The American Water Works Association Standards Council has approved the development of a new standard for “Single-Jet” water meters. This will be the first new water meter standard issued by AWWA in over 20 years.
The standard is in response to the widespread use of Single-Jet meters by private water companies and public utilities nationwide. The Boulder, Colo., based company Metron-Farnier has exclusively produced Single-Jet meters in the United States since 1990 under the brand names “Spectrum” and “Enduro.”
The Single-Jet meter combines features of both compound and turbine meters. As the name implies, the Spectrum accurately registers water over the entire flow range. According to the manufacturer, the Spectrum can be put in brutal service up to 15 years without maintenance and still retain new meter accuracy.
Single-Jet technology originated in the mid-1970s in Europe, where water treatment and distribution costs far exceed those found in the United States. In Paris for instance, combined water/sewer charges run approximately $12.00/ccf. Single-Jet meters have been used for large services there since the mid-1970s and have virtually replaced every compound meter in the country of France.
“When you have a lot of parts to your machine, it’s common sense that they’re going to need repeated maintenance and replacement parts to keep it working” said Matt Laird, president of Metron-Farnier.
It’s not uncommon for cities to have unaccounted for water with the current meter technology and the high volume of water going through their commercial services. Due to the sensitivity of Single-Jet meters, lost water has been reduced to about 5-8 percent from 10-20 percent at utilities using the meters. Revenues have increased from 12 percent to 32 percent in most change outs and Pilot Program tests conducted in the United States, Laird said.
Accurate metering of large, commercial services requires two key features: a very wide accuracy range to record different flows, from irrigation to middle-of-the-night leaks, and consistent accuracy over time without maintenance.
“Utility management is not brain surgery,” said Dwayne Chisam, Utility Manager from Santa Maria, CA. “All you need to do is increase your revenues while decreasing your maintenance costs.”
The Spectrum and Enduro Single-Jet water meters, unlike conventional meters that include multiple pieces of equipment, consists of a single rotor turning on a pivot. Incoming water rotates a suspended impeller that is directly linked to the register. A low friction pivot bearing supports the impeller at low flow rates while a thrust bearing provides the support at high flow rates. This patented "dual bearing" design provides accuracy and durability at both high and low flows.
The register is hermetically sealed from the measuring chamber through a hydraulic watertight joint. The vacuum sealed, oil-filled register cannot fog after installation in a pressurized service.
Metron-Farnier meters are available with full AMR compatibility incorporating the latest technology in touchpad, phone and radio interface.
