City of Elmhurst, IL, implements Aclara technology in water distribution system

Oct. 28, 2020

RF AMI Communications Network and Leak Detection Technology allows the city to improve customer service while reducing unaccounted for water by millions of gallons.

ST. LOUIS, IL -- Aclara, a leading supplier of smart infrastructure solutions (SIS) to electric, gas and water utilities around the world, announces that the City of Elmhurst, Ill. has implemented its Aclara RF™ advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) communications network and acoustic leak detection system to improve the management of its water resources and infrastructure.

The Aclara RF point-to-multipoint network is a future-proof technology that provides benefits beyond meter reading.

Aclara, a leading supplier of smart infrastructure solutions (SIS) to electric, gas and water utilities around the world, announces that the City of Elmhurst, Ill. has implemented its Aclara RF™ advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) communications network and acoustic leak detection system to improve the management of its water resources and infrastructure.

The AMI solution replaces a legacy, drive-by, automated meter reading system. In combination with leak detection, the solution provides more accurate billing, water usage information to customers, insights into non-revenue water loss, and the ability to manage leaks on the distribution network.

The City, which supplies approximately four million gallons of water a day over 188 miles of potable water mains, also expects operational benefits from analyzing the near–real–time data from the network. For example, the AMI system offers customer service representatives access to hourly meter data, allowing them to respond more efficiently and effectively to billing questions from customers.

"The Aclara AMI RF network provides the framework that enables Elmhurst customers to manage their usage and possibly save significant amounts of money per year in water costs," said Joshua Chaise, vice-president of water product management for Aclara.

The Aclara RF point-to-multipoint network technology is a future-proof network that provides benefits beyond meter reading, allowing the City to add SIS technology and sensors to its network for managing water and monitoring its distribution system.

Today, the City employs Aclara's integrated leak detection solution that combines Aclara's fixed network technology and the ZoneScan acoustic correlating logger on the City's mains to identify the location of potentially disruptive and costly underground leaks. The sensor transmits acoustic data over the RF network to the utility, which can use insights derived from the data to take action to reduce unaccounted for water.

"The deployment of Aclara's leak detection solution not only greatly reduces the amount of unaccounted water in the system, it also improves water conservation. The City estimates that leak detection technology has saved nearly 131 million gallons of water from leaking into the ground," said Chaise.

In fact, the City of Elmhurst's experience has also provided a model for other communities and the solution has been recognized with several awards. These include the Chicago Chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA) 2020 Technical Innovation Award for the development, management and implementation of a creative idea, program, process, or system that enhances the delivery of public works services to the public. In addition, the City received the prestigious AWWA Water Saver Utility Award (Illinois Section) for 2019, and the DuPage, Ill., Mayor and Managers (34 communities represented) also recognized the City of Elmhurst for the most innovative technology use in 2019.