Tag: ami

This Spring, Don’t Forget Your Water Audit!

During the spring, many municipalities focus on preparing their budgets, gearing up for Town Meetings, and planning for the upcoming year. During this time, it’s also important to focus on ways to improve your water system’s financial health, and a water audit is arguably the most cost-effective first step, providing an ROI in months rather than years. Conducting a water audit is an essential tool in not only ensuring the efficiency of your water infrastructure, but also in reducing unnecessary costs. The combination of technology such as Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and sound asset management practices makes now the perfect time of year to assess the state of your water system and plan for future upgrades.

Why Water Audits Matter

Spring is the perfect time for municipalities to evaluate their existing systems, including their water infrastructure. A thorough audit of your water system provides a comprehensive quantification of both consumption and losses within the distribution system and helps identify sources of lost water. Planning and budgeting for fixing these losses helps with resource management, operational performance, system integrity, and, of course, financial performance.

At Tata & Howard (T&H), we advocate for performing regular water audits. A water system audit looks at everything from the condition of water mains and service lines to the performance of the meters and billing system. When conducted alongside an asset management strategy, these audits give municipalities the information they need to make data-driven decisions about repairs and upgrades.

The Cost of Leaks and Inefficiencies

Leaks are a major problem for many municipalities and can be a significant hidden cost. According to the EPA, U.S. utilities lose an estimated 6 billion gallons of treated water every day due to leaks in the infrastructure. This means municipalities are wasting not only water but also the energy and costs associated with treating and distributing that water. A water system audit helps identify leaks early, saving money on both treatment and repair costs while ensuring that water is being used efficiently, naturally leading to conservation.

As an example, Tata & Howard, Inc. was retained by the Town of Wayland, MA to complete an AWWA M36 water audit of the water distribution system based on data and system information for a three-year period. The AWWA water audit results found that the Town’s cost of water lost during the three-year period was over a million dollars!

Leveraging AMI and Asset Management for Efficiency

In addition to the Town of Wayland’s water loss and associated costs, the water audit found 64% of the Town’s meters were over 15 years old and not providing accurate usage readings. To address the aging meters, Tata & Howard completed a water meter and AMI evaluation.

Modern technologies such as AMI can make water system audits more effective than ever. AMI allows municipalities to monitor water usage in real time, detecting leaks and inefficiencies before they turn into larger issues.

The Town of Wayland’s project included an evaluation of water meters, automatic meter reading (AMR) systems, and AMI systems for the Town of Wayland’s water distribution system in order to provide a recommendation for AMR/AMI technology to best suit the needs of the Town. AMI was found to be the most efficient and cost-effective solution.

Following the meter evaluation, we provided assistance with a request for proposal (RFP) for new water meters and AMI system, and we are currently assisting with the implementation of the AMI system and the installation of the water meters and RF endpoints for the Town.

Now that spring has (finally!) sprung, it is the ideal time to consider implementing AMI in your own municipality. Pairing AMI with a regular water system audit allows municipalities to proactively track their water usage, identify inefficiencies, and optimize water distribution.

Funding Opportunities for Water System Improvements

Spring is also a great time to explore available funding programs to support water system improvements. With funding opportunities available, municipalities can address aging infrastructure and implement modern technologies without breaking the bank. It’s important to remember that conducting a water system audit is an investment in the future, one that can unlock new pathways for funding and ensure that your municipality’s water system remains reliable and efficient for years to come.

A Strategic Approach to Long-Term Water System Sustainability

With spring officially here and the demand of summer close on its heels, municipalities should be focusing on taking stock of their infrastructure and planning for the future. Proactive water audits allow municipalities to identify leaks, address inefficiencies, and make necessary upgrades, all while leveraging available funding opportunities. By incorporating technologies like AMI and strategic asset management practices, municipalities can ensure their water systems operate at peak efficiency, preventing costly repairs and improving overall reliability.

At T&H, we’re here to help municipalities navigate the complexities of water system audits, ensuring their infrastructure remains in optimal condition for the long term.

Enhancing Asset Management and Pipe Condition Assessments with AMI Integration

Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) integration is a phenomenal tool that offers utilities a wide variety of transformative benefits, particularly when it comes to asset management and pipe condition assessments.

But how?

Before we get to that, let’s take a quick detour into the basics of asset management and pipe condition assessments.

Asset Management: The Basics

Asset management is a fairly straightforward concept; essentially, it’s a strategic process utilities use to manage their assets. (See? Straightforward.) Utility assets can range anywhere from pipelines and power lines to the people themselves servicing them. At its core, asset management was developed for utilities, such as water, gas, electricity, etc., to reduce their operational costs while still providing consistent, efficient, and cost-effective service.

For water and wastewater utilities specifically, this approach means maintaining and upgrading utility infrastructures throughout their life cycles, including pipes, pumps, and treatment facilities. This kind of continuous maintenance, or “lifecycle evaluation” as many call it, is dependent on making time-sensitive decisions on when to replace, repair, or refurbish assets, which is key when trying to mitigate the risks of leaks or contamination.

One of the cornerstones of an efficient asset management system is proper documentation and record of all assets, their locations, specifications, maintenance history, and present condition. (If it can be recorded, it should be.) Asset management can provide utilities with the opportunity to implement a chain of custody, ensuring the safety, efficiency, durability, and reliability of their assets while simultaneously maximizing their investments.

But none of that can happen without a solid paper trail of the asset’s history and specifications.

For a more detailed overview of asset management, read our blog, The Crucial Role of Utility Asset Management: Providing Reliable Operations and Sustainable Infrastructure.

