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From Manual to Automated Meter Reading (AMR)

From Manual to Automated Meter Reading (AMR). Daniel Christodoss, Ph.D., P.E. Asset Manager and Texas Utilities East Design & Construction Manager. Water Sustainability Session I Presentation at the 15 TH Annual Energy Utility and Environmental Conference, Phoenix, AZ, Jan 30 TO Feb 1 2012.

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From Manual to Automated Meter Reading (AMR)

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  1. From Manual to Automated Meter Reading (AMR) Daniel Christodoss, Ph.D., P.E. Asset Manager and Texas Utilities East Design & Construction Manager Water Sustainability Session I Presentation at the 15TH Annual Energy Utility and Environmental Conference, Phoenix, AZ, Jan 30 TO Feb 1 2012

  2. Presentation Outline • Diversified Water Utilities & Why AMR? • Hazards to Meter Reader • Manual Meter Drawbacks • Automatic RF Meters • AMR Benefits & Desired Features • Vendor Evaluation and Objective • Project Tracking & Completion

  3. Texas Utilities-Southwest Water Company • 106 Water and 15 Wastewater plants (conventional and membrane) • 27 MGD Groundwater: 249 wells & 7 MGD Surfacewater~ 40,000 customers • Plants near: San Antonio, Austin, Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Tyler, Livingston, Sherman and Tenkiller, OK • 33 Counties: Prairies and Lakes, Piney Woods, Gulf Coast, South Texas Plains and Hill Country

  4. Diversified Utilities Map Sherman • 38,319 Manual Meters • 3.5 Billion Gallons of Water Metered Annually • $18M revenue from water consumption • Annual Meter Reader Salary $800,000 (22 meter readers) • Data Entry Operators Annual Salary $250,000 (5 operators) • Transportation $117,000 (9 vehicles) • CHALLENGES: • Topography • Distance • Alleys/backyards • Hazards Tyler Dallas-Ft Worth AUSTIN HOUSTON San Antonio

  5. Meter Reading Hazards @ TXUG (OTSH) Biohazard along meter route Meter Reader

  6. Meter Reading Hazards @ TXUG (OTSH) • Dogs, Electric Fences, Guns…. • Attempted Robbery and Shooting of a meter reader in Lakeland, FL: Aug, 2009 • Homeowner opened fire on meter reader, Dallas, TX: 2009 • “The Rottweiler doesn't bite”!

  7. Manual Metering Drawbacks • Laborious (back injuries, trips, falls) • Transcription Errors • Biological and Physical Hazards • High O&M (labor, gas, disputes) • No consumption history • Cannot detect customer leaks • Water Theft Undeterred • High meter reader turnover

  8. Texas Utilities-Southwest Water Company 106 Water and 15 Wastewater plants (conventional and membrane) 27 MGD Groundwater: 249 wells & 7 MGD Surfacewater~ 40,000 customers Plants near: San Antonio, Austin, Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Tyler, Livingston, Sherman and Tenkiller, OK 33 Counties: Prairies and Lakes, Piney Woods, Gulf Coast, South Texas Plains and Hill Country

  9. Diversified Utilities Map Sherman • 38,319 Manual Meters • 3.5 Billion Gallons of Water Metered Annually • $18M revenue from water consumption • Annual Meter Reader Salary $800,000 (22 meter readers) • Data Entry Operators Annual Salary $250,000 (5 operators) • Transportation $117,000 (9 vehicles) • CHALLENGES: • Topography • Distance • Alleys/backyards • Hazards Tyler Dallas-Ft Worth AUSTIN HOUSTON San Antonio

  10. Texas Utilities-Southwest Water Company 106 Water and 15 Wastewater plants (conventional and membrane) 27 MGD Groundwater: 249 wells & 7 MGD Surfacewater~ 40,000 customers Plants near: San Antonio, Austin, Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Tyler, Livingston, Sherman and Tenkiller, OK 33 Counties: Prairies and Lakes, Piney Woods, Gulf Coast, South Texas Plains and Hill Country

  11. Diversified Utilities Map Sherman • 38,319 Manual Meters • 3.5 Billion Gallons of Water Metered Annually • $18M revenue from water consumption • Annual Meter Reader Salary $800,000 (22 meter readers) • Data Entry Operators Annual Salary $250,000 (5 operators) • Transportation $117,000 (9 vehicles) • CHALLENGES: • Topography • Distance • Alleys/backyards • Hazards Tyler Dallas-Ft Worth AUSTIN HOUSTON San Antonio

  12. Manual Metering Drawbacks Laborious (back injuries, trips, falls) Transcription Errors Biological and Physical Hazards High O&M (labor, gas, disputes) No consumption history Cannot detect customer leaks Water Theft Undeterred High meter reader turnover

  13. Meter Reading Hazards @ TXUG (OTSH) Biohazard along meter route Meter Reader

  14. Meter Reading Hazards @ TXUG (OTSH) Dogs, Electric Fences, Guns…. Attempted Robbery and Shooting of a meter reader in Lakeland, FL: Aug, 2009 Homeowner opened fire on meter reader, Dallas, TX: 2009 “The Rottweiler doesn't bite”!

