Your water meter is a cash register, and without proper metering and accounting of water use,customers and utilities lose money because they are not receiving the correct data.
Current Water meters are subject to wear and eventually lose their ability to correctly measure and record flow. There are several factors that cause meters to wear out, such as water quality and how the meter is actually being used in a particular setting. Meters have typically measured water flow by mechanical means, and thus, subject to wear. But the use of meters that have no moving parts has made gains in the meter market. Welcome SMART FLOW’s ultrasonic water flow meters.
Other factors such as the meter setting, the type and size of the meter, will also have a bearing on proper revenue generation, so water utilities need to periodically test their meters to make sure that customers are being charged fairly and the utility receives proper revenue
We have seen a major issue in over seized water meters and these are causing problems. Small leaks go undetected within a premises as the meters do not have the capacity to detect low flow rates. The utility misses out on revenue, but its also a potential loss for the customer as small leaks can cause massive damage over time. The state pays for the unaccounted water as everybody is none the wiser as to where the water was consumed or lost.
A meter that over-registers flow can become a serious cause for concern. Most of the time meters do not over-register, but rather they lose their accuracy over time resulting in the customer receiving more water than they are paying for or paying for water that they did not consume. This can get serious, especially if a utility has not kept up with a regular meter maintenance program.
Meter accuracy is a critical issue especially for the large commercial and Industrial customers as inaccuracies can amount up to a large miscount of water consumed.
Up until now water meters had to be tested onsite. Here at SMART FLOW we have the ability to test and validate our sensors performance remotely. Eliminating the time involved with site visits.
Many utilities have accuracy testing programs in place based on past practices by their meter staff. They also have methods and protocols that have been followed for many years. However, with meter technologies changing, it is important for meter maintenance departments to be up-to-date on each type and style of meters on the market.
Another area of concern is in the accounting and billing area. In the past, meters were read by the meter reader taking a manual read.Now the customers can send in regular readings. This is slow and time consuming with lots of meters located in confined spaces. There are also loggers which can send the data periodically , but again these can be installed on a meter that is not giving the correct data. SMART water meters are now available to send real time information, but the customer needs to make sure whoever is supplying them with the service has the capacity to do it correctly and efficiently.
A question to ask when you get your next water bill ,how accurate is your water cash register ?
