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North American Water Loss Conference
2017
Expert Guidance on Automatic Meter Reading
(AMR) & Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI)
Don Schlenger, Don Schlenger & Associates
David Hughes, American Water
Topics
•Quick Overview of AMR/AMI
•Feasibility Study/Business Case
•Planning and Managing Successful Deployments
•AMI-Based Business Processes and Policies
•Using AMI/AMR to Help Manage Revenue Loss
•Using AMI/AMR to Help Manage Water Loss
Automatic Meter Reading (AMR)
• Handheld or mobile• Multiple reading stored with
some systems
• Some systems convertible to AMI
Fixed Network Radio AMI
• Redundant data collectors• Multiple readings per day• Some systems offer two way
communication w/MIU
• Sensors and controllers• Multi-point access to data• Analytics
Neighborhood
Data
Collection
Unit
Control Computer
(Head-End
System)
Encoder
Register
Meter
Interface
Unit
Meter
Data Mgt.
System
Ancillary
Device
(Leak Detector)
Interfaces
to other
Systems
CIS
Work
Order
Others
Data “Backhaul”
Customer
Portal
Meter
Base
Mesh Network Architecture Extends the Reach of AMI
MIU DCU
MIU
MIU
MIU
MIU
DCU
DCU
DCU
ControlComputerReceiver
MIU
MIU
MIU MIU
MIU
MIU
MIUMIU
MIUMIU
MIU
MIU
“Modified” or “partial” Mesh Network
“Full”MeshNetwork
T2 NetRelay
Device
Courtesy MuellerSystems
Cellular Communication Networks for AMI and Monitoring
• Some AMI vendors use existing cellular networks• Verizon, ATT developing utility services • New small-cell networks• Cloud data storage• Scalable• Two-way communication
Metron-Farnier/TT CDMA
integrated register
Technolog/Cello
Data Recorder
Badger Orion/Beacon
Cellular Endpoint
• Comcast expands LoRaWAN™-based MachineQ network and service platform to Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Denver, Detroit, Indianapolis, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Oakland, Pittsburgh, Seattle, and Washington D.C.
• Itron has developed their own LPWAN (Riva) Two Way
• New technologies demanding new interoperability and standardization
AMI Services Part of the Internet of
Things (IOT)
Itron Open Way RIVA
Comcast MachineQ Coverage Philadelphia Area
Cloud Computing Is Enabling the “Virtualization” of AMI
• Lower capital costs
• Less utility IT support needed
• Lowers the barrier to entry
DCU
MIU
MIU
MIU
Communications
Server
Data and
Application
Servers
Utility CSRs and
Other Users
End
Customer
Portal
Utility
CIS
North American Water Utility Market for AMR/AMI
Source: The Scott Report on AMR and AMI Deployments, 2015
*Includes AMI and AMI-capable devices
North American Water Utilities Are Increasing Turning to AMI
• Almost all recent RFPs are for AMI, not mobile AMR
• Many RFPs include SmartCities, Internet of Things Components
Source: IMS Research
AMI Projects Require Careful Consideration
•Expensive
•High profile
•High impact
•Technology and business risks
•Enable/require major changes
•Not always suitable, justifiable
•Require thorough planning, management and support
Most Water Utilities Require a Business
Case (Benefit /Cost) or Feasibility Study
MIUs Repeaters
Fixed Data
Collection
Units
Head-End
Software
Meter Data
Mgt. System
Meter
RegistersMeters
Pressure
Sensors
Lids
Connectors
Endpoint
Installation
Project
Mgt.
Handheld
Programmers/
Testers
Network
Installation
Installation
Mgt. Software
Business
Process
Design;
Change Mgt.
Financing
Antennas
Performance
Contracting
Remote
Controlled
Shut-Off
Leak
Detectors
Leak
Detection
Software
Leak
Detection
Monitoring
Feasibility
Study
Network
O&M;
NaaS
Software,
Hosting.
