For decades, water utilities have had manual gatherings of meter readings every month. This information is recorded on computers for billing and other purposes. When AMI appeared, the amount of data from hourly readings changed the playing field, leaving utilities struggling to deal with an influx of data and even to figure out what to do with it all.
“When the volume of data is huge,” remarks Dan Pinney, global director of water marketing for Sensus, “the size of the server needs to grow.” But can water utilities handle that, and do they even want to? Many would prefer to simply use the data and let someone else manage it.
With the advent of technology- and information-intensive AMI solutions, the role of the water utility’s IT department—if there is one at all—is changing. AMI solutions include hardware, software, data management, data storage, and integration with the utility’s existing system, allowing the two to connect. These systems are becoming more advanced and complex all the time. Some utilities are struggling to keep up.
Keeping up with the latest technology burdens an IT department, says John Sala, director of marketing for systems at Neptune Technology Group Inc. “It’s time-consuming and there are hidden, embedded infrastructure costs.”
For decades, water utilities have had manual gatherings of meter readings every month. This information is recorded on computers for billing and other purposes. When AMI appeared, the amount of data from hourly readings changed the playing field, leaving utilities struggling to deal with an influx of data and even to figure out what to do with it all. "When the volume of data is huge," remarks Dan Pinney, global director of water marketing for Sensus, "the size of the server needs to grow." But can water utilities handle that, and do they even want to? Many would prefer to simply use the data and let someone else manage it. With the advent of technology- and information-intensive AMI solutions, the role of the water utility's IT department—if there is one at all—is changing. AMI solutions include hardware, software, data management, data storage, and integration with the utility's existing system, allowing the two to connect. These systems are becoming more advanced and complex all the time. Some utilities are struggling to keep up. Keeping up with the latest technology burdens an IT department, says John Sala, director of marketing for systems at Neptune Technology Group Inc. "It's time-consuming and there are hidden, embedded infrastructure costs." [text_ad] Most utilities have an IT department, although the size and skillset varies significantly, says Joe Ball, director of marketing, Itron Water North America. Larger utilities have more IT staff and capabilities, but it's not universal, argues Randolph Wheatley, vice president of marketing at Sensus. Not all water utilities have an IT department, Sala agrees, or they may have only one person in it. "We live in an interesting time of speed and change. The complexity of systems is growing exponentially; the challenge is that technology makes it easier to use devices, but harder to develop, troubleshoot and support them. It's difficult to keep up if you're not a large organization." A big city like Toronto, Ontario, Canada, has "hundreds of IT people" working for the water utility, Sala estimates, allowing them to be able to afford to "do lots in-house," thanks to economies of scale. However, most water utilities are "doubly challenged because even the largest is typically smaller than other major utility verticals such as electric and gas, and they almost certainly have no data analysts with the necessary skill sets to support the technology." "The size of the IT staff depends on the size of the utility," says Jim Hurley, director of software services for Aclara. "The bigger the staff, generally, the more expertise—but they may have no expertise in these platforms, so it's still easier for the vendor to deliver updates overnight."
Credit: ISTOCK/BARANOZDEMIR[/caption] Pressure Mounts Cloud software services are bringing about rapid and diverse changes to how a water utility operates and how data is used, according to Anderson. Hurley says, "You can do everything on a Cloud you can do on premises; the only difference is that you access it through a Web browser." As recently as two years ago, interest in cloud services was low, declares Hurley. Today, interest has accelerated as utilities become more comfortable with the technology. "Existing clients want to convert and new customers are signing up." Drivers behind this move include the utility's ability to reallocate assets and save money in labor, ancillary services, power, real estate, software, and business procedures. "There is acceptance across the board," observes Hurley. "Large utilities know the impact and are converting." Perhaps more importantly, Sala considers it "the great democratizer" because it helps put small utilities on equal footing. Although he admits it can appear more expensive, especially if you don't account for those hidden costs, Sala says it is, nonetheless, a life preserver. "As systems increase in complexity, smaller utilities couldn't do it otherwise. With regulations and demands increasing, customer service costs, the conservation drive—a small utility would be challenged to comply. This is the only thing that can reduce or eliminate the burden for them." By "working only in water," Sala says Neptune understands the client. The management systems, service, and support they provide enable utility customers to more efficiently manage their resources and more effectively serve end users. "The interaction of software and hardware technology is difficult," continues Sala. Advanced metering infrastructure captures information hourly or better, accumulating a large volume of data that involves complex reporting and analysis. "It takes more effort