Raleigh, NC - June 20, 2017
(Click to Tweet) – For the Town of Okotoks, sustainability isn’t just a buzzword. It’s a way of life. Situated just south of Calgary in Alberta, Canada, the town boasts one of the lowest per capita gross water consumption rates in North America—50 liters per capita per day lower than the Canadian national average. That’s why, when it came time to replace its aging water infrastructure, the town turned to Sensus, a Xylem brand, to provide the technology.
“Many of our meters were outdated,” said Chris Radford, infrastructure and operations director, Town of Okotoks. “We needed an upgrade and opted for a solution that would allow us to detect abnormal water usage sooner, supporting water conservation efforts in real-time.”
Sensus iPERL meters and the FlexNet network help the Town of Okotoks boost its water sustainability efforts.
To better manage and monitor its customers’ water consumption rates, Okotoks worked with EPCOR Water Services to deploy the Sensus Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) solution. Comprised of Sensus iPERL® water meters and the FlexNet® communication network, the technology has enabled the town’s staff to gain a more accurate view of water consumption data for more than 8,400 residential and commercial properties.
“It provides more insight into water consumption trends,” said Radford. “The real-time data allows us to work with customers over the phone, pull up their information and address issues around high usage.”
For EPCOR technicians, the AMI solution provides added safety benefits.
“We no longer have technicians risking their safety when entering customers’ yards to read meters manually. Weather, especially icy walking conditions, dogs and even hidden obstacles, is always a safety concern for our meter readers,” said Darren Peel, manager, Okotoks operations at EPCOR.
Looking ahead, the Town of Okotoks has big plans for the AMI solution, including launching a portal to help customers take the future of the town’s water sustainability initiatives into their own hands.
“We’ve always been a pioneer in using leading-edge technology to aid our sustainability efforts,” said Radford. “We expect that our customer portal will keep us on the forefront of these efforts while empowering customers to become smarter consumers.”
Summary:
- The Sensus AMI solution, comprised of iPERL meters and the FlexNet network has enabled town staff to gain a more accurate view of water consumption data for more than 8,400 residential and commercial properties.
- The solution provides added safety benefits for technicians who no longer have to risk their safety when entering customers’ yards to read meters manually.
- Looking ahead, the town has big plans for the AMI solution, including launching a portal to help customers take the future of the town’s water sustainability initiatives into their own hands.
The real-time data allows us to work with customers over the phone, pull up their information and address issues around high usage.
Chris Radford
Infrastructure and Operations Director, Town of Okotoks
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