SaaS
Application
Development
Meter
Reader
Routing
Marketing,
PR
Data
Analytics
Servers
Handheld
Mgt. System
Programming
Testing Software
Mobile
Data
Collectors
Handheld
Data
Collectors
Inventory
Control
Scrapping
Customer
Portal
CIS
GIS
FIS
CMMS
Asset
Mgt.
Utility
Systems
Advanced Metering Infrastructure Projects Contain Many Components
Project/
Program
Mgt.
Integration/
Testing
Hierarchy of Benefits
Enhance customer service, monthly billing,
proactive notification, meter mgt., revenue
protection, customer self-service 2nd – Tier Benefits from
Process Reengineering
Accurate bills. Reduce manual
meter reading, estimated bills,
rereads, final read visits
HIERARCHY OF AMI BENEFITS
1st – Tier Basic Benefits
From Automation
Service customization, sub-metering,
backflow monitoring, non-revenue water
analysis, distribution system optimization
3rd Tier
Benefits
Incorporating
Industry Best
Practices
High Bill Dispute Call with AMI
Billing concern/
dispute call
IVR tells customer to look at Web
portal
Calldrops
Note: “Abandoned” call here is OK
Customer “self-serves”
Y
CSR accesses consumption history in MDMS, looks for leaks,
high consumption, reviews with customer
CSR reviews last bills, ABC, info in CIS, asks
customer about possible
explanations
Customersatisfied?
Customersatisfied?
SignedUp?
CSR checks if customer signed up for notifications
CSR encourages customer to enroll or enrolls customer
End of transaction
CSR offers to show customer how to access
consumption history
Customersatisfied?
CSR offers to mail customer detailed
consumption history
Customersatisfied?
End of transaction
End of transaction
FieldInvestigation
Required
End of transaction
Spvr/Mgr. creates Service
Order
N Y
Y
Y
Y
N
N
NY
N Y
N
Spvr./Mgr. reviews account
Spvr./Mgr. makes determination,
notifies customer
Letter Provided to Customer
End of transaction
End of transaction
•Fewer calls
•Longer calls
•Fewer truck rolls
•Fewer leak adjustments
AMI Enables/ Requires Significant Changes
in Processes/Policies to Be Cost-Effective
Notifying Customers of Leak Before They Get High Bills
versus
Leak Notification Considerations
•Threshold – high flow, continuous flow, intermittent flow
•Threshold – high bill versus nuisance
•How long to wait before notification
•How often to notify
•How to notify
Example: Consumption Profile Doesn’t
Show Continuous Consumption
Fraction of Customers Use Web Portal
Registered Users, % Quarterly Active Users, %
Data courtesy WaterSmart Software
Other Things Needed to Make an AMI System Effective (e.g., Leak Notification)
• Ability to contact customers (technology, resources)
• Up-to-date customer contact info (email addresses, cell phone nos.)
• Rules, algorithms (thresholds, contact frequency, etc.)
• Access to detailed consumption data (web portal, etc.)
• Analytics (“deeper dive;” customers don’t just want data)
• Customer profile info (e.g., pool, irrigation system, humidifier)
• Customer choices and options (e.g., can set thresholds)
• Revised business processes and policies (e.g., final read)
• Education and outreach
• Employee and customer behavioral changes
• Maintenance
AMI Can Support Non-Revenue Water Management
•Theft of service
•Consumption (e.g., leak) adjustments
•Loss of service and consumption charges during “vacant”
status
•Arrears/bad debt write-off
• Inaccurate meters
•Distribution system leaks
To be discussed in greater detail in the
second half of this learning module.