to develop and install; it's also more challenging to support." Software patches and new releases can be downloaded, but hardware is much more difficult because it can require physical changes. "For example, we're releasing new field data collection devices at an accelerated rate; components in those devices often go obsolete in several years, even though the customer expects them to last much longer." Although technology continues to advance, the utilities don't often get more money to support the systems. As the speed of technology changes, the pressure on utilities to do more and do it more efficiently at less cost becomes greater. "Utilities get stuck in the loop if they don't get updates," explains Sala. "They fall behind—miss fixes, security updates, and new technology. They fall so far behind, it becomes a tsunami." Conservation is a major driver in some portions of the country, but pressure often comes from local governments, a board of directors or even ratepayers. "Expectations can drive investment in Web presence," states Sala. Head in the Clouds What's interesting about cloud systems, Sala believes, is that the utilities have to give up some control of the system. That can make some of them nervous. Customer questions fielded by Hurley begin with: Who owns the data? The answer: the utility. "Hosted systems are a sort of guardianship. We manage the data, but the utility has access at any time." Other questions cover specifics related to how the business runs. Many utilities want backup copies of data; that can be provided. In fact, Pinney explains that many vendors provide built-in disaster recovery abilities. "We maintain two data centers, with redundancy at both, which mirror the information. Most utilities can't afford that capital investment." Another concern is privacy. The technical implementation of a Cloud is public; subscriber data is mixed with data from other subscribers, with only the logical controls being separate. While the incidence of information sharing is low, some utilities remain anxious about it. Aclara has a private cloud service: no inter-mixing of data. Sensus tackles the issue another way—by keeping the system on the premises when possible. "We try to stay within the utility's comfort zone," explains Wheatley. "If they're worried about privacy or security of information, we set it up so utilities can run it or we run it onsite (although we don't do that often), or we provide offsite management." Flexibility is an important asset. When the volume of data grows, Sensus moves it to a Cloud. Hosting on cloud servers is scalable because the infrastructure is scalable. Security "There is more comfort with cloud technology," observes Wheatley. "A few years ago, few were comfortable with it, but as the technology becomes more commonplace, security is better understood and that reassures people." Nevertheless, security remains an issue, whether utilities are hosting or not. "Data security is always an important topic when you discuss smart metering and hosted solutions," says Kamstrup's Warren Ault. Kamstrup is certified to ISO 27001:2013, Information Security Management Systems, a European standard considered one of the most stringent globally. Kamstrup water meter RF data transmissions are also end-to-end encrypted, using their newly launched Kamstrup Encryption Key Service. "The customer needs only to create a profile and register that profile within our reading application," explains Ault. The encryption key for newly purchased meters is automatically imported to the meter reading application. Many of today's AMI systems contain advanced two-way wireless communication and control capabilities, so security is essential whether using an on-premises deployed AMI solution or a SaaS AMI solution, Ball says. "When evaluating a SaaS solution, ensure [it] meets or exceeds the current industrystandards." Itron's SaaS AMI solution, Itron Total AMI, includes a diverse selection of security controls, including encryption algorithms and digital certificates, which are used to keep utility data safe, regardless of the number of endpoints under the network. Training, Support, and Moving Forward There's less training needed for software use with a hosted system than with a fixed network, Anderson believes. "There's so much the software can do. Utilities must decide what they want to do. We make the data intuitive and simple, using customizable dashboards configured by the user. It integrates into their legacy system and interfaces with billing." Aggregate data is packaged in a "relevant way," presented in a graphic manner to show trends. In fact, the software is so intuitive, Anderson says utilities often "jump in" before training. "They're eager to start—and they're using more data because it's easy to use." Support can be found in a number of places, such as online users groups. During deployment, Wheatley says, utilities turn to network engineers for support, but as ownership transitions to the utility and the training wheels come off, he says they can rely on call centers for information to refresh their training and for problem-solving. "It's not difficult to use the system," assures Pinney. "It's reliable and robust. But anomalies cause consternation. When something happens four months later, they don't remember what to do if things go wrong. If something happens, it's always urgent to resolve." In addition to anomalies, systems and software change routinely, necessitating ongoing training. "There's always a learning curve," says Pinney. Because it requires diligence to be consistent, it's often easier for the vendor who does this on a regular basis to manage the system than to re-train the utility's IT personnel. Utilities have other things to do, conjectures Wheatley. Thus, they understand the advantages of a managed system. This empowers the utility to develop new business processes. For