2014 SPECIAL SECTION: METER SOURCE
2014 SPECIAL SECTION: METER SOURCE meter
SPECIALSECTION
Rooftop receiver installation on the roof of 2 Lafayette St. during the New York City AMI pilot project.
source
DEP inspectors prepare to replace existing remote meter reading recepticals with meter transmission units.
Big Changes in the Big Apple By Amy McIntosh
AM I s y s tem im p r ov es leak d etection for New Yor k C ity w ater u tility
T
he New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is the largest public water utility in North America, serving more than 800,000 customers and 9 million residents. Receiving more than $3 billion each year from water and sewer customers, the utility’s operations and projects are funded by user fees. DEP treats 1.3 billion gal of wastewater each day and distributes about 1 billion gal of clean drinking water throughout New York City’s five boroughs. With such a large population and customer base, DEP has faced some challenges over the years. “The manual collection of meter readings is inherently difficult in a large city like New York,” said Warren Liebold, director of metering and conservation for DEP. New York City’s water system developed over many years and serves a varied population of people and buildings. The city faced a high rate of estimated bills and some flat-rate billing, as well as a decrease in the amount of water consumed due to aggressive conservation programs, despite an increasing population. Before installing an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system, 15% to 17% of the city’s water bills were estimated based on past actual use. These circumstances did little to encourage some residents to conserve water, as their quarterly bills were not necessarily based on actual consumption. Despite a 7% increase in population since 1990, DEP saw a 25% decline in water distribution. The reduction in use was a direct result of a major toilet replacement program in the mid1990s, more aggressive street leak detection and other conservation programs. In an initial attempt to measure water end use, the city established a universal metering program in 1987, designed to transition from a flat rate billing system to a metered system for residential customers. Most non-residential customers had been metered for many years. Today, 98% of customers are on this metered system, with the remaining 2% in difficult-to-meter locations, according to DEP. The estimated read rate resulted in bill challenges and appeals, a large correspondence load,
inspections to obtain verified reads and other unproductive costs that did not contribute to good customer service. By 2005 it also was clear that DEP would need to plan for the eventual systematic replacement of many of the residential meters installed in the early years of the universal metering program. DEP saw this as an opportunity to consider whether an AMI system was appropriate. The city issued a request for proposals in May 2007, and the selection was narrowed down to two finalists by June of that year.
Finding the Solution In a July-to-September 2007 pilot project, DEP installed the two products in different locations throughout the city to evaluate each one’s performance. “We placed data receivers from the two finalists on top of two buildings: one in lower Manhattan across from City Hall and one in the northeast section of Brooklyn,” Liebold said. “The Brooklyn location was intended to replicate a typical New York environment, whereas the lower Manhattan location was designed to represent a difficult location from a radio reception perspective.” DEP then installed 200 AMI transmitters from each finalist on meters in each area, for a total of 800. By September, Aclara’s STAR Network system was deemed the preferred product. While both systems performed similarly in exterior applications and when located within a ½-mile from the meters, the Aclara system performed better when the transmitters were mounted indoors or at a greater distance from the receiver. DEP determined that this system would require fewer rooftop receivers and could better accommodate indoor placement.
Water & Wastes Digest will publish the Meter Source special section twice in 2014 — in the February and August issues. Take advantage of both of these opportunities to target professionals who have the authority to buy/specify meters and related equipment.
Installing the System The contract was awarded to Aclara in May 2008, and installation of the STAR Network data collector units (DCUs) began in August. By March 2012, the system’s installation—including mostly new meters and corresponding meter transmission units (MTUs)—was 95% complete.
30
AUGUST 2013 • WATER & WASTES DIGEST
CIRCULATION The exclusive Meter Source special section will target than 40,000 WWD municipal subscribers and subscribers who have indicated they have the authority to buy or specify meters and related equipment.
EDITORIAL HIGHLIGHTS Case studies and application stories: • AMR, AMI and Related Software and Services • Flow Measurement and Monitoring
RATES 1x
(gross)
Tabloid Page 4C Display Ad • Meters Zone Mini Boom Box Ad
$6,500
Standard Page 4C Display Ad • Meters Zone Mini Boom Box Ad
$5,400
Half Page 4C Display Ad • Meters Zone Mini Boom Box Ad
$3,645
• Water Efficiency • Smart Metering
AD CLOSE February Issue: Jan. 13, 2014 August Issue: July 3, 2014
CONTACT Your WWD representative or Greg Tres at 480.941.0510 x15 or by e-mail at [email protected].
