The American Water Works Association (AWWA) has officially published, after more than 3 1/2 years of committee meetings and numerous updates, the first new meter standard in over 20 years.
The standard, publicly listed as ANSI/AWWA C712-02 for Cold Water Meters-Single Jet type, was made official in May 2002 after approved by the AWWA Board of Directors. The committee personnel, largely made up of competing meter manufacturers, conceded and agreed the Single Jet type meter to be a viable and accurate instrument to measure water.
Single Jet water meters were designed in the mid 1970's to offset the limitations of existing meter technologies. They are accurate over a wider range of flows and have reduced maintenance requirements when compared with more complex meter types that have proven to be a more expensive and antiquated technology.
The Single Jet meter incorporates a "single" tangential jet which flows across an impeller. The impeller is offset from the water flowing through the jet such that the water travels perpendicular to the rotational axis of the impeller. By operating perpendicular to the impeller, water that flows through the Single Jet meter exerts very little if any force on the bearings carrying the impeller. From an engineering standpoint the effects of this operation are superior for gaining low flow registration.
Metron-Farnier of Boulder, CO has been supplying many utilities in Pennsylvania and upstate New York as well as New York City itself for several years without the AWWA standard. Tony Deitch, Metron-Farnier's Northeast Regional Manager states, "We feel the recognition of an official body such as the AWWA, has propelled our company to a new level. Our customers using our meters for years already knew the accuracy, quality and durability well before the release of the new standard".
AWWA standards are intended to represent a consensus of the water supply industry that the product described will provide satisfactory service. To obtain a copy of the new AWWA Single Jet C-712-02 standard you may call or write the American National Standards Institute, 25 West 43rd St., 4th Floor, New York, NY 10036-7406; (212) 642-4900 or the AWWA American Water Works Association, 6666 West Quincy Avenue, Denver, CO 80235 (303) 794-7711.
