Radio Frequency AMR System Helps Smooth Reading Collection

Water utilities across North America face similar challenges: How to use technology to increase customer service and operational efficiency, and how to increase revenue without increasing rates or taxes. The City of Brandon in Manitoba, Canada, is playing a leading role in the water utility industry by confronting these challenges through the use of advanced water meter technology.

Brandon selected Ontario-based Neptune Technology Group to upgrade the city's current water meter system from the old style direct read meters that are manually read to new encoder meters with radio frequency (RF) technology that are read with a mobile automatic data collection system. The project involved replacement of old, inaccurate meters and upgrade of newer meters to absolute encoder technology, while equipping 100 percent of water services with an R900 radio frequency meter interface unit (MIU).

The City of Brandon's choices in technology and project implementation combine three key elements that are proving to be successful:

• Neptune's Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) System;
• Accurate "lead-free" (EnviroBrass™ II) water meters to maximize revenue; and
• Turnkey project management and system implementation.

AMR System

All 12,000 of the city's water meters have been equipped with Neptune R900 MIUs, which are designed for mobile RF data collection. While improving data collection accuracy, the system also offers a non-invasive reading option that no longer requires accessing the customer's home but allows the city to retrieve, process, and transmit meter data using RF technology.

The R900 radio frequency MIU is a one-way device that transmits data using frequency hopping spread-spectrum technology comprised of alternating pseudo-random frequencies within the 900 MHz unlicensed bandwidth. This technology ensures minimal potential for RF interference from other devices and a very low probability of signal collision when MIUs are in close proximity.

The system has allowed the city to increase data collection accuracy resulting in increased revenue as well as a dramatic reduction in estimated bills and administrative adjustments for estimates. It also allowed the city to economically justify moving to monthly reading.

With the city's previous method, meter readers were required to enter the home to collect the reading. When access to the home was not possible, homeowners were required to manually read the meter and mail the information. This method resulted in a high number of reading errors and estimated bills (approximately 45 percent were actual readings collected by city personnel and the remainder were a result of customer phone calls, mailings, or estimates).

City staff read the meters on a quarterly basis, requiring 120 hours to complete the entire population. With the conversion to RF technology and to Neptune's RoadMAPS™ mobile data collector, the city is able to read the entire meter population in less than 10 hours.

The RoadMAPS device facilitates data transfer between the MIU installed at the meter site and the host software. It consists of an industrial portable personal computer equipped with a radio frequency receiving device. The unit is portable enough to transfer from vehicle to vehicle.

Once the meter reading route has been loaded into the laptop, one tap of the touch screen and the unit is reading. Minimal operator intervention is required while driving the route. To protect the safety of the driver collecting readings, the laptop computer provides an audible indicator of successful data captures.

The city's first pass with the collector yielded a read success rate of 99.5 percent.

The AMR system is managed by EZRouteMAPS™ software installed in the host system at the utility site. Its main function is to make route assignments and send updated information to the collection device and to the billing/CIS system via a transfer file.

The software provides the ability to import meter-reading routes that have been transferred from the billing system, load/unload data collection devices, export readings to transfer back to the billing system, and prepare reports of data collection results and activity.

To replace its aging meters, the city selected Neptune's T-10 water meters, in part because of their low-flow capability. Another determining factor was the fact the meters are manufactured with EnviroBrass II, a no-lead brass alloy with the strength, corrosion resistance, and casting characteristics of traditional alloys. The meters have ANSI/NSF 61 certification.

Brandon selected Neptune Technology Group's Canadian Service Division to provide a turnkey solution for project management and system implementation. The project began in April 2002 and was completed ahead of schedule in October 2002. Neptune's locally based project manager oversees all aspects of the project including product supply and installation, customer service, administration, and data management.

How the AMR System Works

The billing department creates a route file.

The route is imported and assigned to a reader in EZRouteMAPS host software and is then loaded onto memory card for transfer to the RoadMAPS data collector.

The meter reader loads the route information from a memory card to data collector and drives through assigned routes to collect data from the R900 MIUs.

Once a route is completed, the RoadMAPS unit is powered down and card is removed.

Reading data is transferred back to the host computer using the host software.

The system administrator generates any necessary reports from the host software.

EZRouteMAPS exports the data to the utility billing computer for bill processing.