example, he says, they can suspend and initiate service remotely. "Instead of estimating or manually getting the last read or starting point, they'll have that data. The system provides more accuracy for both customer and utility." One business practice that has changed involves communication. "They customer used to call the utility with issues," recollects Wheatley. "Now, the utility calls the customer if something is wrong." One Sensus employee got a call from his utility company about a leak they had noticed by looking at the data. Such calls can help customers avoid a higher bill, as well as damage to their home if the cause of the alert is a leak. Crystal Ball Faster leak detection saves customers from high bills and possible damage; it also generates revenue for the utility through detailed usage. "Utilities are surprised how ubiquitous leaks have been," muses Anderson. Where water is scarce, such as in the Southwest, interest in more detailed data is high because the cost of water is high, explains Pinney. But even where water is not considered scarce, there's interest if the area is "green," he says. "Where information has more value, acceptance is high." Acceptance may increase once utilities realize the role it can play in disaster recovery. Pinney discusses a water utility "out west in Tornado Alley" that endured a twister that blew 17,000 homes and businesses off their foundations. "The valves were gone," he recalls. "Water was pouring out. Gas lines were ripped out; electric lines were ripped out. But with the water drained out of the tanks, they couldn't fight fires. These systems can shut off the valves. Things we never thought about can help in emergencies; they can save lives and prevent further damage to infrastructure. The value to the system goes even farther." Once you have a system, you can grow, continues Pinney. "It can automate things you already do, based on need, making you more efficient." For example, the requirement to periodically flush the system to maintain water quality no longer means opening hydrants. Sensors can release only the amount needed. Whether water utilities opt to host a system or use their own IT personnel to manage it, AMI will continue to impact the way things are done. An upcoming trend Anderson envisions in the future involves using the data to compare consumption with temperature and precipitation. "By integrating information and looking at patterns, utilities can make predictions. This will help them budget and plan ground resources and maintenance."
Most utilities have an IT department, although the size and skillset varies significantly, says Joe Ball, director of marketing, Itron Water North America. Larger utilities have more IT staff and capabilities, but it’s not universal, argues Randolph Wheatley, vice president of marketing at Sensus.
Not all water utilities have an IT department, Sala agrees, or they may have only one person in it. “We live in an interesting time of speed and change. The complexity of systems is growing exponentially; the challenge is that technology makes it easier to use devices, but harder to develop, troubleshoot and support them. It’s difficult to keep up if you’re not a large organization.”
A big city like Toronto, Ontario, Canada, has “hundreds of IT people” working for the water utility, Sala estimates, allowing them to be able to afford to “do lots in-house,” thanks to economies of scale. However, most water utilities are “doubly challenged because even the largest is typically smaller than other major utility verticals such as electric and gas, and they almost certainly have no data analysts with the necessary skill sets to support the technology.”
“The size of the IT staff depends on the size of the utility,” says Jim Hurley, director of software services for Aclara. “The bigger the staff, generally, the more expertise—but they may have no expertise in these platforms, so it’s still easier for the vendor to deliver updates overnight.”
The lack of IT resources held back San Jose, CA, when considering AMI, notes Kristie Anderson, marketing manager for Badger Meter. Similarly, although Sunnyvale, CA—located in Silicon Valley—was surrounded by IT companies, its limited IT resources were an obstacle. “Not having an IT department wasalways an obstacle for AMI systems, but there’s much less barrier now with hosted systems.”
Water utilities are not the drivers of these big technology shifts we see, says Sala. However, they have to respond to the them and support them. For example, upgrades to the software and supporting it are just some concerns that can push a utility to a hosted system. “They’re in an untenable position. They must comply with regulations, but they can’t raise the rates. For many of them, hosting is a relief.”
Getting SaaS-y
Over the last year, Ball says utilities of all sizes have turned to hosted solutions, also referred to as cloud computing or Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions.
Many utilities embrace hosting, Sala concurs. “We’re seeing RFP requirements for hosting options now. It all depends on the utility’s comfort with owning responsibility.”
The paradigm was changed by vendors offering a hands-off approach known as a managed solution in which the provider installs and maintains the data collection equipment, leaving utilities responsible only for installation and maintenance of meters and endpoints.
Vendors like Sensus offer products and solutions that provide advanced measurement, data collection, analysis, and control capabilities for improved operational efficiency and reduced environmental impact to help utilities get the best use of water and energy resources. “We help utilities preserve natural resources,” elaborates Pinney, “including those [that are] not necessarily what they are working on, such as energy and fuel.” A water utility uses electricity to move water, he explains.
