fastest automatic water meter reading application at diverse utilities and terrains across texas
DESCRIPTION
This paper describes technology evaluation, selection, implementation, and post construction community relations in a project initially considered impossible, considering the diversity across the depth of Texas. However, the staff effectively scaled all barriers in the information technology, radio frequency, and water utility construction industry. The success of this project is attributable to the integration of operators, engineers, and information technologists in a high-tech environment. They came together to compete a Texas deep high-tech automatic meter reading (AMR) technology project in an unprecedented record time by selecting the best return on investment (ROI) at the lowest life-cycle cost to transition diverse utilities from manual to automatic meter reading”. Daniel Christodoss, PhD, PE. www.enprovise.net or www.cleanwater4.us call: 817-894-1357TRANSCRIPT
From Manual to
Automated Meter Reading (AMR)
2011 Implementation of a High-Tech Automatic Water Meter Reading Application in Unprecedented Record Time at Diversified Water Utilities Across Texas
Water Sustainability Session I Presentation at the 15TH Annual Energy Utility and Environmental Conference, Phoenix, AZ, Jan 30 TO Feb 1 2012
Daniel Christodoss, Ph.D., P.E.Asset Manager and Texas Utilities East Design & Construction
Manager
Presentation Outline
Diversified Water Utilities & Why AMR?
Hazards to Meter Reader Manual Meter Drawbacks Automatic RF Meters AMR Benefits & Desired Features Vendor Evaluation and Objective Project Tracking & Completion
Texas Utilities-Southwest Water Company
106 Water and 15 Wastewater plants (conventional and membrane)
27 MGD Groundwater: 249 wells & 7 MGD Surfacewater ~ 40,000 customers
Plants near: San Antonio, Austin, Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Tyler, Livingston, Sherman and Tenkiller, OK
33 Counties: Prairies and Lakes, Piney Woods, Gulf Coast, South Texas Plains and Hill Country
Diversified Utilities Map
• 38,319 Manual Meters• 3.5 Billion Gallons of Water Metered Annually
• $18M revenue from water consumption
• Annual Meter Reader Salary $800,000 (22 meter readers)
•Data Entry Operators Annual Salary $250,000 (5 operators)
•Transportation $117,000 (9 vehicles)
•CHALLENGES:
•Topography
•Distance
•Alleys/backyards
•Hazards
Sherman
Meter Reading Hazards @ TXUG (OTSH)
Meter Reader
Biohazard along meter route
Meter Reading Hazards @ TXUG (OTSH)
Dogs, Electric Fences, Guns….
Attempted Robbery and Shooting of a meter reader in Lakeland, FL: Aug, 2009
Homeowner opened fire on meter reader, Dallas, TX: 2009
“The Rottweiler doesn't bite”!
Manual Metering Drawbacks
Laborious (back injuries, trips, falls) Transcription Errors Biological and Physical Hazards High O&M (labor, gas, disputes) No consumption history Cannot detect customer leaks Water Theft Undeterred High meter reader turnover
Texas Utilities-Southwest Water Company
106 Water and 15 Wastewater plants (conventional and membrane)
27 MGD Groundwater: 249 wells & 7 MGD Surfacewater ~ 40,000 customers
Plants near: San Antonio, Austin, Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Tyler, Livingston, Sherman and Tenkiller, OK
33 Counties: Prairies and Lakes, Piney Woods, Gulf Coast, South Texas Plains and Hill Country
Diversified Utilities Map
• 38,319 Manual Meters• 3.5 Billion Gallons of Water Metered Annually
• $18M revenue from water consumption
• Annual Meter Reader Salary $800,000 (22 meter readers)
•Data Entry Operators Annual Salary $250,000 (5 operators)
•Transportation $117,000 (9 vehicles)
•CHALLENGES:
•Topography
•Distance
•Alleys/backyards
•Hazards
Sherman
Texas Utilities-Southwest Water Company
106 Water and 15 Wastewater plants (conventional and membrane)
27 MGD Groundwater: 249 wells & 7 MGD Surfacewater ~ 40,000 customers
Plants near: San Antonio, Austin, Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Tyler, Livingston, Sherman and Tenkiller, OK
33 Counties: Prairies and Lakes, Piney Woods, Gulf Coast, South Texas Plains and Hill Country
Diversified Utilities Map
• 38,319 Manual Meters• 3.5 Billion Gallons of Water Metered Annually
• $18M revenue from water consumption
• Annual Meter Reader Salary $800,000 (22 meter readers)
•Data Entry Operators Annual Salary $250,000 (5 operators)
•Transportation $117,000 (9 vehicles)
•CHALLENGES:
•Topography
•Distance
•Alleys/backyards
•Hazards
Sherman
Manual Metering Drawbacks
Laborious (back injuries, trips, falls) Transcription Errors Biological and Physical Hazards High O&M (labor, gas, disputes) No consumption history Cannot detect customer leaks Water Theft Undeterred High meter reader turnover
Meter Reading Hazards @ TXUG (OTSH)
Meter Reader
Biohazard along meter route
Meter Reading Hazards @ TXUG (OTSH)
Dogs, Electric Fences, Guns….