Recovering Lost Revenues from Move-out/Move-in Policies
• Part of water bill covers infrastructure to provide water, which is always there
• Service is to the property, not the person
• Move-out customer should not be allowed to retire from service without sign-
up from move-in customer
• With AMI (or AMR), utility has a meter reading on the date of property closing
• Recorded deed available
• Rental properties: require and enforce 3-party agreements, landlord
reversion clause
• Service stays on unless property owner wants it shut off
Reducing Revenues Lost Through “Courtesy” Adjustments
• AMI/MDMS can identify leaks and high usage close to when they occur
• Encourage customers to sign up to receive leak and high use notification
• Keep track of notifications
• Limit adjustments to those customers who have signed up for notification
• Limit adjustments to close to the point in time when the customer was notified
• Make sure property managers are aware of leaks/high usage in rentals
Using AMI to Help Reduce Arrears/Write-Offs
• Offer to move fixed income customers to end-of-month reading cycle to bill
comes at beginning of month
• Offer analysis of water usage to help customers avoid leaks and save money
• Many customers do not have same level of computer literacy or access
• “Bill the property;” use liens, 3-party agreements
Replacing Older Meters Can Recover Lost
Revenues to Offset Project Cost
AMI-Based Acoustic Leak Detection Could Enhance Business Case
Incorporating Non-traditional Drivers Helps Build the Business Case
•Effective Utility
Management
•Customer Satisfaction
•Social Benefits
•Environmental Benefits
Advances in AMI and Metering Offer New Opportunities
•Remote shut-off
•Pressure, temperature sensors
• Irrigation control
•Distribution system monitoring
•AMI-based hydrant flushing
•Street lighting control, etc.
Photos courtesy
Mueller Systems
Backflow AnalysisPressure Monitoring Valve Position Sensor
Photos courtesy
Mueller Systems
Photo courtesy
Sensus
Remote
Shutoff
AMI/AMR Procurement Considerations
•Procurement strategy: turnkey vs. multiple solicitations;
design-build; performance contracting
•Targeted/strategic vs. full-scale
•Own and operate vs. hosted and managed services
•Evaluated bid approach; weighted selection criteria
•Defensible selection process
•Performance specs (e.g., read success rate) vs. design specs
•Warranties (component and system)
•Testing and acceptance criteria
•Draft contract
•Scope of work distilled
from RFP and proposal
AMI/AMR Implementation Considerations
•Data collector location
•Backhaul
•Connectors, lids
•Head-end software and hardware
•Meter data management system and customer
portal software and hardware
•Configuration, interfaces, integration
•Disaster recovery
• Installation procedures, dealing with anomalies
• Inspection and approval
•Sequencing of installations
•Data control and audit trailPhoto courtesy GridOne
Photo courtesy Neptune
Multi-part Implementation Plan
•Schedule
•Budget and financing
•Project staffing
•Human resources plan
•Change management
•Communications
•Meter reading transition
•Network deployment
• Installation procedures
• Installation control
system
•Materials handling
• IT interfaces
•QA/QC
•Policy and procedure
review and redesign
•Training
•Project governance
IT Systems and Integration During AMI Deployment
Operation and Maintenance Protocols
•Maintaining system components and performance
•Response to missed reads (ability to estimate; tolerance for
estimates)
•System performance (trends, performance standards,
alert/alarm protocols, noise on frequency)
•Physical inspections
•Audits, manual reads, field inspection of meter sets
•Preventive maintenance on network
•Staffing
• Monitoring, maintaining system components and performance
• Production, data and database management
• Training, super-users
• Application development
Critical Success Factors After Implementation
•Triaged response to missing reads, alarms
•Active monitoring of system health
•Audits, manual reads
•System “owners:” operator, super users, etc.
•Change processes and policies
•Execute human resources plan
Using AMI to Reduce
Nonrevenue Water
David M Hughes
American Water
Overview
• Using AMI features to reduce apparent losses
– Tamper Alarms and Backflow Detection
– Comparative Analysis
– Selected “Spot AMI” Customer Interface
• Review AMI role with leakage management
– District Metering
– Conduit for acoustic monitors
– Conduit for pressure and flow monitors
Using AMI to Detect Tampering and Theft of Service
• Systems have different tamper measures– Cut wires
– Magnetic disruption
– Disconnected register
– Alignment
– Dewatered meter
– Loss of encoder signal
Meter register
displaced
Strong magnets
placed at meter
Using AMI to Detect Customer Issues
• Time stamping, frequent measurements identify time of activity, quantify of water unreported.
