The commonly used global term “Smart Water Meter” generally implies an electronic, static metering device of extreme accuracy having no moving parts. Furthermore it is equipped with a battery-powered processor which includes a remote reading radio transmission capability.  While meters incorporating this new technology are available e.g. the Sensus iPerl, it is often beyond the financial reach of water supply authorities unless large numbers of meters are involved.

The need for more efficient remote reading of water meters is undisputed.  The starting point of any remote reading system is the generation of a volume related pulse output from the meter.  Unfortunately the vast majority of water meters installed in this country which have a pulse output facility rely on old technology reed pulsers. These are magnetically operated mechanical switches with low pulse integrity and are prone to failure over time.  It is a fundamental requirement that the remote reading should correlate exactly with the reading on the meter.  If not, the consumer has every right to dispute the remotely generated bill and can refuse to pay.  In Europe and the USA this problem has been overcome by either insisting on an inductive pulse output from existing mechanical meters, or to switch to fully-fledged smart meters.  It makes no financial sense to continue installing old technology meters – given the worldwide trend to smart metering as the logical and most cost effective means of improving water management and billing.

With the introduction of the new Sensus model 220C this requirement has been recognised and the meter has been equipped with the more advanced inductive interface, in addition to the old technology reed switch.  This allows the meter to be fitted with a battery powered smart meter module which provides all the benefits of AMR (Automated Meter Reading) such as contactless100% pulse integrity and a full data package including serial number, forward/reverse flow, peak and minimum flows, leak detection and the last 12 month’s readings.  The downside is the reliance on a mechanical meter as the measuring device; however this is no different to the vast majority of old technology meters currently being installed and in service in this country.

Basil Bold, Managing Director of Sensus South Africa said “The need to manage water more efficiently in SA is undisputed. The need to have accurate billing in addition to eliminating the problematic access to properties that occur in commercial and residential complexes and estates is the way forward. Our 220C volumetric meter offers precisely these facilities and is the simplest and most cost efficient way to progress meter reading beyond unreliable manual reading systems.”

“A common complaint of property management companies, body corporates and water supply authorities is that water billings are estimated due to an inability to access either the centralised or individual meters.  This is especially true when consumers/tenants move and ownership is transferred. Without the ability to access the meter readings in near real time, subsequent disputes are inevitable and costly.  Besides accurate billing, an AMR capability offers the water supply authority the benefit of warning consumers of leakage and abnormal consumption before this finally becomes apparent when an actual meter reading is taken (often many months later - by which time the problem has burgeoned into a major financial and legal dispute)” said Bold.

Sensus was recently selected to support one of the world’s largest water smart metering campaigns initiated by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) in Britain, by supplying the core technology to support the rollout of smart meters to 10 million homes and small business in the north region of England comprising some 33 million end-points. It has been estimated that smart water networks can offer global savings of up $12.5 billion per year.