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Tutorial A 10-Step Method For Optimum Meter Reading With demand for efficiency at an all-time high, utilities are provided a guide to better meter reading. By Stephen Davis T echnological advances in water customer demand metering and new ways to collect and transmit metering data can provide answers to many complex questions facing water utility managers today. More frequent meter readings than once a month for billing and improved metering analytics provide opportunities for better informed decision-making and water infrastructure management. reading system that meets its specific current and future needs with the available technical and monetary resources? This article presents a successfully applied comparative economic evaluation and analysis method which considers automatic meter reading (AMR), advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), and hybrid AMR/AMI systems. The approach should aid decisionmakers in leveraging utility optimization goals, addressing stakeholder concerns, and developing a defensible economic business case. Major Driving Forces For Water Utility AMI Most water utilities implement AMI to generate more actionable water usage data and the analytics needed to improve operational efficiency, water conservation, and customer service. With this new data, utilities can: • • • • A water meter and endpoint (radio) in a meter box, showing the antenna through the metal meter box lid (needed for propagation of the radio signal) Mining of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) data improves water resource use efficiency, customer accountability, and utility response, while facilitating better water loss definition and cost-effective mitigation. Additionally, by collecting multiple reads during peak use periods, the utility can better characterize right sizing of meters and right sizing of water delivery infrastructure. Customers can benefit from web-based access to their own usage patterns. Utility customer service personnel, armed with real-time and more detailed specific-customer, short-interval water use information, can address customer concerns quickly and confidently. How does each utility determine the optimum meter 14 wateronline.com ■ • • • • • • • • • Enable more accurate monthly automatic meter reading, interim reads, and special reads to significantly reduce the labor and resources needed for billing. Provide expanded information to answer customer questions regarding usage trends. Effectively monitor water consumption patterns. Generate daily leak reports for each individual customer. Identify the presence of system and customer leaks. Provide web-based customer usage access. Evaluate and monitor conservation efforts by account or customer classification. Generate daily zero-consumption reports to identify stuck meters. Better correlate production data for water balance. Reduce NRW (non-revenue water). Link acoustic monitoring equipment to record pipe noise at quiet night periods. Rank leak locations as "probable," "possible," or "unlikely" based on high and low noise and historical noise frequencies through system leakage monitoring. Optimize hydraulic models and other utility planning tools. Water Online The Magazine