A managed system changes the landscape of focus, allowing utilities to concentrate on improved customer service through more detailed usage information, operations, and efficient meter reading for faster leak detection and load management. This newfound efficiency reduces many expenses while simultaneously generating additional revenue. In addition, a managed system makes it easier for a utility to comply with regulations.
In a hosted environment, such as a data center, managed services provide information to the utility for billing and operations. The software captures data. “Data comes from the field and is put in the data base,” explains Hurley. Utilities simply access data on the Internet by using a Web browser.
With such an abundance of near real-time data literally at their fingertips, utilities can quickly resolve customer complaints and maintenance issues. Other services enabled by a hosted system include a remote disconnect procedure.
Utilities can also provide notifications to customers. “There is a lot of flexibility for outbound communications, such as notifying customers of utility work in the area. Of course, there is the assumption that the customer has access to the Internet.” Unfortunately, adds Hurley, a generational divide exists; older residents don’t use the Internet much.
Nevertheless, “all sizes of utilities find [hosted services] valuable,” proclaims Wheatley. It allows utilities to focus on their core business, not communications, he says. “Smaller utilities are resource-starved. This is more than a communications network; it’s a holistic solution.”
It frees up resources at the utility, Anderson emphasizes, even if the utility uses it only for commercial accounts as a test, although she says even large utilities are using it so they can reallocate resources elsewhere.
Advantages include benefits for the customer, too. By providing detailed information that the customer can see in almost real time, utilities can often forestall inquiries before a dispute occurs.
Utilities can add a consumer engagement line that allows customers to view their usage and pay bills online, says Hurley. The Web-based software allows customers to view an assessment of their consumption and compare hourly usage with their neighbors or the district, which he says drives conservation.
“This is great for conservation,” Anderson agrees, explaining that conservation is a regional concern, prevalent in the Southwest. “Minimizing lost water is a big issue there. This helps identify leaks.”
Gracious Host Saves Money
Identifying leaks and recovering lost water are important everywhere. There are also many other reasons to choose a hosted system, but often, the financial aspect is a deciding factor. “Utilities can reduce expenses with a cloud system,” summarizes Hurley. “It’s faster, better, cheaper.”
These Web-based software services are cost-effective and relieve the utility from finding skilled staff. “SaaS solutions provide a low-risk, highly flexible and secure solution for utilities of all sizes,” Ball assures, adding that solutions like Itron Total AMI eliminate the need for utilities to hire additional IT staff or make a large investment in the back-office infrastructure required by AMI systems. “By eliminating the need for the utility’s IT department to manage the AMI system, it enables the utility’s staff to focus on its core business function.”
AMI fixed network systems already decrease the labor requirement to read meters and increase the frequency and accuracy of readings. They also reduce vehicle and fuel expenses and typically provide a quicker, better resolution of customer complaints about their bills because more detailed information is provided. However, an AMI system relies on software to store and manage the data, which, in turn, requires an investment in hardware and software, backup, maintenance, and upgrades by skilled, highly trained personnel. This adds costs back in.
Besides AMI, utilities are burdened with numerous expenses. Hurley references the pressure utilities face due to aging infrastructure that necessitates costly repair or replacement, as well as other costs and issues that regularly challenge utility companies, such as water theft. “It’s a concern in large, metropolitan areas. People sell valve systems so they can run [meters] in reverse and lower their bill.”
Tracking with hourly meter reads reveals tamper data, as well as history of usage. Accurately tracking usage sometimes brings surprises. Pinney mentions a local utility that had a park with a natural spring—or so they thought. Once they deployed a hosted AMI system, they got a lot of fresh information. “Time synchronization provided a snapshot of the system they weren’t able to get when they were taking readings on different days,” he explains. “They were able to compare lines, inflow, outflow . . . ”
What they discovered was that the “natural spring” was actually a break in the main distribution pipe. They had been losing not just the value of all that water, but the cost of electricity to pump water 24 hours a day.
Hourly monitoring lets the utility see what’s happening; in situations like that, it’s vital. “It’s a business need,” believes Hurley. Utilities “can get there in-house or with a Cloud,” he says, although hosted systems offer more agility, particularly in upgrading services.
SaaS platforms are generally quick to deploy. Optional pay-as-you-go subscription pricing helps make it affordable, particularly because there is no hardware for the utility to purchase. “There’s no capital expense,” explains Hurley. What used to be a capital expenditure becomes an operations expense. “Utilities save money by not having to buy hardware or software licenses; that cost is replaced with an operational expense line item—a subscription fee.”
