LIBERTY LAKE, WA, Oct. 1, 2010 -- Itron Inc. announced today that one of the country's largest water providers, Cleveland Division of Water (Cleveland), has signed a contract for the deployment of Itron's smart water metering solution, ChoiceConnect™. Implementing the fixed network-based system highlights Cleveland's desire to provide enhanced and reliable service to customers, as well as its long-term view to utilize innovative technologies.
The smart metering project consists of 425,000 ChoiceConnect 100W water modules, network infrastructure and accompanying software, which will be deployed over a three year period. The two-way communications network will enable Cleveland to collect time-synchronized hourly meter data. Access to accurate and granular usage data will enhance Cleveland's level of service to customers by enabling real-time bill reconciliations and high-bill avoidance with customer-side leak detection for greater overall billing accountability. The interval data will also provide a clear understanding into actual customer usage patterns to better balance supply with demand.
Moving from manual reads to smart metering will elevate the level of service Cleveland offers its customers and increase their operational efficiency. The network capabilities and advanced software applications will enable Cleveland to collect timely and accurate meter data and use innovative analysis to transform operations for their customers' benefit.
The fixed network system will provide significant increases in operational efficiency and reduce the per-meter read costs. Itron's bundled meter data management will provide advanced analysis of collected interval meter data and will allow field assets to be effectively managed with programs such as meter right-sizing and system integrity investigations.
"We applaud Cleveland's commitment to enhance customer service by deploying a smart metering solution throughout their service territory," said Lou Gust, Itron's vice president of water sales and marketing. "This opportunity with Cleveland represents Itron's largest water meter automation project in North America, and is indicative of the industry-leading solutions and dependability that we bring to every project."
About Itron
At Itron, we're dedicated to delivering end-to-end smart grid and smart distribution solutions to electric, gas and water utilities around the globe. Our company is the world's leading provider of smart metering, data collection and utility software systems, with nearly 8,000 utilities worldwide relying on our technology to optimize the delivery and use of energy and water. Our offerings include electricity, gas, water and heat meters; network communication technology; collection systems and related software applications; and professional services. To realize your smarter energy and water future, start here: www.itron.com.
About Cleveland Division of Water
The Cleveland Division of Water services more than 1.5 million residents across the City of Cleveland and surrounding communities. Sitting on the shores of Lake Erie, the water provider manages one of the city's greatest assets to deliver clean and reliable water to its customers. The Cleveland Division of Water has helped generate sustainable development throughout its service territory and is recognized as one of the leading water systems in the country.
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