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wateronline.com ■ Water Online The Magazine Nonetheless, opportunity has been provided for vendor input. Project co-principal investigator Ike Moss, from Khafra Services, a former executive for an AMI firm, reached out to vendors and interviewed those who responded during the time that utilities were prioritizing their needs for both AMR and AMI. Most recently, vendors were invited to a free open workshop at the Water Smart Innovations 2014 conference with additional webinars and workshops planned. Vendors appear poised to assist with the development of some standards, as there are clear cases where some materials (such as wiring and transmitter plastic housing) used by the vendors employ common standards. But it remains apparent that, to progress, standards and interoperability, utilities will need to continue to drive the effort. To that effort, it is recognized that establishing criteria in a standard format will not be effective. What is envisioned is the use of a utility network that promotes communication between utilities; utilities looking to bid AMR and AMI systems would incorporate the standard language under development into requests for proposal (RFPs) that are issued. As this practice becomes more common, the specification language may become standard by default. With respect to interoperability, utilities will be instructing vendors that commitment to interoperability demonstrated within their bid response (including providing access to data to the utility and third-party meter data management vendors) will be a factor in bid evaluations. The project team and project advisory committee have also been successful in identifying a potential sponsor of the committee, which will continue after the June 30, 2015 end date of the project that has been extended by the Water Research Foundation to allow the project to be sustained beyond its original year- long run. A tie-in to the importance of interoperability has been recognized as a key component to advancing AMI and its role in water conservation. Utilities will continue to argue that the proprietary stance that allows vendors to maintain their current customers prevents growth into more advanced systems and prevents some utilities from entering the AMI/AMR field to the extent that is seen in other industries where open architecture and interoperability are encouraged. Giving In To Demand There are some signs of change that offer encouragement. A few vendors have indicated a willingness to open up their architecture. New meter data management system operators are gaining access to multiple AMI/AMR collection systems so that end data can be combined into a single system for the end users, the utility, and the water customer. There appears to be an increase in the variety of AMI-connected devices to improve distribution system operation that will increase the demand for choice among utilities. To date, many of the acoustic monitoring devices (with varying levels of cost and effectiveness) are locked into just one vendor, but this trend may be reversing. Customer shutoff valve technology and customer portal access are two new features where utilities will likely demand choice. In the next six months, the project team is poised to continue polishing language to be made available for utilities, continue to build a network to allow utilities to communicate the language, and discuss other related issues and conduct webinars and workshops to help grow this effort. As a Water Research Foundation project, a written report will be produced, but the key output may be the continuance of the working committee and the resulting distribution of the specification language and push for interoperability. The work carried forward by this project is not complete. It is highly recommended that utilities continue to work together and promote the completion of standards that can be readily agreed upon and communicated within the utility community. That operation should also continue to update vendors on the intent and resolve of utilities to drive the industry to a set of standards and the promotion of interoperability. The utility standards group (self titled AMI-ABLE) is expected to be set up as a working committee inside the Alliance for Water Efficiency organization (subject to board approval) in December 2014. Industry Insight 6 David Hughes is the manager of water research for American Water in the Innovation and Environmental Stewardship department. He works on numerous projects for the Water Research Foundation as an inves- tigator and an advisor. He also serves on the Innovative Infrastructure Research Committee, a cooperative formed by the EPA, Water Research Foundation, and Water Environment Research Foundation. It is highly recommended that utilities continue to work together and promote the completion of standards that can be readily agreed upon and communicated within the utility community.