Smart Electromagnetic Water Meter Technology

Electromagnetic water meters, like the KROHNE WATERFLUX electromagnetic bulk water meter, are becoming more popular for bulk measurement of residential and commercial drinking water as utilities have begun to rely on pricing and metering to achieve more efficient use of water and water conservation objectives.

At the same time, many utilities wish to take advantage of smart metering technologies, including data-logging capabilities. Traditional mechanical meters require extensive maintenance and continual parts replacement, but smart meters like WATERFLUX do not have those issues. With built-in diagnostics, they alert the utility to any malfunction as soon as it occurs. The utility will know if somebody tampers with a meter, if a meter goes bad, or if there is an erroneous reading. Since they are more accurate, bills are more reflective of what a customer is actually using.

According to KROHNE, WATERFLUX is the first battery-powered water meter for the drinking water industry that can measure flow, pressure and temperature with one sensor.

Non-revenue water is a major expense to many utilities. Most water suppliers only get paid for what they can bill, even though they still bear the expense for cleaning and transporting water lost through distribution system leaks. Pressure and temperature readings can be used in leak-detection systems, helping utilities to be more aware of system leaks.

WATERFLUX can also be operated with mains power and battery backup, so it can connect to an electrical grid, a solar panel, or a small windmill. To enable remote access to data, the WATERFLUX now features an RS485 Modbus RTU communication option, specially designed for battery operation. Users can access data collected through their AMI/AMR systems, which can be connected to cell phone or Ethernet technology.

KROHNE Inc. develops, manufactures and distributes accurate, reliable and cost-effective measuring instruments for the water and wastewater industries. Learn more at us.krohne.com.