The Value of Pressure Monitoring
Distribution water pressure is a critical parameter for drinking water utilities to monitor. Understanding water pressure goes beyond leak detection and is important for many reasons:
- Compliance: A minimum of twenty pounds per square inch (20 psi) is required to ensure adequate water delivery, sufficient pressure for fire suppression, and maintain water quality.
- Burst Detection: A rapid drop in water pressure is often caused by a burst distribution main. Seeing a drop in pressure at several different devices can help a utility identify where a burst has occurred.
- Non-Revenue Water: Continuous leakage in a distribution system is often worsened by excessive distribution pressure. One way to reduce chronic leakage is to reduce distribution pressure; however, utilities are often hesitant because they do not understand the impact across the network. Having continuous pressure monitoring across the network gives the utility the ability to make adjustments – and save water – with visibility and confidence.
- Customer Service: Understanding customer pressure at the service connection gives utilities the ability to respond quickly to consumer complaints about pressure. A utility armed with remote pressure monitoring can quickly diagnose if a pressure complaint is the result of a distribution-side or customer-side issue. Doing so remotely saves the utility the time and expense of a field visit.
The Cordonel® Commercial & Industrial (C&I) Meter
Thankfully, innovative technologies are helping utilities extend their ability to monitor distribution system pressure remotely. Sensus’ Cordonel® is an advanced commercial and industrial (C&I) ultrasonic meter with exceptional turndown ratios, water conditioning, and other features that are lowering operating costs, increasing revenue, and minimizing maintenance. Cordonel joins the Sensus ally® Water Meter – a residential meter – as another Sensus product that can measure water pressure at the service connection. Both Cordonel and ally connect seamlessly to the FlexNet Communication Network as part of a complete advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) solution.
In addition to pressure monitoring, Cordonel has a wealth of features that help water utilities save money and time, while also allowing for the most accurate measurements possible under a range of conditions.
U0D0 measurement. Advanced flat parabolic fin (FPF) technology conditions the water to create true U0D0 meters, capable of giving accurate readings with no upstream or downstream straight pipe requirements. This makes installation simpler and less costly.
Accurate low-flow measurement. The combination of more consistent flow profiles and multiple measurement pathways means advanced Cordonel C&I meters can measure low flows with a comparable level of accuracy as high flows. Overall, such meters boast a turndown of R1000.
Cordonel Goes Beyond Metering – and Delivers a Generation of Revenue
Cordonel’s ability to measure pressure, be installed in a true U0D0 configuration, and attain low flow accuracy make it a valuable addition to a utility’s monitoring network. And coupled with its zero-maintenance design and 20-year accuracy guarantee, Cordonel is set to provide revenue and savings for a generation.
Learn more at xylem.com/sensus.
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