– Most AMI systems now look at 1 hour intervals (and some are as little as 5 minutes.
• Interface with customer service systems provide direct alerts to customers, comparative use feedback.
• New devices are coming on line as part of IOT to help customer provide even more control
Backflow Alarms
• Found in AMI, but available in some AMR systems
– Different AMR systems have different thresholds and durations
(as low as 0.1 gallons every 15 minutes).
– Requires granular reads as reverse flow is often small
– Research found evidence that flows up to 1.5 gallons might be
expansion of water from hot water heaters.
– Can help utility find operational and customer issues
Project # 4384
Backflow alarms in one time in multiple locations
• Often an indicator of operation issuesWhy would an area of meters have reverse flow?
– Main breaks
– Pressure surges
– Field operations
– System integrity issues
What is happening?
– Draining customer plumbing including hot water tanks
– Potential cross connection hazard
Project # 4384
Backflow alarms in one location multiple times
• Often an indicator of customer issuesWhy would one meter have reverse flow multiple times?
– Cross connection
– Meter error
– Meter set backwards
– Tampering
What is happening?
– Potential cross connection hazard
– Water is really running positive but registering negative
Project # 4384
Backflow Investigation Example
• Detect clusters from main breaks, suspicious
repeat activity
Using AMI to Find Unusual Changes in Use
• Consider grouping meters with common application (hotels, schools, or restaurants, for example)
– BWSC compared hotel use (gallons/month/rooms) and found water waste and under-registration of use
• Consider historical analysis of volume
– Month to month reduction may indicate an underperforming meter.
– But not always as occupants change, uses change
45
Using AMI to Optimizing Meter Type and Size
• Underperforming meters with profiles Under-registration at low flows
Inappropriate meter type
Inappropriate meter size
• Site visit suggested Piping Issues
Open bypasses,
Inappropriate use of fire lines
Meter environment
Daily Breakdown of Water Use
Compound Meter
Individual Customer AMI
• Monitoring of individual accounts with cellular AMI
can improve service for customers, large or small– Reads at higher frequency,
– Customer may want (be willing to pay for) access
AMR/AMI-Based Non Revenue
Water (NRW) Recovery• Authorized Uses
– Hydrant activity
• Apparent Losses– Meter Accuracy
– Tampering
– Bypassing
– Backflow
• Real Losses– Distribution System Leak Detection
Using AMI to Reduce Loss
Tamper Alarms and Backflow Detection
Comparative Analysis
Selected “Spot AMI” Customer Interface
• District Metering
• Distribution System Acoustic Leak Detection
• Distribution Sensors
Quantifying NRW
• 12 Month Rolling Average used for NRW
– Minimizes gap between reads and production meters
– Monthly difference between water delivery and versus
metered sales has variables
February had 29 days,
January and March 31
June 30 days, May and
July 31, hot end of June
September 30 days, July
and Oct 31 days, cool
end of September
Leaks may increase
toward year end
Monitoring NRW - District Metering
• District metering monitors
net flow into a small portion
of a large system (or an
entire small system or
zone)
• For many systems regular
comparison of minimum
night flow helps detect
leakage.
Finding leaks
• District (Subsystem) Metering
– Requires accurate master meter to capture full range
of flows
– Observing daily patterns and monitoring night flow
can help identify leakage events (and repair)
51
Pressure
Flow
52
Pressure
Flow
Using AMI with District Metering
• Today’s AMI can provide reads at end of each day
and some every hour on the hour
– This will allow a DMA to analyze NRW by the day or
hour
– Calculation must include adjustments for any storage
– Knowing the hourly pattern of NRW can help
determine the type of NRW in the system.
