The right residential water meter can reduce non-revenue water, improve customer service and conserve resources — ultimately boosting your utility’s revenue and reputation. So, what is the right choice?
As utility leaders seek new opportunities to improve the customer experience and usher in an era of smart connectivity, Sensus, a Xylem brand, is committed to helping its customers, distributors and partners to connect, learn and grow.
Choosing the right communication network is crucial to building a successful, smart utility. The quality of the communication technology selected determines whether the data will be transmitted efficiently, securely, and reliably over the long haul. It’s not a decision to be taken lightly.
The Weber Basin Water Conservancy District, located just north of Salt Lake City, is charged with serving more than 625,000 residents living in the second driest state in the nation.
Many utilities today are investing in advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). However, many of these same utilities often don’t realize the breadth of capabilities that a smart utility network (SUN) now offers. In the past, AMI networks were typically used for accurate metering and billing. Today, a smart utility network builds upon traditional AMI to provide multiple advantages across the full water cycle — and beyond.
Many utilities are embracing the concept of smart utility networks to make their systems more efficient and enhance customer service. Smart utility networks provide the ability to improve every part of the water cycle. However, having the right metrology for each application is critical to ensuring the reliability and accuracy of the data being collected.
Utility managers are facing increasing financial and sustainability pressures regarding water loss throughout their systems. An American Water Works Association (AWWA) white paper titled The State of Water Loss Control in Drinking Water Utilities notes that “all utilities incur inefficiencies, or losses, in both supply- and customer-related functions of their operations.”
As need for efficiency expands, there is greater expectation for utility network performance and data reliability. Although having access to more data more quickly can be a benefit of a smart utility network, making the most of the optimization possibilities within a water system relies on having the right data for the right applications delivered at the right time. Such data becomes vital information, giving water professionals the ability to make better decisions.
Eagle Mountain is a rapidly growing city in Utah with a population of 37,000 who enjoy picturesque views and abundant outdoor activities. To support the population boom, the city’s utility is upgrading its water meters and mobile metering reading solution at its own flexible pace.
After analyzing annual water loss audits for the city of Dallas, GA, the team discovered significant issues around non-revenue water. In 2014, real and apparent water loss accounted for 31.3 million gallons — nearly 20 percent of the city’s total water supplied for the year — which meant lost revenue for the city.
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