Toledo, Ohio’s Public Utilities department recently made the news after announcing its intentions to potentially switch over to automatic meters capable of collecting data on an hourly basis. Currently, the city is relying on increasingly antiquated methods to collect meter data, namely by using workers that must visit each house and read the outside meter. While this method has been used for years, it is a labor-intensive solution that can be massively streamlined with the use of an automatic meter reading (AMR) or advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system.

AMR/AMI systems are highly advanced solutions capable of alerting a customer if, for example, there is a water leak in their home. Robust technology like Itron’s OpenWay Riva Water Module can sample pipe conditions during the quietest usage periods to pick up on these leaks as soon as they happen, allowing the Utility to take a proactive approach. McCrometer’s Smart Output option on their FPI, SPI and UltraMag meters allows AMR/AMI vendors to attached their radios to the meter’s encoder output. With these AMR/AMI solutions, the Utility is better equipped to meet its management objectives in billing, conservation, and overall operations.

The Avanti Company was founded in 1977 by Paul and Justine Devlin and is headquartered in Avon Park, FL. We provide water meters, metering systems, AMR support, on-site flow meter testing, sewer flow monitoring, inspection and assessment services for the water, wastewater, agricultural, petroleum and industrial marketplaces. Avanti represents products from McCrometer, Itron, Hach Flow, RedZone, Honeywell/Elster, 64 seconds, Infosense, Nicor, DoMac, Aclara, and others. Please visit our website at www.avanticompany.com, email us at info@avanticompany.com or call us at 863-453-5336 for assistance with all of your flow meter and metering system needs.