No license fees, no installation cost, no big upfront cost Anderson underscores. “Pay as you go. It’s easy: just log in to the latest version and get the latest upgrades, automatic data back-up . . . You don’t even think about whether you have enough [server] space.”
Efficiency is a big part of the value of hosted systems. Because experts maintain the system and software updates are automatic, Hurley says the utility can save money by reallocating personnel to other tasks.
Repurposing personnel equals a cost avoided if no IT person is needed to manage the data. As Pinney points out, meter readers are often maintenance personnel; freeing them up from making the rounds to read meters means they have more time to maintain equipment. Additionally, Wheatley says, “With no meter reading, [fewer] customer service people are needed—and there will be fewer bill complaints because the information is clearer.”
Another way to make the system pay for itself is to implement tiered pricing, which is what Redwood City did, according to Pinney. Hourly data provided by the system made that possible. Not only did this solution intensify conservation, but it also saved money through less fuel usage.
Pressure Mounts
Cloud software services are bringing about rapid and diverse changes to how a water utility operates and how data is used, according to Anderson. Hurley says, “You can do everything on a Cloud you can do on premises; the only difference is that you access it through a Web browser.”
As recently as two years ago, interest in cloud services was low, declares Hurley. Today, interest has accelerated as utilities become more comfortable with the technology. “Existing clients want to convert and new customers are signing up.”
Drivers behind this move include the utility’s ability to reallocate assets and save money in labor, ancillary services, power, real estate, software, and business procedures. “There is acceptance across the board,” observes Hurley. “Large utilities know the impact and are converting.”
Perhaps more importantly, Sala considers it “the great democratizer” because it helps put small utilities on equal footing. Although he admits it can appear more expensive, especially if you don’t account for those hidden costs, Sala says it is, nonetheless, a life preserver. “As systems increase in complexity, smaller utilities couldn’t do it otherwise. With regulations and demands increasing, customer service costs, the conservation drive—a small utility would be challenged to comply. This is the only thing that can reduce or eliminate the burden for them.”
By “working only in water,” Sala says Neptune understands the client. The management systems, service, and support they provide enable utility customers to more efficiently manage their resources and more effectively serve end users.
“The interaction of software and hardware technology is difficult,” continues Sala. Advanced metering infrastructure captures information hourly or better, accumulating a large volume of data that involves complex reporting and analysis. “It takes more effort to develop and install; it’s also more challenging to support.” Software patches and new releases can be downloaded, but hardware is much more difficult because it can require physical changes. “For example, we’re releasing new field data collection devices at an accelerated rate; components in those devices often go obsolete in several years, even though the customer expects them to last much longer.”
Although technology continues to advance, the utilities don’t often get more money to support the systems. As the speed of technology changes, the pressure on utilities to do more and do it more efficiently at less cost becomes greater. “Utilities get stuck in the loop if they don’t get updates,” explains Sala. “They fall behind—miss fixes, security updates, and new technology. They fall so far behind, it becomes a tsunami.”
Conservation is a major driver in some portions of the country, but pressure often comes from local governments, a board of directors or even ratepayers. “Expectations can drive investment in Web presence,” states Sala.
Head in the Clouds
What’s interesting about cloud systems, Sala believes, is that the utilities have to give up some control of the system. That can make some of them nervous.
Customer questions fielded by Hurley begin with: Who owns the data? The answer: the utility. “Hosted systems are a sort of guardianship. We manage the data, but the utility has access at any time.”
Other questions cover specifics related to how the business runs. Many utilities want backup copies of data; that can be provided. In fact, Pinney explains that many vendors provide built-in disaster recovery abilities. “We maintain two data centers, with redundancy at both, which mirror the information. Most utilities can’t afford that capital investment.”
Another concern is privacy. The technical implementation of a Cloud is public; subscriber data is mixed with data from other subscribers, with only the logical controls being separate. While the incidence of information sharing is low, some utilities remain anxious about it. Aclara has a private cloud service: no inter-mixing of data.
Sensus tackles the issue another way—by keeping the system on the premises when possible. “We try to stay within the utility’s comfort zone,” explains Wheatley. “If they’re worried about privacy or security of information, we set it up so utilities can run it or we run it onsite (although we don’t do that often), or we provide offsite management.”
Flexibility is an important asset. When the volume of data grows, Sensus moves it to a Cloud. Hosting on cloud servers is scalable because the infrastructure is scalable.
