AMR – Water Flow Data Logging

Cutting costs from your water supply is not a one-off event. To achieve maximum savings, you need to be able to sustain analysis and action over a period of time.

Automated Meter Reading (AMR) is a technique we use to continuously monitor water usage in a property. Also known as data logging, it is a powerful tool which allows us to spot issues quickly and adjust water saving solutions as requirements change over time.

Using a ‘smart meter’, we can see exactly how much water is being used by a property at hourly intervals, by measuring the water flow. If we see a sudden spike in water flow, we can check to see if there is a problem, such as a water leak, and act fast. If we see data trends change over time, we know that the demands of the business have changed, and we can adjust our efficiency strategies accordingly to keep savings at the optimum level.

That is why installing a data logger is the No 1 most powerful tool for driving down water consumption and supply costs.

Benefits of our Smart Metering service

• Get a positive return on your investment in just a few weeks
• Ensure billing is based on highly accurate meter readings
• Spot water leaks and other problems quickly
• Reduce water consumption and maintain savings over time.

Detailed analysis of water usage can be broken down by building, department, tenant, equipment or shift. AMR determines usage over time, identifies peaks, compares sites and correlates use with equipment and personnel. In other words, you get full visibility of who is using water, for what purpose, where and when. And as it also provides ongoing leak monitoring, it gives you insurance against unforeseen crises in the future.

How AMR works

A smart water flow meter is installed on top of the main water meter in a property. It usually costs around £700 to install one, and they measure the same basic data your main billing meter monitors – the flow of water by volume into the building for use, and the flow of effluent out of the building for disposal.

The difference is, instead of simply totting up these figures over time, a smart meter feeds the data back into our web-based reporting platform. By providing clear statistical evidence of water flow in close to real time, a data logger gives unparalleled insight into water use across a business. By comparing flow volumes against benchmarked levels, our expert analysts can spot a potential problem in minutes, prompting further investigation weeks or even months earlier than it would otherwise have been picked up.

The potential savings that alone can create are often huge.

Water flow monitoring and targeting

Information gathered from AMR needs to be used effectively if it is to become a successful part of a comprehensive water monitoring and targeting programme. Our web based reporting system provides:

• Benchmark figures for water consumption across an entire property portfolio
• Instant web access to water consumption figures
• Flow rate comparisons and analysis
• Immediate SMS and email alerts when consumption exceeds preset limits, prompting immediate investigation and remedial action
• Data which can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of sustainability or environmental projects
• Accurate information for water bill validation and bureau services, helping us to provide a complete water management service nationwide.

Data logging and leak detection

Water leaks can cause a big financial headache for a business. With most water suppliers charging an average of around £3 per cubic metre for water supplied into and waste water taken away from a business, costs quickly add up if a leak is adding unnecessary volumes.

The problem is that, in the normal course of things, you have to suspect there is a problem before to start to investigate a potential water leak. We carry out water leak detection either as part of a water audit site survey or when asked to by a client. For the latter to happen, they usually have to have spotted an issue already – damp on walls or ceilings, standing water outside, the sound of dripping.

By this stage, the leak is often already well advanced and the damage caused potentially severe.

With a smart meter, you do not have to wait for physical signs of a leak to become noticeable before you take action. By setting a benchmark for expected water flow – based on size of the premises, known uses, number of people etc. – H2O’s water consultants can spot the warning signs of a leak from a sudden spike in the data. We can even set automated alerts, say if water flow increases by a certain percentage above average.

In one example, we had engineers on site at a client’s premises within hours of seeing a major jump in water flow picked up by AMR. It turned out to be a burst water pipe, causing a flow of excess water estimated to cost £5,000 a day on the supplier’s tariffs. In the timeframe we were able to fix the issue compared to conventional timescales for identifying and fixing underground burst pipes, we calculated that we could have saved the client around £1.35 million.

The annual data logging cost of £300 compares pretty favourably.

Call our expert team of water analysts now on 0845 658 0948, and start saving. Or, you can email us at [email protected].

Water Flow Data Logging – Infographic – H2O Building Services

Cutting costs from your water supply is not a one-off event. To achieve maximum savings, you need to be able to sustain analysis and action over a period of time.

View Infographic