SPECIALSECTION
Rooftop receiver installation on the roof of 2 Lafayette St. during the New York City AMI pilot project.
source
DEP inspectors prepare to replace existing remote meter reading recepticals with meter transmission units.
Big Changes in the Big Apple By Amy McIntosh
AM I s y s tem im p r ov es leak d etection for New Yor k C ity w ater u tility
T
he New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is the largest public water utility in North America, serving more than 800,000 customers and 9 million residents. Receiving more than $3 billion each year from water and sewer customers, the utility’s operations and projects are funded by user fees. DEP treats 1.3 billion gal of wastewater each day and distributes about 1 billion gal of clean drinking water throughout New York City’s five boroughs. With such a large population and customer base, DEP has faced some challenges over the years. “The manual collection of meter readings is inherently difficult in a large city like New York,” said Warren Liebold, director of metering and conservation for DEP. New York City’s water system developed over many years and serves a varied population of people and buildings. The city faced a high rate of estimated bills and some flat-rate billing, as well as a decrease in the amount of water consumed due to aggressive conservation programs, despite an increasing population. Before installing an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system, 15% to 17% of the city’s water bills were estimated based on past actual use. These circumstances did little to encourage some residents to conserve water, as their quarterly bills were not necessarily based on actual consumption. Despite a 7% increase in population since 1990, DEP saw a 25% decline in water distribution. The reduction in use was a direct result of a major toilet replacement program in the mid1990s, more aggressive street leak detection and other conservation programs. In an initial attempt to measure water end use, the city established a universal metering program in 1987, designed to transition from a flat rate billing system to a metered system for residential customers. Most non-residential customers had been metered for many years. Today, 98% of customers are on this metered system, with the remaining 2% in difficult-to-meter locations, according to DEP. The estimated read rate resulted in bill challenges and appeals, a large correspondence load,
inspections to obtain verified reads and other unproductive costs that did not contribute to good customer service. By 2005 it also was clear that DEP would need to plan for the eventual systematic replacement of many of the residential meters installed in the early years of the universal metering program. DEP saw this as an opportunity to consider whether an AMI system was appropriate. The city issued a request for proposals in May 2007, and the selection was narrowed down to two finalists by June of that year.
Finding the Solution In a July-to-September 2007 pilot project, DEP installed the two products in different locations throughout the city to evaluate each one’s performance. “We placed data receivers from the two finalists on top of two buildings: one in lower Manhattan across from City Hall and one in the northeast section of Brooklyn,” Liebold said. “The Brooklyn location was intended to replicate a typical New York environment, whereas the lower Manhattan location was designed to represent a difficult location from a radio reception perspective.” DEP then installed 200 AMI transmitters from each finalist on meters in each area, for a total of 800. By September, Aclara’s STAR Network system was deemed the preferred product. While both systems performed similarly in exterior applications and when located within a ½-mile from the meters, the Aclara system performed better when the transmitters were mounted indoors or at a greater distance from the receiver. DEP determined that this system would require fewer rooftop receivers and could better accommodate indoor placement.
Water & Wastes Digest will publish the Meter Source special section twice in 2014 — in the February and August issues. Take advantage of both of these opportunities to target professionals who have the authority to buy/specify meters and related equipment.
Installing the System The contract was awarded to Aclara in May 2008, and installation of the STAR Network data collector units (DCUs) began in August. By March 2012, the system’s installation—including mostly new meters and corresponding meter transmission units (MTUs)—was 95% complete.
30
AUGUST 2013 • WATER & WASTES DIGEST
CIRCULATION The exclusive Meter Source special section will target than 40,000 WWD municipal subscribers and subscribers who have indicated they have the authority to buy or specify meters and related equipment.
EDITORIAL HIGHLIGHTS Case studies and application stories: • AMR, AMI and Related Software and Services • Flow Measurement and Monitoring
RATES 1x
(gross)
Tabloid Page 4C Display Ad • Meters Zone Mini Boom Box Ad
$6,500
Standard Page 4C Display Ad • Meters Zone Mini Boom Box Ad
$5,400
Half Page 4C Display Ad • Meters Zone Mini Boom Box Ad
$3,645
• Water Efficiency • Smart Metering
AD CLOSE February Issue: Jan. 13, 2014 August Issue: July 3, 2014
CONTACT Your WWD representative or Greg Tres at 480.941.0510 x15 or by e-mail at [email protected].
