Page 230 - Water Loss Control

Contr olling Appar ent Losses—Data Transfer Err ors 203

FIGURE 13.2 Indoor 3-in turbine meter servicing a 100-unit apartment building in Philadelphia
showing location in underground basement of the building. (Source: Philadelphia Water
Department.)

unwilling to hand over a key to their home and unable to be there during the day to let
the meter reader inside.” It is clearly understood that the traditional means of using
manual meter reading is fast being outmoded by the more efficient, less labor-intensive
capabilities of AMR systems.
In warm climates not subject to freezing and frost, customer meters are usually located
outdoors in meter pits, or small, shallow chambers housing the meters. See Fig. 13.3. The
pits are usually located midway between the water main and the customer building and
often serve as the delineation between the service line responsibilities of the water utility
and the customer. Large meters serving industrial customers are typically located in
larger, deeper pits or chambers outside of the buildings that they serve; this is common
even in cold climates. While outdoor meters generally have less restricted access than
indoor meters, outdoor installations also suffer from problems of inhibited access. Many
outdoor meter pits are susceptible to flooding. Entrance ways can be buried or covered
by debris or parked vehicles. Outdoor residential meter pits often also require access to
private property, and the security apprehensions of private property owners. At sensi-
tive sites, such as hazardous industrial buildings or military installations, special secu-
rity clearances and/or escorts may be required, greatly complicating the process and
extending the amount of time to conduct manual meter reading.
Regardless of whether the meter is located indoors or outdoors, meter readers enter-
ing private properties encounter safety risks from aggressive dogs, dark or poorly
maintained spaces, hostile customers or crime-ridden neighborhoods. The stark rigors
of physically visiting dozens to hundreds of customer properties each day in all types