PLANO, Texas, January 10, 2003 -- Datamatic, Ltd., will supply and install FIREFLY® Meter Interface Units as part of a new automatic meter reading system for Pennichuck Water Works, Inc., the largest investor-owned water company in the state of New Hampshire.
The multi-phase agreement will eventually automate Pennichuck's entire residential and commercial water system using Datamatic products. Datamatic, a supplier of enterprise meter reading solutions, has served municipalities and private utilities worldwide since 1977.
"AMR systems can make a utility much more productive, customer friendly and efficient, which is especially important to a publicly owned company like Pennichuck," said Datamatic President and CEO Ken Kercher. "The key is to install a system that is flexible, scaleable and uses proven technology to provide expanded services."
Founded in 1852, Pennichuck Water Works has become the largest investor-owned water company in New Hampshire, serving a population of 120,000 people in 22 communities throughout southern New Hampshire and in Massachusetts. The company is owned by Pennichuck Corporation (NASDAQ: PNNW).
"Our meters are located inside structures to resist inclement weather," said Steve Greenwood, Pennichuck IS Manager. "This meant that it was critical to install an automatic meter reading system with minimal downtime and disruption. Using Datamatic's FIREFLY system, we won't need to change out meters, which would be quite expensive and labor-intensive. In addition, we can choose any meter in the future while maintaining full compatibility with our AMR system. For a reasonable investment, we can integrate an advanced AMR system with minimal disturbance."
Datamatic offers products for water, gas and electric utilities. Datamatic's AMR system was chosen after the Pennichuck Water Works team conducted an extensive pilot program to compare various technologies. Pennichuck will purchase FIREFLY Meter Interface Units in the first phase of a multiyear project that will eventually automate Pennichuck's entire water system.
All FIREFLY MIU's archive consumption data at user-definable intervals using a feature called ProfilePLUS(tm). When set to record hourly readings, each water FIREFLY can hold over 74 days of hourly consumption readings.
"We've used Datamatic's industry leading software for the past few years, but this type of data was previously unavailable without costly flow monitors or network infrastructure," added Greenwood. "With FIREFLY, we have access to that data from every meter, all the time in order to solve billing disputes, identify leaks prior to customer complaints and monitor conservation compliance. The system will also help us reduce the cost of meter reading, which is critical to maintaining profitability while fulfilling our mission."
Installation of the system and 30,000 FIREFLY units should be completed over the next several years. Datamatic is currently managing the first phase of the project.
About Datamatic, Ltd.
Datamatic is a specialist in utility meter reading automation. Additional information about Datamatic is available by calling Scott Black at (214) 520-3430 or on the Web at www.datamatic.com.
