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206 Cha pte r T h i r tee n

FIGURE 13.5 Philadelphia Water Department’s AMR system: Typical Itron endpoint “ERT” (encoder,
receiver, transmitter) and 5/8-in residential meter from Badger meter. (Source: Itron, Inc.)

offers the same advantage of not needing access to customer properties to collect read-
ings as the “handheld” method. However, drive-by AMR offers the additional benefit
of needing fewer meter readers since the patrol vehicle can collect many more daily
meter readings than individual meter readers on foot. Handheld and drive-by meter
reading systems have been the most common form of AMR in use since AMR began
widespread penetration in the water utility sector. However, AMR in the water indus-
try is poised to move to the next generation of communication method: fixed network
AMR. Figures 13.6 and 13.7 show typical ARM endpoint device installations in a meter
pit for a fixed network AMR system.
Fixed network AMR refers to AMR systems that use a fixed communication net-
work of established tower, antennae, WIFI, or similar telecommunication networks to
send AMR signals when needed. Establishing a fixed network AMR system is certainly
more involved than mobile communication systems, since a permanent communication
system must be designed and constructed. Initial costs to construct such a system are
higher than handheld or drive-by systems. But, fixed network AMR largely frees the
water utility from the need to have permanent meter reading personnel in the field,
thereby offering a major savings on personnel costs and reduced staffing problems.
Fixed network AMR also provides the capability to obtain customer meter readings at
any frequency or time of day, since reading schedules don’t rely on staffing constraints.
Fixed network AMR provides the capability to obtain sufficient data to create customer
profiles by obtaining data at hourly intervals (or similar short times) and displaying the