Security
“There is more comfort with cloud technology,” observes Wheatley. “A few years ago, few were comfortable with it, but as the technology becomes more commonplace, security is better understood and that reassures people.” Nevertheless, security remains an issue, whether utilities are hosting or not.
“Data security is always an important topic when you discuss smart metering and hosted solutions,” says Kamstrup’s Warren Ault. Kamstrup is certified to ISO 27001:2013, Information Security Management Systems, a European standard considered one of the most stringent globally. Kamstrup water meter RF data transmissions are also end-to-end encrypted, using their newly launched Kamstrup Encryption Key Service.
“The customer needs only to create a profile and register that profile within our reading application,” explains Ault. The encryption key for newly purchased meters is automatically imported to the meter reading application.
Many of today’s AMI systems contain advanced two-way wireless communication and control capabilities, so security is essential whether using an on-premises deployed AMI solution or a SaaS AMI solution, Ball says. “When evaluating a SaaS solution, ensure [it] meets or exceeds the current industrystandards.”
Itron’s SaaS AMI solution, Itron Total AMI, includes a diverse selection of security controls, including encryption algorithms and digital certificates, which are used to keep utility data safe, regardless of the number of endpoints under the network.
Training, Support, and Moving Forward
There’s less training needed for software use with a hosted system than with a fixed network, Anderson believes. “There’s so much the software can do. Utilities must decide what they want to do. We make the data intuitive and simple, using customizable dashboards configured by the user. It integrates into their legacy system and interfaces with billing.”
Aggregate data is packaged in a “relevant way,” presented in a graphic manner to show trends. In fact, the software is so intuitive, Anderson says utilities often “jump in” before training. “They’re eager to start—and they’re using more data because it’s easy to use.”
Support can be found in a number of places, such as online users groups. During deployment, Wheatley says, utilities turn to network engineers for support, but as ownership transitions to the utility and the training wheels come off, he says they can rely on call centers for information to refresh their training and for problem-solving.
“It’s not difficult to use the system,” assures Pinney. “It’s reliable and robust. But anomalies cause consternation. When something happens four months later, they don’t remember what to do if things go wrong. If something happens, it’s always urgent to resolve.”
In addition to anomalies, systems and software change routinely, necessitating ongoing training. “There’s always a learning curve,” says Pinney. Because it requires diligence to be consistent, it’s often easier for the vendor who does this on a regular basis to manage the system than to re-train the utility’s IT personnel.
Utilities have other things to do, conjectures Wheatley. Thus, they understand the advantages of a managed system. This empowers the utility to develop new business processes. For example, he says, they can suspend and initiate service remotely. “Instead of estimating or manually getting the last read or starting point, they’ll have that data. The system provides more accuracy for both customer and utility.”
One business practice that has changed involves communication. “They customer used to call the utility with issues,” recollects Wheatley. “Now, the utility calls the customer if something is wrong.” One Sensus employee got a call from his utility company about a leak they had noticed by looking at the data. Such calls can help customers avoid a higher bill, as well as damage to their home if the cause of the alert is a leak.
Crystal Ball
Faster leak detection saves customers from high bills and possible damage; it also generates revenue for the utility through detailed usage. “Utilities are surprised how ubiquitous leaks have been,” muses Anderson.
Where water is scarce, such as in the Southwest, interest in more detailed data is high because the cost of water is high, explains Pinney. But even where water is not considered scarce, there’s interest if the area is “green,” he says. “Where information has more value, acceptance is high.”
Acceptance may increase once utilities realize the role it can play in disaster recovery. Pinney discusses a water utility “out west in Tornado Alley” that endured a twister that blew 17,000 homes and businesses off their foundations. “The valves were gone,” he recalls. “Water was pouring out. Gas lines were ripped out; electric lines were ripped out. But with the water drained out of the tanks, they couldn’t fight fires. These systems can shut off the valves. Things we never thought about can help in emergencies; they can save lives and prevent further damage to infrastructure. The value to the system goes even farther.”
Once you have a system, you can grow, continues Pinney. “It can automate things you already do, based on need, making you more efficient.” For example, the requirement to periodically flush the system to maintain water quality no longer means opening hydrants. Sensors can release only the amount needed.
Whether water utilities opt to host a system or use their own IT personnel to manage it, AMI will continue to impact the way things are done. An upcoming trend Anderson envisions in the future involves using the data to compare consumption with temperature and precipitation. “By integrating information and looking at patterns, utilities can make predictions. This will help them budget and plan ground resources and maintenance.”
