Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) has reduced labor requirements, improved customer service and billing, and provided a baseline of information for better data management. But how much more can AMI do, and how can water utilities take maximum advantage?
Check out the following 4 articles and discover the latest technology trends.
The primary function of AMI is to collect data from meters to accurately bill customers. But utilities have discovered other uses for the data they are collecting, including reducing non-revenue water losses, detecting leaks, and improving customer service by allowing consumers to manage their usage.
The future holds even more promise for employing data-based solutions in utility operations and for adding devices such as sensors to networks. For example, utilities are beginning to utilize sensors to find leaks in the distribution system, but soon sensors also will detect sanitary sewer overflows to meet regulatory requirements and manage distribution system pressures to reduce pumping costs. Even more exciting, AMI solutions will support the building of distribution system models called digital twins and drive smart city strategies.
Most water utilities with AMI infrastructure rely upon it to automate and refine the accuracy of meter reading and customer billing. However, utilities are also using AMI data to get a better understanding of how their distribution networks operate and to make efficiency and operational improvements. To these thought leaders, the central value of AMI is no longer constrained to metering and billing but covers a broad scope of smart infrastructure solutions (SIS).
The use cases for AMI cover a broad spectrum of solutions such as using sensors and instrumentation to prioritize maintenance requirements, manage scarce water resources, and protect water quality. Find out how utilities are using AMI infrastructures to cost-effectively satisfy a wide range of distribution system applications.
For years, utilities avoided investing in leak detection technologies by taking an out-of-sight, out-of-mind, approach. Water utilities found it difficult to make the case for leak detection because up to 75% of leaks never find their way to the surface. However, mandatory water loss reporting in states like California as well as factors such as rising costs associated with pumping water that is never paid for are providing the motivation for water utilities to act.
Today, utilities are using a variety of methods, including performing water audits as well as putting their AMI data and systems to work discovering hidden leaks. Discover how utilities are discovering and tracking the direct and indirect costs of leaks and how they are reaping the payback on leak detection technologies.
Utilities almost universally justified their AMI systems on the use case of customer billing. But now that these systems are widely implemented, utilities are searching for way to analyze the data they collect for further understanding of what is occurring on the distribution network. What’s more, new software solutions can analyze data from sensors in addition to meters, providing even more insight into conditions on the water grid.
New cloud-based network management software solutions, for example, streamline operations and improve efficiencies. Consumer engagement software makes customers more aware of how and when they use water and providing insights into on-premise leaks. Read on to appreciate how analytics solutions allow utilities to both understand distribution system operations and to provide better experiences to their customers.
