US town begins installation of new water meter technology

The US town of Southern Pines in North Carolina has begun installing a new advanced water utility meter reading system to provide improved service to around 8,000 customers.

Southern Pines Town Council approved the project in April, which is presently being piloted in a few selected areas.

The advanced meter reading (AMR) technology eliminates the need to manually read the new water meters.

As well as reducing meter reading costs through remote meter reading, the new technology is expected to help identify water leakages through two-way reading capabilities. It will also improve the accuracy of billing.

Southern Pines mayor David McNeill said that the new meter reading technology is expected to benefit both the customers and the utility system.

"Customer service is our number one priority and this will significantly enhance service and cost-savings throughout the system," he said.

The town has hired government advisory firm DavenportLawrence to manage the project for a smooth transition to the new AMR system. MatchPoint company have been selected to install the meters, which were developed by Badger Meters.

MatchPoint said that the new meter equipment can be installed in minutes with just a short interruption in service.

Southern Pines expects to complete the transition of all water metres to the new system by November.

The US city of San Diego opted for advanced metering infrastructure in February.

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Image: The town of Southern Pines expects to use the new advanced water metre reading technology to identify water leakages and improve customer service. Photo: courtesy of Bindraphotography.