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 many as 2-10% of these meters drop below AWWA standards every year. |
| 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 a replacement. |
Common Questions
? How often do meters fail
2-5% of commercial meters fall significantly outside of AWWA standards of accuracy (85% or worse), per year.
? What happens without a testing program
Districts that have never before been tested may have 10-30% of their commercial meters in need of repair.
? What is the typical life of a meter
It is possible to replace commercial meters after a set usage, but that is a poor indicator of meter performance.
? What if there are many problems
We suggest repairing a portion if there are cost concerns. Fixing the worst performers achieves the greatest return.
Considerations
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.