Page 239 - Water Loss Control

212 Cha pte r T h i r tee n

The ability of the water utility to minimize data transfer error also depends upon
the strength and clarity of its regulations and procedures. While the use of advanced
technology such as AMR certainly can improve effectiveness, necessary improvements
might only be gained in updating outdated regulations regarding customer service
requirements around the use of estimates, back-billing, entry to private property for
meter/AMR repairs and related activities. If regulations have not been reviewed in
recent years, it will be worthwhile for the water utility manager to work with commu-
nity policy managers to ensure that water service regulations are current in meeting the
water service requirements for customers, as well as ensuring efficient water utility
operations. Similarly, procedures for meter reading and data handling should be clear,
current, and monitored for compliance among staff. Training should be conducted on a
regular basis for new employees and as refreshers for longstanding employees so that
meter reading success and accuracy is maintained at optimum levels.

13.1.3 Advanced Metering Infrastructure
As AMR systems have gained substantial use in the drinking water industry—and
appear to be heading toward the most common form of meter reading in the future—
manufacturers have come to recognize the potential for significant new customer end-
point benefits. With fixed network AMR systems able to communicate water meter
readings automatically at established short intervals, the usefulness of the customer
endpoint as a data collection location has been greatly elevated.
The historical use of the customer meter—periodic meter readings—has provided a
valuable, but singular, purpose: providing a basis for billing based upon consumed
water volumes. When water meters are read manually, often considerable difficulties
are encountered in collecting meter readings such that conducting a single round of
meter readings every 30 or 90 days is a significant challenge. But, with fixed network
AMR, meter readings can be collected as frequently as every 15 minutes in an accurate
and cost-effective manner. Fixed network AMR provides the ability to collect granular
consumption data that can be used to develop customer consumption profiles which
show the hourly, daily, weekly, and seasonal variation in consumption flows, as well as
allowing for the traditional calculation of the consumption volume for the billing
period. Consumption varies in a repeatable pattern for many customers, typically with
low consumption during a portion of the day (often nighttime hours) and high con-
sumption peaks at one or more times of the day. Gaining detailed insight into customer
consumption patterns can provide benefits to water utilities in a number of ways. Uses
of detailed customer profile data are discussed in Sec. 13.2. Since fixed network AMR is
capable of obtaining detailed consumption information, why stop there? Other poten-
tially useful water system information also exists at the customer endpoint. Manufac-
turers have developed the capability to obtain information that includes

• Tampering with metering or AMR equipment
• Consumption trend analysis that sends alerts of leakage on customer piping
• Acoustic leak detection: on customer service connection piping, or leaks in the
neighboring water distribution system
• Backflow (flow reversal) detection
Various manufacturers have developed sensing devices for a number of these
parameters, and the future might see many manufacturers offering a wider slate of