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News Release

AWWA Attendees Report Growth in Deployment of Smart Grid for Water

Second annual survey by Sensus finds system accuracy, longevity are critical factors

Water utility representatives reported a 10 percent year-over increase in the planned or completed deployment of smart water systems. That was one of the results reported in the second annual survey of attendees conducted by Sensus at the recent American Water Works Association’s (AWWA) ACE11 conference in Washington, D.C. More than 70 percent of respondents were in some phase of smart water system deployment, compared to 60 percent in 2010. Respondents also shared insights on smart water system selection criteria including top technology considerations.

According to the survey results:

  • More than 80 percent of respondents named life expectancy of smart meters and communication networks as the most important system selection criteria for a smart utility system, along with maintaining accuracy from low to high flow levels and over the lifetime of the meter.
  • Additional important system selection factors included ease of installation and maintenance (76 percent), manufacturer reputation (73.8 percent) and utility peer recommendation (60.9 percent).
  • Additional top technology considerations included products constructed with lead-free materials (75.8 percent) and strength of materials (76.3 percent).

“Water utilities are increasingly adopting intelligent water management technologies to support long-term conservation efforts and improve operational efficiency,” said Mike Tracy, executive vice president, Sensus North America. “Sensus is leading the industry with intelligent water management solutions that are proven to support utilities with varying customer base sizes, terrain and climate conditions.”

Survey results showed a year-over-year increase of more than ten percent (total 60.8 percent) of utilities ranking the ability for a smart water system to migrate from walk-by/drive-by to a fixed-base system as very important. There was also a greater than 10 percent increase (tota 62.2 percent) in utilities concerned with technologies that could help reduce headloss, reinforcing the growing recognition of the relationship between water efficiency and energy efficiency.

Survey respondents included municipalities, public water utilities, cooperatives, investor-owned utilities and distributors. Nearly 200 industry professionals completed the survey while visiting the Sensus booth.

Sensus launched AquaSense™ intelligent water management at ACE11, uniting the Sensus FlexNet™ two-way communications network with advanced meters, software and services to help utilities automate meter reading, monitor distribution lines for leaks, perform field operations remotely and interact with customers through web portals and home area networks.

About Sensus

Sensus is a leading utility infrastructure 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, please visit http://twitter.com/sensussmartgrid

 

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