Background
The town of Cortlandville, New York—home to the Tioughnioga River and three spring fed ponds—is flush with water. This abundance of supply helps the town’s water department live its mission statement: to exceed the state’s water requirements, to deliver a safe, clean water supply while exceeding customer expectations. Peter Alteri Jr, chief water operator and one of the town’s 8,500 residents, takes seriously the importance of providing clean, fresh water to neighbors and friends.
Accurate data on water usage, system efficiency and leak detection are important to fulfilling its mission. Cortlandville’s aging meters and meter reading system, however, were no longer up to the task. Newer technologies inherent in a smart water network, though, would prove to be just what the town needed to bring home its mission.
Challenge
Alteri wanted to implement a smart water network that was automated, reliable and resilient. He knew that two-way communication with meters would provide benefits for years to come, including the reduction of trucks on the road and carbon emissions in the air.
Cortlandville built its business case with input from prominent members of the town, including the town clerk, who was behind the project from day one. The town also kept residents informed about the benefits of the project and, once launched, provided regular project status updates.
Solution
Cortlandville, a Sensus customer, knows the value of a partner they can count on for superior technologies, products and support.
“We wanted to stay with Sensus for their customer service, so we were pleased that their meters and technology met our expectations,” said Alteri.
To meet their objectives, Cortlandville selected a comprehensive solution including 1,400 Sensus iPERL® residential water meters and 100 OMNI™ commercial meters. For communications, Cortlandville chose the Sensus FlexNet® SmartPoint M2, a radio transceiver that boasts inbound and outbound access to water measurement and ancillary device diagnostics via a two-way radio signal.
Given the height and terrain of certain meter locations, Cortlandville initially had concerns that the service would not reach all customers, but the system reached their customers with no issues.
Results
The town’s old water meters needed replacing but Cortlandville did more than select a solution that would meet the needs of today—they selected the iPERL residential water meters—an industry leader. These meters are more sensitive to flow changes, less susceptible to temperature changes and provide accurate reads for the life of the product. As well, residential IPERL and commercial OMNI meters from Sensus exceed regulatory compliance with their zero lead composite construction.
The new meters are highly reliable so customers’ bills are accurate. By migrating to the FlexNet communications solution, Cortlandville is able to collect accurate meter reads at any time without stepping outside of the office. “We can now quickly and accurately answer questions with a simple click of a mouse. The smart water network also helps us to detect leaks before they become costly to our town and environment,” said Alteri. Cortlandville’s number one priority is their customers – their neighbors, family and friends in town. With their smart water network in place, Cortlandville is living its mission by providing clean, safe, water to its citizens. That hits home.
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