Council’s next meeting is Aug. 4 at 6 p.m.
Keep Your Community Local: Donate Now To Support Us
Donate now to support The Gabber Newspaper. The owners of the paper take no income from the paper. Every penny donated helps keep your community news hyperlocal. And everyone who earns their living working at The Gabber Newspaper lives in Gulfport and St. Petersburg. Most of our freelancers live here, too. We support our community; please support us.
The Gabber Newspaper? Yeah, We Go There.
Did you know: In 1968, our founder, George Brann, started The Gabber Newspaper, then called the Gulfport Gabber, to hold Gulfport City Council accountable. Read more of our city council coverage, and learn about our policies on reporting, fact-checking, and funding.
Get all your Gulfport and Tampa Bay beaches news and things to do at thegabber.com.
