Water loss control starts with the ability to quickly and economically pinpoint the sources of residential and distribution main leaks, tank spillage, theft and unbilled usage. Three recent additions to BEACON together with our leak detection algorithms help you find and minimize such losses.
Identifying Residential Leaks
The new Analytics Overview page, for example, gives you enhanced visibility into residential leaks. BEACON’s leak detection algorithm looks for >1 gph flow for 24 consecutive hours from the time the meter last communicated with the system. The Analytics Overview page targets networked meters that are 1.5” and smaller in size—meters most likely to be installed at single family residences. The page displays a running count of those leaks and ranks them by flow rate and duration, displaying that data via easy-to-read bar graphs.
In addition, Take Action controls make it simple to select and jump to the Monitor page to get a more detailed view or export the contact information for:
- All your customers with leaks,
- Customers with “critical” leaks (leaks of 60 gph or more),
- Customers whose leaks have persisted for 10 or more weeks.
When viewing details on the Monitor page cards, you can easily see which customers signed up for EyeOnWater and which ones set Leak Alerts. You can even review Leak Alerts and when appropriate advise customers on how to set a Leak Threshold.
To quickly get a list of customers with leaks, the Take Action controls let you export a CSV file with their contact information so you can reach out and encourage them stop the leak.
If your customers use EyeOnWater, the Analytics Overview page also lets you quickly see how many people are signed up for the service, their recent activity level and new signup stats. What does EyeOnWater have to do with water loss control? EyeOnWater gives your customers direct access to their water usage data, including leak detection and alert tools that have been proven to help reduce residential leaks at their source. For example, recent studies by the California State University at San Marcos demonstrated that EyeOnWater is an effective tool for reducing real water loss. For details, see “Smart Water Meters and Data Analytics Decrease Wasted Water Due to Leaks” (Journal of the American Water Works Association, 2018).
Spotting Distribution Level Water Loss
At a water distribution level, BEACON support for District Metering Areas lets you identify real water loss from supply tank spillage and leaks in the water mains that feed your Demand Meters, as well as apparent water loss in the form of mis-sized meters that aren’t measuring all of the water being consumed by your customers.
By simply looking at a line graph on the Monitor page, you can spot apparent water loss when Demand Meter consumption is greater than Supply Meter output. This condition typically means that your Supply Meters either are not or cannot accurately measure the water flowing through them.
Conversely, when Supply Meter consumption is greater than that being reported by your Demand Meters, you’re seeing evidence of real water loss in the form of leaks on the distribution side of your water system.
For more information, see Tracking Non-Revenue Water with District Metering Areas.
Tracking Unauthorized Water Usage
The other form of apparent water loss is from unauthorized usage/theft. The new Vacant Properties feature lets you keep an eye on usage at places where you expect there to be little or no water use. With the Account>Vacant Properties>Yes filter selected, any usage displayed in the Monitor page Consumption Graph is potentially unauthorized usage that should be investigated.
Summary
When used in concert, the new Analytics Overview page, DMA support and the ability to monitor usage at Vacant Properties let you easily identify water loss and take action to minimize it.
Technical Documentation Specialist, Badger Meter
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