City of Pasadena

Utility cuts meter reading labor costs by more than 80% and improves efficiency by over 85% using a MAPS® Mobile automated meter reading solution. Water accountability improves with a 60% reduction in lost water.

The City of Pasadena, Texas, targeted a variety of objectives for improved customer service in meter reading. Pasadena's primary goals were elimination of estimated water bills and minimized disruption for customers. But the City's manual reading system was inefficient, especially where meters were remote or hard to access. The answer was a system that increased the efficiency of Pasadena's water meter reading operations with a leap from a manual meter reading process to an automated meter reading (AMR) solution.

The Challenge

Pasadena was looking for a single vendor with a proven track record in meter installation programs, meter replacement programs, and AMR installation programs that could furnish and install their own products. Pasadena (population 141,000) was using manual meter reading to read over 34,000 meters. It used a team of six readers working in four billing cycles with accounts ranging from 5,900 to 10,700 meters per cycle. Disruptions to the manual meter reading process included obstructed meters, inclement weather, traffic, and issues with customer pets.

The Schlumberger Solution

Having established the need for a total meter change-out, the City of Pasadena water utility decided on an integrated metering and communication solution that would deliver value to the utility and its customers. The Schlumberger MAPS Mobile solution allows Pasadena to better manage their meter reading operations. MAPS Mobile solutions include a large family of communicating meters, interface units, walk-by and drive-by reading devices, and route management software that allows the utility to easily implement AMR using radio frequency (RF) technology.

The Schlumberger solution for Pasadena included replacement of the entire 34,000 meter population with Neptune® T-10 meters equipped with a ProRead exact encoder register and an R900 RF water pit MIU. The meters are read using 'drive-by' technology with a vehicle-based meter reading unit.

The Schlumberger RoadMAPStrademark drive-by data collector is a rugged, compact meter reading device. It consists of a data collection unit and a laptop computer in a durable case that can be securely placed in the passenger seat of any vehicle. Data transmitted by the MIU is received and stored by the unit. Information can be quickly uploaded to the MAPS Mobile RouteMAPStrademark host software. The host software transfers the customer information to the billing computer to generate customer bills. Pasadena uses Schlumberger RouteMAPS software to process the data.

In a project that combined a comprehensive meter upgrade program with wireless communication technology, Pasadena was able to reduce its meter reading staff from six readers working five days to one reader working one day for each billing cycle. 98% of the meters are read with the RoadMAPS drive-by data collector.

The City of Pasadena has realized major savings in their daily operating costs by using a Schlumberger MAPS Mobile AMR solution. By implementing the drive-by service, Pasadena shortened the billing cycle by reducing read-to-bill times, lowered operational costs, and improved customer service.