City to Deploy Advanced Metering Infrastructure System

Traditionally, Abbotsford read its customers’ water meters annually, issuing a water bill yearly along with the customer’s property taxes. Faced with growing challenges, the city set out to implement an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) solution to initiate new water resource management and customer service programs, and reduce its meter reading costs.

Abbotsford selected Water SaveSource, a system offered by Itron Inc.

“Going from an annual meter read to hourly reads will be a transition for us,” said Abbotsford Mayor, George W. Peary. “We are fortunate to be working with Itron through the process. Their technology meets our objectives, and the two-way communications and software applications will increase operational efficiencies and offer asset management unlike anything we’ve had before.”

Deploying 25,000 Water SaveSource endpoints over a six-month period, Abbotsford will achieve benefits from data logging, which means more frequent and more incremental meter reads. Access to more granular usage information will enable greater customer service through efficient bill reconciliation and in-home leak detection, as well as allowing the end consumers’ to better their water usage to support mandated conservation programs. With distribution-side leak management, the city will also be able to reduce non-revenue water losses and better oversee field assets by constantly monitoring and mitigating performance issues.

“Helping a customer like Abbotsford move from annual meter reads to hourly reading with a fixed network will be rewarding,” said Scott Owen, vice president of Canadian sales for Itron. “This is a big change for the utility, but Abbotsford realizes that the challenges it faces require an AMI solution. Itron is privileged to be working on this project.”