With water becoming increasingly scarce in parts of the world, utility companies are turning to high-tech water meters.
Just as electric utility executives turned to "smart" meters to help modernize the power grid, water utilities are turning to "smart water" solutions to help address the business challenges of aging infrastructure amid rising demand.
Pike Research has said that, as demand for water increases, utilities around the world will face increasing pressure to manage the resource as efficiently as possible and smart water meters will be relied on as a key element of future water systems, providing intelligence that helps system managers hold down costs and maintain affordable rates for customers.
"Technology is a driving force in water conservation," said Bob Slevin, product manager for Verizon’s global Energy and Utilities practice."The systems of pipes, pumps, rivers and reservoirs that keep us hydrated lose water because of leakage or waste.We work with our utility clients and leverage advanced technologies to help customers effectively manage their water usage through intelligent water meter systems to the benefit of consumers."
Recently, Verizon certified a cell module for Capstone Metering LLC’s IntelliH(2) O(R) intelligent water meter on the Verizon Wireless network. Capstone's intelligent water meter is a self-reliant, sensor-rich communications platform designed for a remote, distributed network to monitor volume, pressure and temperature levels. Data will be transmitted from the meter across the Verizon Wireless network, giving utilities the power to remotely manage the device, monitor volume, pressure and temperature levels as well as respond immediately to alerts.
Bloomberg New Energy Finance recently predicted that U.S. water utilities will spend $2 billion on smart meters between now and 2020 --nearly matching the industry’s current investment of $2.4 billion into the technology.
October is National Energy Awareness month and Verizon and its employees and its services are at the heart of impactful energy solutions for a greener future for businesses, consumers and society.