  15. Benefits of AMR Quick (data acquired remotely during drive by-5 days vs 4 hrs) Meter data communicated by Radio Frequency—no manual meter reading No need to access the meter box during routine drive by, except in unique situations Lower O&M (labor and disputes) 1 hr Consumption history can be extracted to respond to disputes Can detect customer leaks and help identify water theft Lower meter reader turnover Streamline high bill investigations

  16. Automatic RF Meters Quick Remote Safe Accurate Automated 1 hr Consumption History + Vandal & Leak Alerts ANTENNA RADIO BATTERIES IMPELLER

  17. RF used for everything else, why not for AMR Technologies that depend on radio waves: • AM and FM radio broadcasts • Cordless phones • Garage door openers • Radio-controlled toys • Television broadcasts • Cell phones • GPS receivers • Satellite communications • Police radios • Wireless clocks • Radar and microwave ovens • Communication and navigation satellites • Modern aviation • Wireless Internet access • Radio waves are electromagnetic, part of the light spectrum and travel at a speed of 186,282 miles per second—the speed of light Guglielmo Marconi built the 1st Radio Transmitter in 1895

  18. Automatic Meters (win-win situation) Promotes Water Conservation & Remote Secure Data Acquisition Remote Access 5.5 month consumption history stored in the meter for dispute resolution

  19. Benefits of AMR • Quick (data acquired remotely during drive by-5 days vs 4 hrs) • Meter data communicated by Radio Frequency—no manual meter reading • No need to access the meter box during routine drive by, except in unique situations • Lower O&M (labor and disputes) • 1 hr Consumption history can be extracted to respond to disputes • Can detect customer leaks and help identify water theft • Lower meter reader turnover • Streamline high bill investigations

  20. Desired AMR Features • Read remotely under submerged conditions • Integrate continuous leak detection and retrievable consumption history • Use vandal deterrent technologies in unlicensed frequency • Be one-piece, integrated unit with no exposed wiring to look similar to a manual meter • Fixed network AMI preferred, but Mobile AMR considered in analysis

  21. Technologies Evaluated Four AMR Technologies • 1. Walk-by with Handheld • 2. Drive-by with Laptop • 3. AMR: One way Fixed network • Periodic Data Transmission one way from Meter to SWWC • 4. AMI: Two way Fixed network • Data-Reports Transmission to SWWC • SWWC commands to meter

  22. Reading Submerged Conditions

  23. Reading Submerged Conditions

  24. Reading Submerged Conditions

  25. Technologies Evaluated Four AMR Technologies 1. Walk-by with Handheld 2. Drive-by with Laptop 3. AMR: One way Fixed network Periodic Data Transmission one way from Meter to SWWC 4. AMI: Two way Fixed network Data-Reports Transmission to SWWC SWWC commands to meter

  26. Vendor Evaluation for Automatic RF Meters Evaluation Criteria to Rank 8 AMR Vendors: • Compatibility with existing water meters • Low flow accuracy • Strength of transmission signal • Encapsulated one-piece vandal deterrent module • Financial Stability of the Company • FCC License • Material & Workmanship Deficiency + AWWA Accuracy Warranty • Battery life expectancy • Hourly 6 month Consumption history • Data transmission in submerged conditions • Last 15 year performance in Texas • Meter register malfunction due to silt in water

  27. AMR / AMI Project Objective:Find one vendor who can supply and install TX wide in 6 months, an accurate automatic water meter, and a reliable RF frequency network system, which provides the best return on Investment, for the lowest life-cycle cost

  28. Evaluation Process Technology Research Preliminary Selection Vendor Technology Presentations Detailed Evaluation and Ranking Field visits to working systems/demos Meetings with clients Final Evaluation and Ranking RFP, Bid Review, Vendor Proposal Presentation, and Award

  29. Reading Submerged Conditions

  30. Reading Submerged Conditions

  31. Leak Detection: Leak Starts

  32. Leak Detection: Leak in Progress

  33. Leak Detection: Leak Fixed

  34. AWWA Meter Testing: 6 meter types 10 GPM 2 GPM ¼ GPM

  35. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS • Chuck Profilet, P.E., Vice President and Managing Director • Ed Taussig, Finance Director • Ryan Quigley, Director of Operations • Gary Rose, Director of Operations • Doug Connor, District Manager • David Garrett, IT Project Manager • George Freitag, Rate Manager • Shawn Sharkey, P.E. Project Engineer • Janice Hayes, Community Relations Manager

  36. Contact Information • Please email daniel.christodoss@swwc.comor • call (817) 894-1357 Thanks and have a great day!

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