BADGER METER TO HIGHLIGHT BENEFITS OF SMART WATER SOLUTIONS FOR SMALL AND RURAL UTILITIES AT WATERPRO 2022

Badger Meter will showcase solutions for rural and small water and wastewater utilities during the National Rural Water Association’s WaterPro 2022 conference and exhibition, September 26–29 in National Harbor, Md.

Badger Meter will exhibit in booth 504 with Analytical Technology, Inc. (ATi) and s::can GmbH, both of which it recently acquired.  Company experts will be available to discuss:

• Benefits of smart water solutions: Learn how rural water and wastewater utilities can reduce costs, mitigate risk, improve customer satisfaction, enhance sustainability and gain visibility across the entire water cycle with smart water systems in place.
• Intelligent measurement: Discover how water quality monitoring provides automated monitoring of a variety of parameters within water distribution networks to increase water protection and security, prevent risk to human health and the environment and comply with drinking water standards and regulations.
• New technology: See the latest metering and water quality monitoring technology, in addition to solutions for intake protection, process control, disinfection and event detection.

Smart Water for All

Smart water meter solutions are flexible and can fit the unique needs and challenges of small and rural water utilities, such as:

• Limited staff: With advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) using cellular technology, there’s no need for utilities to dedicate resources to set up and maintain a complicated network. And with automatic collection of meter-reading data, truck rolls can be reduced so staff can focus on more critical tasks.
• Vast service area: Smart water solutions that use existing cellular networks are available for utilities of all sizes, locations and geographies. Cellular networks are also impressively resilient with unmatched uptime, helping utilities keep their operations safe and secure.
• Budget constraints: Through Network as a Service (NaaS), infrastructure is monitored, managed and maintained for the utility. This is ideal for small and rural utilities that want to update legacy meter reading systems or deploy smart water solutions with the latest technology while avoiding large upfront costs.

Smart Water in Action

EJ Water Cooperative

EJ Water Cooperative in Dieterich, Illinois, serves a population of 77,000 across a 3,100-square-mile service area. Previously, utility staff drove nearly 4,000 miles each month to complete a meter reading cycle. The utility experimented with other approaches to water meter reading—but due to the geography of the service area, a traditional fixed network system didn’t work.

In 2015, EJ Water implemented a cellular AMI system from Badger Meter, and it is the right solution for many of its rural areas. With BEACON® Software as a Service (SaaS), ORION® Cellular endpoints and the EyeOnWater® consumer engagement platform, EJ Water reduced the monthly drive and freed up staff resources. This has allowed the cooperative to make better strategic decisions about upcoming projects and to be more proactive in repairing high value assets.

“We strive to be on the forefront of technology, and we knew that a cellular solution for our large geographic service area would be beneficial,” said Bill Teichmiller, CEO of EJ Water Cooperative.

Bella Vista Property Owner’s Association

The Bella Vista Property Owner’s Association (POA) oversees water service to 33,000 customers across 36,000 acres in Bella Vista, Arkansas. The utility’s existing drive-by AMR system required three employees to drive for miles to collect readings and generate billing across its system—a process that took 20 days to complete, reading over 15,000 water meters each month. Complicated by the challenging terrain and unpredictable weather of the Ozark Mountains, the drive-by AMR system also created some customer service challenges and delayed water leak detection.

Bella Vista POA opted for BEACON SaaS and ORION Cellular endpoints. The utility now has improved leak detection, enhanced end-user water usage transparency, increased efficiency in meter reading and increased flexibility for its staff—who now have greater freedom to focus on customer issues or water system improvements.

“With the advanced smart water meter technology available through Badger Meter, we solved the topography challenge and redirected team resources to better serve customers,” said Charlie Holt, water operations manager for Bella Vista POA. “It was a game changer.”

Whether your utility serves a few hundred customers or millions, there is a smart metering solution that is right for you. With the widest range of metering solutions available, Badger Meter can help build a solution that’s tailored for any water utility, no matter its size or location. Learn more at badgermeter.com/waterpro.