FAYETTEVILLE -- Washington Water Authority will try a pilot program to help customers track water use, increase efficiency and reduce the need for meter readers.
"It will be a benefit to us, and it could be a benefit to customers," said Josh Moore, general manager.
The authority plans to test about 10 meters from Badger Meter, a Wisconsin company specializing in flow measurement, control and communications, Moore said. The test should begin in January and last about three months, he said.
The authority agreed to pay shipping costs, which could be a few hundred dollars, Moore said.
Moore said the meters use cell towers to relay information, like phone text messages.
Moore plans to try out the technology in areas known to have spotty reception -- including Evansville and Winslow -- to test out how the meters work for rural customers, he said.
Long-term, the meters could save the authority money, Moore said.
The meters will send information daily to the authority's headquarters without a meter reader visiting the site, Moore said. Leaks could be quickly detected with the technology.
Customers can view their water use online and set a notification to alert them when they have used a certain amount of water, Moore said.
A spokeswoman for the company involved in letting the authority test its meters didn't return a message left at her office Wednesday. The company also didn't respond to email sent Thursday.
The authority may save money by cutting the costs for gas and vehicle maintenance, Moore said.
Staff reductions aren't planned because the water system is growing. Any permanent new meters would be added as the system expands, he said.
The Washington Water Authority has about 65,000 meters, Moore said.
A similar system is used on two main meters at the Benton-Washington Regional Public Water Authority, which provides municipalities water, said Scott Borman, general manager.
So far, except for a battery issue that was recently resolved, the meters seem to work great, Borman said.
The authority can identify when the most water is used and supply water with minimum pumping, which saves money on electricity, Borman said.
The regional authority plans to add three master meters, including in Prairie Grove and Lincoln, in the next year, Borman said. The meters cost about $3,800 apiece, Borman said.
The regional authority has 33 master meters, he said.
NW News on 12/10/2016