Pipe Condition Assessment

Pipe condition assessments are another critical aspect of water utility infrastructure maintenance, playing an important role in asset management. Proper pipe condition assessment typically includes visual inspections, acoustic monitoring, pressure testing, and flow monitoring, among other kinds of testing. By evaluating the condition of water and wastewater system pipes through these tests, utilities can get up close and personal with their infrastructure. In doing so, they have more knowledge and data and are therefore better equipped to make more intentional and sound judgments regarding maintenance and management. They can also identify problems before they become serious, mitigating the risk of corrosion, cracks, blockages, and leaks.

To put it succinctly, asset management and pipe condition assessments are two forms of predictive maintenance.

Capitalizing on Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI)

AMI is a system made up of smart water meters, data management systems, and communication networks. The purpose of AMI is to provide two-way communication between water utilities and their customers — all in real-time. By combining asset management, pipe condition assessments, and AMI, utilities can completely revolutionize the game.

With this communication fast-track, utilities gain far more insight into their customers’ water usage and are able to manage their assets proactively. Instead of having to wait for routinely scheduled assessments, utilities have continuous access to the infrastructure and system’s historical data, meaning they’re able to detect anomalies — like pressure drops or leaks — more quickly and have faster response times.

This level of constant surveillance and two-way communication can also be used for instant customer consumption readings, allowing customers the autonomy to monitor their own consumption and be alerted in the event of leaks or other issues. With the ability to detect these issues in real-time, utilities can swiftly make the necessary repairs or replacements. In doing so, they make way for accurate customer billing and more robust leak protection, reducing water loss and saving customers money. Talk about a win-win.

By shifting the focus from a reactive to a more proactive approach, utilities can take their continuous influx of data and use it to predict potential issues or failures. This kind of preparation allows them to better schedule their assessments based on critical needs rather than a routine calendar schedule. With this kind of forecasting, utilities can allocate better resources, reduce unneeded service interventions, and better extend the lifespan of their infrastructure.

There are a multitude of benefits from integrating AMI into a water and wastewater utility’s asset management process. But there’s one other crucial benefit we haven’t touched on: environmental and regulatory compliance.

Since AMI integration helps water utilities reduce their water loss and improve efficiency all around, it also guides them towards complying with regulations aimed at water conservation and environmental protection. Thanks to its robust reporting capabilities, AMI integration systems are able to gather accurate and timely compliance data, helping utilities demonstrate their adherence to regulatory standards.

Conclusion

There’s no denying the benefits of integrating AMI with asset management and pipe condition assessments. The partnership among the three allows for real-time data collection and analysis, early leak detection and water loss reduction, predictive maintenance, improved resource management, and, of course, environmental and regulatory compliance. By adopting AMI technology, utilities can ensure the longevity and reliability of their infrastructure, enhance customer satisfaction, and achieve regulatory compliance, ultimately providing better service while conserving our world’s most valuable resource.

AMI = ROI

How Advanced Metering Infrastructure Helps Water Systems Recapture Lost Revenue

According to the National Geographic Society, only 3% of our planet’s water is freshwater, and only 1.2% of that is safe for drinking. As our planet continues to experience climate change at alarming rates, the higher the demand is for clean drinking water. Meanwhile, our drinking water supplies continue to shrink. It is now more imperative than ever for us to focus our attention on sustaining our already limited water supplies.

AMR and AMI: What’s the Difference?

Automated meter reading (AMR) is a system that automatically collects data pertaining to the consumption of water and then sends the collected information to a centralized database where it is analyzed and used for billing purposes. AMR systems typically refer to a mobile or drive-by meter reading system.  This technological system replaces the need for a physical visual inspection and access to the customer’s property.  AMR systems, when reviewed with proper analysis, can greatly help both utility providers and customers to have better control over the use and production of their utilities.

An AMR fixed network is often referred to as an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and allows for real-time consumption readings, rather than relying on a technician to physically read meters.  AMI is a bit more technologically advanced than a mobile AMR system; the development of AMI has actually extended AMR technology by allowing a two-way communication system that has the ability to send and receive real-time water usage readings but can also receive and act on instructions and program changes sent from the meter reading software to the customers meter. These commands can be time-based pricing data, demand-response actions, remote service disconnects, and can even send alarms for leak detection, reverse flow, tamper, and other utility issues.

In today’s world, the data from an AMR system or AMI, whether mobile or fixed, is crucial. In the United States, seven billion gallons of clean, treated drinking water are lost every day. The lost water, or non-revenue water (NRW), is often a result of leaking pipes, water main breaks, theft, and improper accounting of water. Water audits are a phenomenal resource to help identify causes and costs that come with water loss, provide solutions for repairs and maintenance, and a higher return on investment.

In tandem with water audits, AMI offers providers the opportunity to learn more about their water usage (and therefore loss), and in turn be able to use that information to dispatch repair crews more quickly, reduce the number of outages and customer disputes, and leave room for further operational efficiencies. For customers, AMI provides them accurate and timely billing, more control over their consumptions and costs, and higher rates of customer satisfaction.

AMI Real Life Application

Tata & Howard, Inc. completed a water audit of a distribution system using data from 2013 to 2015. We used the American Water Works Association M36 water audit methods and found that the Town had nearly 400mg in NRW over the three years, equating to approximately $1,137,000 in lost revenue.

Let that number sink in.

As part of the water audit, we were able to help the Town find that an overwhelming amount of NRW loss was due to customer meter reading and billing errors. Our team was able to recommend administering a customer meter testing and replacement program, replacing their current customer billing system, implementing an AMI technology, and further documenting any unbilled or unmetered water use.

Tata & Howard has extensive experience working with municipalities and water companies to determine sources of water loss and with implementing AMI to mitigate losses. Contact us to learn how we can help your system save water — and money.