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Smart Meters - AMR/AMI

Water Meter

All About Meters

Improve services and save money by eliminating the costs associated with manual meter reading.

Automated Meter Reading/Advanced Metering Infrastructure
Automated Meter Reading (AMR), or Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), allows water, gas and electric utilities to gather utility usage data from its customers, both residential and commercial, without manually reading meters. The utility improves services and saves money by minimizing the costs associated with reading individual residential meters while allowing more time to do other required maintenance activities. In addition, AMR/AMI improves data accuracy and helps identify anomalies.

How? Johnson Controls provides turn-key supply and implementation solutions utilizing all major AMR/AMI systems. We work with each municipal client to design an optimal system. Each of a municipality’s meters is replaced with a new meter and/or wireless transmitter. Meter readers gather usage data either with a drive-by system or a fixed-base system (a fixed-base system is a great application for a municipality with a municipal WiFi environment). The information is automatically uploaded which makes bills more accurate and timely. Utilities can use the data to spot anomalies which can indicate: 

  • Potential system leaks
  • Potential leaks at customer sites
  • Damaged or broken meters
  • Tampering/theft
 

AMR/AMI from Johnson Controls can help you improve cash flow, reduce water losses, protect property, preserve system capacity and cut operating costs

Water Meter

  • Improving cash flow – the AMR/AMI system is so easy to use that you can read meters and bill residents monthly instead of quarterly or bimonthly
  • Reducing water loss and waste – more frequent and accurate readings help detect leaks earlier which in turn saves water and cost
  • Protecting property – leaking and broken water pipes mean damage, so earlier detection and repair reduces city and individual property damage
  • Preserving system capacity – as water usage grows closer to peak capacity, finding leaks and avoiding losses becomes even more important. Every gallon of water conserved helps postpone investments in treatment plant expansions!
  • Cutting operating costs - cost savings are realized through reassigned or reduced personnel costs, reduced vehicle and fuel costs, and lower liability expenses
  • Enforcing water restrictions – the data available from an AMR/AMI system could help a municipality to enforce water restrictions by tracking usage at the individual residential level

Meter Sizing and Typing

“Oversized meters can result in lost revenue because of inaccurate registration at low flow.” – AWWA M22 Manual, p.59.
Meter sizing and typing is important to the upkeep of your water system, most particularly to identify apparent losses that affect the revenue stream of your utility. Particularly with large meter accounts, applications can change and should be revisited periodically. Every service is unique and should be analyzed independently.
Large meter typing can reduce apparent water losses because an accurately "typed" meter records all water that passes through it. Carefully evaluating large meter applications, testing and recording metered use, and comparing collected data to historical usage provides a basis for accurately sizing and typing of a large meter.
“The single most common mistake in meter selection is installing a turbine meter in a compound meter application.” – Tim Edgar, The Large Water Meter Handbook, p. 38
 
Low Flow Rates
Typically, registration at low flow rates is important for applications where people live, work, shop, and learn. Low flow registration may not be as critical at hospitals and nursing homes because use is more constant.
Correct meter typing pays. When considering the higher first cost of either a compound or single jet meter with a low flow rate, the higher first cost may be recovered after only three or four months of service!
 
Water Department Steel Cover

Metering Project Development

Johnson Controls has significant depth of experience and talent in metering project development. Developing a world-class metering project requires a thorough understanding of a utility’s water meter environment, as well as a robust application of water utility business review services.

Here are examples of engineering functions we perform:

  • Analyze all existing active and inactive meters to identify and retain those with remaining useful and efficient life
  • Verify “right size” and “type” of those meters taking into consideration current and expected end use requirements
  • Identify the need to replace damaged meter boxes/vaults, dual check valves, curb stops, connection fittings, etc.
  • Leverage the City’s relationship with its meter supplier to tailor a unique portfolio of service opportunities that include data mining, future meter change-out and production meter calibration
  • Identify unaccounted-for water by strategically implementing leak detection technology
  • Test Meter Selection: A sample meter test list is created using a proprietary Johnson Controls analysis tool. The test sample meters are sent to a NIST-certified testing facility.
  • Large meters over 2” in size are tested in-ground for accuracy. Johnson Controls’ specialized testing team performs the tests per AWWA recommended flow rates.

 

Johnson Controls has experience with all major manufacturers of wireless AMR/AMI technologies, employs full compliance with AWWA Manual M6 for meter selection and testing, and uses a NIST-certified laboratory for meter evaluation. We employ in-house engineers and water system specialists to formulate options and create unique solutions for your unique environment and situation.