Page 286 - Water Loss Control

Contr olling Appar ent Losses—Unauthorized Consumption 255

The American Water Works Association (AWWA) believes that water utilities
must have the right to discontinue water service for nonpayment to maintain
self-sustaining utility operations.

AWWA realizes the importance of the nondiscriminatory billing and collection proce-
dures to ensure that each customer pays for the services rendered by the utility under
its rates and tariffs. Failure on the part of the customer to pay a water bill necessitates
that other customers bear the burden of paying for the service.

AWWA recognizes that certain circumstances may require some flexibility because
water service is a necessity in maintaining sanitary conditions in the home, and may
be required for life-sustaining equipment. It may also be a vital part of industrial and
commercial operations. Discontinuance of water service for nonpayment is considered
a final phase of a collection procedure and is never to be instituted without sufficient
notification and until all other reasonable alternatives have been exhausted.
FIGURE 15.4 American Water Works Association policy statement: Discontinuance of water
service for nonpayment. (Source: American Water Works Association.)

located between the customer premise and the water main in the street or right-of-way.
While a distinct valve key is used to operate curbstops, it is not difficult to manipulate
a closed curbstop to illegally restore service. Some water utilities have policies in place
that suspend meter reading and billing for customer accounts that have been discontin-
ued for nonpayment. A customer illegally restoring their service under such a policy
structure encounters the opportunity to reactivate their service while the utility no lon-
ger monitors the customer accounts. Fortunately, with the advent of AMR and AMI
technology, many water utilities continue to monitor discontinued accounts for signs of
metered consumption or tampering, thus indicating that the customer has illegally
restored their service connection.
The discussion in Chap. 13, Sec. 13.1.3 gives considerable detail on the wide array
of astounding technical capabilities that meter and AMR manufacturers are developing
under the heading of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). With a trend in the AMR
industry to move toward fixed communication networks, it has become evident that
the communication network can communicate more than just water meter readings. It
can also collect data on meter tampering, reverse flow events, leak noises, high flows,
and other potential parameters of interest. Water utilities that install fixed network
AMR systems effectively achieve a means for almost continuous monitoring of cus-
tomer endpoint devices. With such capability, water utilities will be able to quickly
detect many incidents of meter tampering that have often gone unnoticed in the past.
Also, by analyzing customer consumption profiles that are developed by fixed network
AMR, utilities can interpret and explain unusual flow patterns that have historically
confounded both the customer and water utility.

15.3.3 The Future of Unauthorized Consumption Control for Water Utilities:
Prepayment Structures and Endpoint Controls
Water resources are being stressed at ever-growing rates by climate change, growing
populations, and pollution. Water utilities act as stewards of their water resources but
must also deal with the daily realities of maintaining service and meeting regulations
and the long-term reality of upgrading deteriorating infrastructure. Water utilities must