RALEIGH, NC, Sept. 10, 2014 -- The town of Oro Valley, located north of Tucson, Ariz., is conserving water and saving money through early leak detection and has achieved a 57-percent reduction in leak adjustments since installing a smart water network from Sensus, a clean technology company offering smart meters, software and services and communication systems.
Sensus has installed its FlexNet™ communication network as well as 8,800 of its iPERL™ water meters throughout Oro Valley. The town's meter replacement project began in 2011 and will be completed in 2015 after all of the 19,000 meters have been replaced.
To enhance its current conservation efforts, the utility sought a solution that would reduce unaccounted water by increasing meter accuracy and providing early leak detection. The data provided by the Sensus FlexNet communication network facilitates consumer education during water audits, which are offered to customers at no charge.
"Manual meter readings are not only time consuming but susceptible to error," said Shirley Seng, water utility administrator at the town of Oro Valley. "Sensus technologies have helped us provide error-free meter readings for our customers resulting in accurate billings, a reduction in paperwork, simplification of billing functions, and significantly improved customer service."
The iPERL residential water meters and FlexNet communication network provide two-way communications that feature a sophisticated suite of alarms to better monitor and control water leaks. "Utilities are able to alert customers at the very onset of a leak," said Dan Pinney, director of global water marketing at Sensus. "Customers can also monitor their usage through the utility's customer portal, which helps them keep track of their water use and play an active role in conservation."
The Sensus FlexNet system is a long-range radio network that serves as a dedicated and secure two-way communications highway and requires less infrastructure than competing solutions. The network architecture and device designs provide range and endpoint connectivity that is differentiated from mesh networks. The result is superior network performance as evidenced by lower network operational and maintenance costs for utilities.
See also:
"PA borough reduces leakages, cuts costs with smart water network"
"World Water Day 2014: Smart water networks help conserve water, energy"
About Sensus
Sensus is a clean technology solutions company offering smart meters, communication systems, software and services for the electric, gas, and water industries. Sensus technology helps utilities drive operational efficiency and customer engagement with applications that include advanced meter reading, data acquisition, demand response, distribution automation, home area networking, and outdoor lighting control. For more information, visit sensus.com/web/usca.
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