Smart Water Meters and Data Analytics Decrease Wasted Water Due to Leaks. Issue 11 (7th August 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Schultz, Wesley; Javey, Shahram; Sorokina, Alla
• Is Part Of: Journal ‐ American Water Works Association. Volume 110:Issue 11(2018)
• Page Start: E24
• Page End: E30
• Publication Date: 2018-08-07
• Subjects: leak detection -- metering -- smart city -- smart water metering; Water-supply -- United States -- Periodicals; Water-supply engineering -- United States -- Periodicals; 363.61097305
• DOI: 10.1002/awwa.1124
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0003-150X

Abstract

Abstract : Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) allows for hour‐by‐hour monitoring of water usage and has created new opportunities to communicate with customers. This article summarizes the results from a large‐scale deployment of an AMI system with more than 85, 000 residential customers. Households were provided with access to a secure customer online portal where they could view their consumption information, use a leak detection algorithm to monitor their consumption patterns, and set alerts when a potential leak was detected. Analyses showed that, subsequent to signup, households that accessed the customer portal were less likely to have a leak, and when a leak did occur, they repaired it more quickly, compared with similar households that did not sign up for online access. The results provide strong evidence for the value of leak detection analytics and alerts at minimizing water loss and damage due to leaks.