Advanced Capabilities of Itron Water Fixed Network Will Support Leak Detection, Water Conservation for California Water Utility and its Customers
Itron announced a new contract to deliver Itron’s Water Fixed Network technology to the Cucamonga Valley Water District (CVWD) in Southern California.
Itron’s Water Fixed Network automates meter data collection by using wireless communications to collect meter reads without visiting the site. Itron’s Water Fixed Network enables frequent collection of water consumption, providing a rich source of data to improve leak detection, support conservation programs and improve customer service.
Cucamonga, which is located about 45 miles from Los Angeles, is growing—more than 100 new homes go on the market monthly—and district officials are looking at new technologies that will help them keep pace with growth without adding more staff and increasing rates. The initial deployment will include 500 water AMR endpoints and two collectors.
For several years, CVWD has successfully used Itron’s mobile meter reading technology with great success and now is ready to deploy more advanced technology to meet new business objectives.
“About a year ago, we began looking at the idea of using a Fixed Network— we are looking for this new technology to do much more than provide a read for billing, we see it as a tool to greatly improve customer service ,” said Darron Poulsen, Cucamonga’s Customer Service Officer. “We have been using Itron’s mobile automatic meter reading (AMR) system for the past few years, so we were already saving time and money in meter reading. But the business case that Itron put together for its Fixed Network technology showed us how we could further extend the benefits of AMR to our customers and improve the level of customer service the District is able to provide.”
Although the system is not yet fully installed, Poulsen said his team has already tested the system’s leak detection software application. Utility officials targeted three accounts that were flagged by the Itron Network for possible system leaks. These accounts were visited—all three were confirmed leaks, Poulsen said.
“This is a savings for the customer and it also saves production costs for us—a big expense for water utilities,” Poulsen said. “We can identify leaks before they become a significant issue for us and for the customer. And we are driving conservation efforts because people want to monitor their water consumption and see where they can cut back.”
Diane Guffin, vice president of Itron’s water sales, said utilities such as Cucamonga are working smarter and more efficiently while protecting the most valuable commodity on the planet—clean drinking water.
“Cucamonga has, for some time, enjoyed the cost savings benefits from mobile AMR technology,” Guffin said. “But water utilities are looking to improve leak detection, reduce lost water and manage rate structures that encourage conservation. We are very pleased that Cucamonga is continuing its partnership with Itron by selecting our Fixed Network technology.”
