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TUCSON - A team of senior IBM executives is spending three weeks in Tucson to share their expertise with City and Tucson Water staff through a 2013 IBM Smarter Cities Challenge grant.

A 'Smarter Cities Kickoff Event' will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, February 27, at the City's Information Technology Building, 481 W. Paseo Redondo.

IBM will provide analysis and recommendations to help Tucson Water merge two technology improvements designed to increase water reliability: Automatic Meter Reading (AMR)/Automatic Meter Infrastructure (AMI) and Supervisory Control and Data Systems Acquisition (SCADA). AMR/AMI will let customers better monitor their water use and the utility better manage water demand, all in real time. SCADA is the central control technology used to operate the water distribution system.

"I'm very pleased to welcome our guests from IBM's global network of experts," said Mayor Jonathan Rothschild. "I look forward to hearing their take on how the City can improve water service delivery to benefit customers, the city and the environment."

Tucson is one of 100 municipalities worldwide to be awarded a grant. Tucson Water is among only a few water utilities selected.

"IBM will teach us how to utilize precise data to measure real-time water demand," said Alan Forrest, Tucson Water Director. "The benefits are improved customer service, increased life for utility assets and infrastructure, and better long-range planning for our water supply."

The value of the Smarter Cities Challenge Grant is estimated at approximately $400,000.