NACo Smart Infrastructure Report Highlights Savings and Efficiencies
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With certain tech investments, county governments are thinking long term. But they can be costly.
Computerized systems that monitor the flow of traffic on busy roadways, electricity grids that allow for two-way communication between customers and utilities, text messages to let residents know whether they’re meeting their household water usage goals.
Those are just a few examples of the “smart infrastructure” highlighted in a report the National Association of Counties released last week. While the report points to some of the benefits that smart technologies can have when it comes to long-term savings and efficiency, it also notes challenges surrounding upfront costs, cybersecurity and privacy.
“A lot of these technologies, they’ve been around a few years, but they’re fairly new in terms of their adoption,” Rob Pressly, a program manager for the National Association of Counties, who researched and wrote the report, said during an interview.
Among the examples of smart infrastructure included in the report are traffic management tools used in Pinellas County, Florida, a “microgrid” in place at the Santa Rita Jail in Alameda County, California, and a water pressure monitoring system used by the Sonoma County Water Agency, which is also located in the Golden State.
Pinellas County’s “intelligent transportation system” involves a collection of 15 technologies, according to the report. This suite of tools includes closed circuit cameras to record traffic flows, a computerized system that can automatically adjust traffic signals based on how many vehicles are traveling through an area, and electronic message boards that alert drivers about accidents.
The microgrid in place at the Santa Rita Jail is designed to keep the electricity on at the facility in the event that the utility that normally provides power has an outage. The system stores enough energy to last for about eight hours. Some of this power comes from solar panels on the jail’s roof and wind turbines. The facility also has backup generators in place, which can be turned on after the stored electricity runs out, if the utility has still not restored service.
Cost remains a key obstacle for smart infrastructure projects in some locales. “Counties are always going to be looking for ways to provide high quality services to their constituents,” Pressly said. “It’s going to be tougher and tougher as they’re facing financial constraints.”
He explained that counties that move forward with the projects are often “thinking long term and they’re going to see savings over the next decades.”
According to the report, the government in Miami-Dade County, Florida, has saved an estimated $100,000 per year by using technology that assists with the monitoring and analysis of water systems. And the Pinellas traffic management system is believed to have provided drivers with about $7 of benefits, in saved time and fuel, for every $1 it cost to build.
Security and privacy concerns can arise with a number of smart infrastructure technologies.
For instance, the report mentions the risk of cyberattackers taking control of electricity or water systems. And while the tracking data about electricity and water usage that “smart meters” can provide might help with conservation efforts, it can also make some people uncomfortable. “In the post-Snowden era,” the report notes, “the public’s perception on data collection has changed, and many may be wary about utilities or counties knowing their consumption habits.”
Bill Lucia is a Reporter for Government Executive’s Route Fifty.
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