NM water utility has one of nation's best smart infrastructures
May 9, 2013 | By
Barbara Vergetis Lundin
Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority has won the 2013 CS Week Expanding Excellence Award for Best Smart Infrastructure Project among utilities that generate less than $400 million in annual revenue. The Expanding Excellence Awards are presented to utilities that have successfully completed a project during 2011 or 2012 that optimized Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), Meter Data Management (MDM) or other related technologies based on complexity, innovation, improved operations and improvement to customer service. In 2010, the Water Authority launched its smart grid project with four goals: encourage further water conservation among residents and businesses, meet a state-mandated target of reducing daily per-capita water consumption to 150 gallons by 2014, streamline operations, and improve customer service. The Water Authority earned the award based on its
implementation of a comprehensive smart water multi-application
communication network consisting of a meter data management
(MDM) platform and online customer portal. The Water Authority's smart water network implementation is part of a larger commitment at the utility to improve overall operational efficiency and reduce water loss. The Water Authority is currently testing advanced water meters to further improve accuracy and flow detection and pursuing pressure management and pressure control to further reduce water loss. "Our smart grid infrastructure has provided us with many new tools to enhance the way we run our operations and serve our customers," said Hobert Warren, northwest service area manager for the Water Authority. "It will help us save money, deliver more accurate bills and encourage users to conserve water. It's also helping us improve customer service and make better long-term planning decisions." For more: © 2013 FierceMarkets. All rights reserved. http://www.fierceenergy.com |