Attempted Robbery and Shooting of a meter reader in Lakeland, FL: Aug, 2009
Homeowner opened fire on meter reader, Dallas, TX: 2009
“The Rottweiler doesn't bite”!
Benefits of AMR
Quick (data acquired remotely during drive by-5 days vs 4 hrs)
Meter data communicated by Radio Frequency—no manual meter reading
No need to access the meter box during routine drive by, except in unique situations
Lower O&M (labor and disputes) 1 hr Consumption history can be extracted to
respond to disputes Can detect customer leaks and help identify water
theft Lower meter reader turnover Streamline high bill investigations
Automatic RF Meters
ANTENNA
BATTERIES
RADIO
IMPELLER
Quick Remote Safe Accurate Automated 1 hr Consumption History + Vandal & Leak Alerts
RF used for everything else, why not for AMR
Technologies that depend on radio waves: AM and FM radio broadcasts Cordless phones Garage door openers Radio-controlled toys Television broadcasts Cell phones GPS receivers Satellite communications Police radios Wireless clocks Radar and microwave ovens Communication and navigation satellites Modern aviation Wireless Internet access Radio waves are electromagnetic, part of the light spectrum and
travel at a speed of 186,282 miles per second—the speed of light
Guglielmo Marconi built the 1st Radio Transmitter in 1895
Automatic Meters (win-win situation)
Remote Access
Promotes Water Conservation & Remote Secure Data Acquisition
5.5 month consumption history stored in the
meter for dispute resolution
Benefits of AMR
Quick (data acquired remotely during drive by-5 days vs 4 hrs)
Meter data communicated by Radio Frequency—no manual meter reading
No need to access the meter box during routine drive by, except in unique situations
Lower O&M (labor and disputes) 1 hr Consumption history can be extracted to
respond to disputes Can detect customer leaks and help identify water
theft Lower meter reader turnover Streamline high bill investigations
Desired AMR Features
Read remotely under submerged conditions
Integrate continuous leak detection and retrievable consumption history
Use vandal deterrent technologies in unlicensed frequency
Be one-piece, integrated unit with no exposed wiring to look similar to a manual meter
Fixed network AMI preferred, but Mobile AMR considered in analysis
Technologies Evaluated
Four AMR Technologies 1. Walk-by with Handheld 2. Drive-by with Laptop 3. AMR: One way Fixed network
1. Periodic Data Transmission one way from Meter to SWWC
4. AMI: Two way Fixed network1. Data-Reports Transmission to SWWC
2. SWWC commands to meter
Reading Submerged Conditions
Reading Submerged Conditions
Reading Submerged Conditions
Technologies Evaluated
Four AMR Technologies 1. Walk-by with Handheld 2. Drive-by with Laptop 3. AMR: One way Fixed network
1. Periodic Data Transmission one way from Meter to SWWC
4. AMI: Two way Fixed network1. Data-Reports Transmission to SWWC
2. SWWC commands to meter
Vendor Evaluation for Automatic RF Meters
Evaluation Criteria to Rank 8 AMR Vendors:
Compatibility with existing water meters Low flow accuracy Strength of transmission signal Encapsulated one-piece vandal deterrent module Financial Stability of the Company FCC License Material & Workmanship Deficiency + AWWA
Accuracy Warranty Battery life expectancy Hourly 6 month Consumption history Data transmission in submerged conditions Last 15 year performance in Texas Meter register malfunction due to silt in water
AMR / AMI Project
Objective: Find one vendor who can supply and install TX wide in 6 months, an accurate automatic water meter, and a reliable RF frequency network system, which provides the best return on Investment, for the lowest life-cycle cost
Evaluation Process
Technology Research Preliminary Selection Vendor Technology Presentations Detailed Evaluation and Ranking Field visits to working systems/demos Meetings with clients Final Evaluation and Ranking RFP, Bid Review, Vendor Proposal
Presentation, and Award
Reading Submerged Conditions
Reading Submerged Conditions
Leak Detection: Leak Starts
Leak Detection: Leak in Progress
Leak Detection: Leak Fixed
AWWA Meter Testing: 6 meter types
10 GPM
2 GPM
¼ GPM
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Chuck Profilet, P.E., Vice President and Managing Director
Ed Taussig, Finance Director Ryan Quigley, Director of Operations Gary Rose, Director of Operations Doug Connor, District Manager David Garrett, IT Project Manager George Freitag, Rate Manager Shawn Sharkey, P.E. Project Engineer Janice Hayes, Community Relations Manager
Updated Contact Information Daniel Christodoss is currently at
Enprovise Solutions, Inc. and can be reached at (817) 894-1357 or by email at [email protected]
Web Address1: www.enprovise.net Web Address2: www.cleanwater4.us Web Address3: www.prowebserv.com
Thanks and have a great day!