Why You Need More Than Meters In Your Advanced Metering Infrastructure

Cellular advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) systems are a logical step in the transition away from labor-intensive manual meter reading or one-dimensional data gleaned from drive-by automated meter reading (AMR). Through AMI, water utilities can get accurate usage data from anywhere in the field or office.

However, some water utilities can struggle to justify the cost of an AMI system or view it merely as a solution to meter reads and billing. Yet these systems are capable of so much more. As battery and communication technology evolves, vendors can now connect sensors and instruments to the network, creating a level of visibility into and control over distribution systems that isn’t possible with flow data alone.

Combined with a centralized data repository, AMI systems can supplement traditional SCADA systems with flow data across a network. This level of insight can help to increase responsiveness and generate a better   return on investment (ROI) for an AMI system, especially once the flow data is leveraged for additional data integration applications.