Tucson partners with Itron to conserve water

Deploying Itron’s AMI Essentials for water gives Tucson an easy on-ramp to AMI, reinforcing its commitment to preserving this vital resource.

Key benefits of Itron’s AMI Essentials for water include:

• Water conservation: Itron’s AMI solution will enable Tucson to conserve water by identifying data signatures that indicate a potential leak at the customer site. Additionally, with detailed water consumption information from the system, the City of Tucson/Tucson Water can empower customers to reduce their water usage and create water-conscious consumption decisions
• Enhanced customer service: if there is an unusual spike in water usage, such as a leak, Itron’s water communication module will proactively send an alert to the city over the cellular network, enabling the city to respond swiftly and resolve the issue to reduce water loss. The battery-powered module is designed for reliable operations for up to 20 years
• Improved operational efficiency: the modules automatically collect data and share it with the utility using public cellular networks, saving time and resources.

The bundled AMI Essentials for water solution includes three main components, each playing a critical role in modernising Tucson’s water operations:

• Itron Cellular 500W Modules: Each endpoint across the city will be equipped with the Itron Cellular 500W module, quickly transforming existing water meters into smart meters. These modules collect water consumption data and transmit it back to the city in 15-minute intervals via cellular communications
• Itron’s Cellular NaaS: Transitioning from an automated meter reading (AMR) system to an AMI system includes taking advantage of Itron’s cellular NaaS. With NaaS, Itron manages the complete solution – both the network and the headend software suite – on the city’s behalf to securely collect and manage consumption data. Itron brings the experience of managing over 100 million endpoints globally
• Itron Temetra Meter Data Management: To manage the modules as well as unify reads from the entire distribution system, the City of Tucson is deploying Temetra, Temetra is Itron’s cloud-based platform that supports multiple meter types and protocols, enabling smooth migration from AMR to AMI. With map-based routing and AI-powered asset management, Tucson can proactively identify infrastructure risks and optimise operations. It allows the city and its customers to access water consumption data from all its endpoints, meaning the city will be able to read existing meters as well as new ones and gain visibility into all endpoints across its distribution system. End customers can use this data to gain awareness of their consumption habits and reduce their water bill. Temetra can use this data to identify peaks in water usage and uncover non-revenue water loss.

“Deploying AMI is an essential investment in the reliability and long-term resilience of our water system,” said Tucson Water deputy director Silvia Amparano.

“The scalable and flexible solution also allows utilities to bridge the gap from AMR to AMI quickly, affordably and reliably”

“This technology gives us real-time insight that helps us reduce water loss, improve operational efficiency, and empower our customers with information they can use to manage their own water use. Tucson Water has a long tradition of responsible water stewardship. This project strengthens our ability to plan, operate, and serve our community for generations to come.”

Don Reeves, senior vice president of outcomes, Itron, added: “For many water utilities and cities, like Tucson, reducing water loss is a key challenge. The first step to address this is gaining greater visibility into the water distribution network. Itron’s AMI Essentials for water provides that visibility, enabling utilities to detect leaks sooner, reduce non-revenue water loss and improve operational efficiency.

“The scalable and flexible solution also allows utilities to bridge the gap from AMR to AMI quickly, affordably and reliably. We look forward to enabling these benefits in Tucson, ensuring a smarter and more efficient water management system built for the future.”