Oro Valley Reduces Leak Adjustments by 57 Percent with Sensus Technology


Smart water network helps town detect leaks, conserve water and enhance customer service



RALEIGH, N.C. - Oro Valley's residents are conserving water and saving money through early leak detection and a 57 percent reduction in leak adjustments after the town began installing a Sensus smart water network. A leak adjustment refers to when a utility adjusts a customer's water bill due to a leak or unexplained high amount of water usage. Located north of Tucson, Arizona, the Town of Oro Valley is already reaping the benefits of the Sensus FlexNet™ communication network and the installation of 8,800 iPERL™ water meters. The town's meter replacement project began in 2011 and will be completed in 2015 after all of the 19,000 meters have been replaced.



Conservation is a top priority for Oro Valley. To enhance its current conservation efforts, the utility sought a solution that would reduce unaccounted for water by increasing meter accuracy and providing early leak detection. The data provided by the Sensus FlexNet communication network facilitates consumer education during water audits, which are offered to customers at no charge.



"Manual meter readings are not only time consuming but susceptible to error," said Shirley Seng, water utility administrator at the Town of Oro Valley. "Sensus technologies have helped us provide error-free meter readings for our customers resulting in accurate billings, a reduction in paperwork, simplification of billing functions and significantly improved customer service."



The iPERL residential water meters and FlexNet communication network provide two-way communications that feature a sophisticated suite of alarms to better monitor and control water leaks. "With the Sensus FlexNet system and advanced applications, utilities are able to alert customers at the very onset of a leak," said Dan Pinney, director of global water marketing at Sensus. "Customers can also monitor their usage through the utility's customer portal, which helps them keep track of their water use and play an active role in conservation."



The Sensus FlexNet system is a long-range radio network that serves as a dedicated and secure two-way communications highway and requires less infrastructure than competing solutions. The network architecture and device designs provide range and endpoint connectivity that is differentiated from mesh networks. The result is superior network performance as evidenced by lower network operational and maintenance costs for utilities.



Sensus has served the water utility industry for more than 100 years and has helped more than 5,000 customers worldwide conserve water and improve operations.



About Sensus

Sensus is a leading clean technology solutions company offering smart meters, communication systems, software and services for the electric, gas, and water industries. Sensus technology helps utilities drive operational efficiency and customer engagement with applications that include advanced meter reading, data acquisition, demand response, distribution automation, home area networking and outdoor lighting control. Customers worldwide trust the innovation, quality and reliability of Sensus solutions for the intelligent use and conservation of energy and water. Learn more at www.sensus.com.To follow Twitter updates from Sensus, visit http://twitter.com/sensussmartgrid.



Contacts



Sensus                                                                                   

Linda Palmer                                                               

Director, Corporate Communications                                        

(919) 845-4021

(919) 259-5778 (cell)                                                                 

Linda.palmer@sensus.com


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