RALEIGH, NC - September 25, 2014
Ever since the Town of Oro Valley, Arizona began installing its Sensus smart water network, the water utility has been able to help residents conserve water and save money by detecting leaks earlier and reading meters with greater precision. Located north of Tucson, Arizona, the Town of Oro Valley is reaping the benefits of the Sensus FlexNet™ communication network and the installation of 8,800 iPERL™ water meters. 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.
In Oro Valley, and many other cities in the United States, households can apply for “leakage adjustment” if they believe that a water leak is causing them to be charged for more water than they are actually using. Since the Sensus smart water network arrived in Oro Valley, residents have seen a 57% reduction in adjustments to their water bills as the result of leakage.
“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. “With the Sensus FlexNet system and advanced applications, 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.”
In huge metropolitan areas and quiet country towns, water utilities around the world are under pressure from growing demand and aging water systems. The Sensus smart water network is scalable, meeting the needs of large and small utilities alike. Combining the power of advanced metering technology, software, and proven service with the FlexNet™ communications system, the Sensus smart water network allows water utilities to account for every drop through enhanced leak detection and unparalleled data acquisition.
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.
Sensus has been serving the water utility industry for more than 100 years, helping more than 5,000 customers worldwide conserve water and improve operations.
About Sensus
Sensus is a leading 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. Customers worldwide trust the innovation, quality and reliability of Sensus solutions for the intelligent use and conservation of energy and water. To follow Twitter updates from Sensus, visit http://twitter.com/sensussmartgrid.
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