When Waterworks District 3 of Beauregard Parish, La., began to research new water meters to replace its aging system, it didn't take long to decide that the BEACON AMA managed solution from Badger Meter was the right fit.
Beauregard Parish, which covers 1,200 square miles, is mainly rural with most of its 7,000 customers spread across the region, resulting in hard-to-reach meters. Although the aging system was working, there were many inefficiencies, including having to hire a third party to manually read the meters.
Overdue Efficiencies
Long driveways, wooded areas, hidden meters, and multiple meters per property were all barriers to an easy meter read. It took three people more than 12 days to collect information. The District knew that the time and money it spent obtaining readings could instead be used to increase efficiency. Enter BEACON AMA: an immediate solution that combined cellular endpoints, use of existing cellular networks and an easy-to-use software product to give the utility the fast, near real-time data it needed to start saving time and money. Now, instead of paying for manual meter readings, which averaged $2 per meter, the District is able to focus on its core competency.
The utility also knew it was obtaining readings from aging meters with decreasing accuracy. Therefore, District 3 selected the high-resolution E-Series Ultrasonic engineered polymer meter line for its durability and long-term accuracy.
E-Series Ultrasonic meters use solid-state technology in a compact, totally encapsulated, weatherproof, and UV-resistant housing. Equipped with an easy-to-read, 9-digit LCD display, the meter presents consumption, rate of flow, reverse-flow indication, and alarms. With no moving parts, the E-Series meter also improves reliability and has greater extended low-flow accuracy compared to other positive displacement meters.
"We knew immediately that the BEACON AMA software suite, the ORION® Cellular endpoints and the E-Series Ultrasonic meters would help save time and money," said Jeremy Joffrion, District 3 distribution manager.
Accuracy Pays
With new, more accurate meters beginning to be installed, District 3 is already capturing more revenue. "The E-Series meters are catching the lowest flow amounts we've ever been able to record," said Joffrion.
With its long term, sustained accuracy, the E-Series meter will also help the District record flows at new meter accuracies throughout the life of the meter. Joffrion estimated that with the labor efficiencies and added revenue from more accurate metering, the system will pay for itself very quickly.
Improved Customer Service
By utilizing the BEACON AMA software suite, the utility can easily access and manage exact, near real-time data. This gives the utility a troubleshooting tool for any customer complaints or maintenance issues that may arise. The accurate data can easily point to specific occurrences on the customer's utility bill to help decipher where and how a discrepancy might have occurred. Customers can then work with the utility to fix any leaks or determine when their water use may have exceeded their expectations.
In addition, the EyeOnWater smartphone app, included as part of the BEACON AMA software suite, is being downloaded by the district's customers. "This app is growing in popularity because it allows our customers to see the amount of water they are using and when they are using it," said Joffrion. WW
Badger Meter is exhibiting at AWWA's ACE15 expo in Booth 1611.
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