– Can also help identify meter errors
and inaccuracy master meters
Characterizing Leakage NRW
53
Characterizing Apparent NRW
54
District Metering Flow Anomalies
• Simple profiles of small zones can be effective at detecting
anomalies in water consumption
• Flow monitors can aid in large meter calibration and pump
efficiency
District Metering Flow Anomalies
• Simple profiles of small zones can be effective at detecting
anomalies in system operations
Dynamic District Metering
• With a sufficient number of pressure
and flow nodes and a calibrated
hydraulic model, an entire system can
be assessed
– Lower than expected pressure at all times of
the day, a continuous unexpected demand is
suspected = leak.
– Lower than expected pressure during the day
only suggests an unaccounted for demand
that is present when other water use is
suspected = billing error, bad customer meter
or unauthorized use.
Dynamic System Monitoring
58ENABLING TECHNOLOGY
Networks, Compute, Storage, Integration, Cloud, Mobile, Security…..
SOURCE OF SUPPLY• Source water protection• Source water monitoring• Source water treatment
WASTE WATER TREATMENT• Remote, automated, &
connected sensors with operations
• Mobile Operator• Advanced treatment & Reuse
Environment & Water Quality• Integrated Environment, Health and
Safety system• Remote mobile water quality
management • Water quality system & dashboard
CUSTOMER• Customer usage management• One view of the customer with
more self service• Proactive outage, usage and
leak notification• Customer segmentation
FLEET• Vehicle analytics• Integrated digital
vehicle with systems• Location awareness
FIELD WORKER• Digital field worker• Field document access• Single view of the work• Mobile access to
visually mapped work, assets and customers
DISTRIBUTION• Geo Located (GIS)• Integrated connected sensors• Flexible AMI and District Metering • Leak detection• Automated demand planning
WATER TREATMENT• Remote, automated, & connected
sensors with operations• Mobile operator• Renewable energy optimization• Advanced integrated treatment• Plant analytics
REMOTE FACILITY• Integrated sensors• Real time hydraulic model• Asset management & predictive
maintenance• Redundant network connectivity
ENABLING CORPORATE SYSTEMS• Enterprise ERP, CIS and EAM• Automated Financial Planning• Seamless/automated procurement
EMPLOYEE / WORKFORCE• Safe Working Environment• Real-time Collaboration• Mobile Corporate Services
• Enterprise data management, reporting and analytics• Records management and archiving• Unified mobile email and collaboration systems
• Advanced revenue analytics• KRONOS Time Entry• Capital Project Planning• Automated Inventory Lifecycle Management
Using AMI for Distribution System
Acoustic Leak Detection
• Acoustic monitoring systems with AMI provide routine leak detection– FCS, Gutermann, Metrotech devices attaches to
valve nut in street, transmits separately from meters
– Mueller device is placed in hydrant cap
– Itron MLOG units attach to service line near meter
• Uses RF and cellular systems
• Find leaks sooner, easier to repair
• Reduce crews/improve service levels
Computing the Cost/Benefit of
Acoustic Monitoring
• Capital Expense (amortized over life of units)
• Operating Costs and Benefits
Operating Costs Operating Savings
Maintenance of System Reduction in Water Loss
Analyses of Data Reduction in Damage
Field Investigations Reduction in Repair Costs
Additional Repairs Improved Repair Environment
DMAs vs Acoustic Monitoring
• District Metering indicator for large leaks
• District metering can help quantify NRW
• Acoustic monitoring identifies small leaks
with potential to reduce loss and damage
• Acoustic monitoring can better pinpoint
the area of investigation for the leak
Shutoff Valves
• Shutoff valves for individual customers can
be a service as well as a deterrent to non
paying customers
• The case of freezing pipes
• The case of common curb stops
• The concern for water quality compromise
during shutdowns and emergencies
Summary
• Features like Backflow Detection and Tampering, Flow Analysis reveals customer issues
• The use of cellular systems to deal with isolated cases is a consideration for non AMI networks
• District Metering works well with AMI with accurate metering
• AMI can facilitate the communication system for acoustic leak detection, system monitoring and shutoff valves
