Southern Flowmeter - Commercial Meter Services
Impact Accountability
Commercial metering can represent a significant portion of water used in a district. Properly operating meters are paramount to excellent accountability. As much as 2-10% of these meters can drop below AWWA standards in a one year period.
Impact Customer Service
Water meters degrade at different rates. This leads to different locations, even adjacent sometimes, having their usage monitored unevenly. A testing and repair program will ensure that inaccuracies are addressed in a suitable manner.
Impact Revenue
A commitment to test commercial meters may bring about financial concerns. It is an investment which will be more than recovered through appropriate billing levels. Also consider that repairs can often be performed for less than replacement.
Common Questions
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Typically we find 2-5% of commercial meters fall significantly outside of AWWA standards of accuracy (85% or worse), per year.
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Districts that have never before been tested may have 10-30% of their commercial meters in need of repair.
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It is possible to replace commercial meters after a set usage, but that is a poor indicator of meter performance.
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We normally suggest repairing only a portion, because by focusing on the worst performers you achieve the greatest return.
Commercial Meter Services
- Accuracy Testing
- Meter Replacement/Repair
- Meter Sales
- Meter Removal for Testing
FAILURES OCCUR SLOWLY AND ARE DIFFICULT TO DETECT
Even during normal operation meters will drift from their initial accuracy. If you suspect problems we can advise you on the best methods to recover loss. Prior to noticeable decay we can detect a decrease in accuracy of the meters that can have a significant impact. The mechanical components of water meters lose efficiency with time, strictly causing a loss of water through the meter. Sometimes the impact is large and immediate, leading to a noticeable difference in billing. Often though the change is slow and indistinguishable, and over a long period of time these decreases add up. The meter will operate well outside AWWA standards and can only be detected through diligent periodic testing and repair of the meter.
GRAPH ILLUSTRATING BILLING CHANGES BY FAILURE TYPE