City of Galveston Upgrades to AMI Technology

This project is unique because the City of Galveston is using the AMI network to go beyond the meter, managing water and wastewater pressure, quality and more across the island.

The foundation of the AMI project seeks to include a complete change-out of all water meters in the network, to be replaced with smart water meters that deliver pressure monitoring data. The E-Series^® Ultrasonic meter measures water consumption and uses the cellular network to deliver those reads to the BEACON^® software platform for a holistic view of the water network.

“Billing software upgrades have improved billing accuracy, better managed leaks and help monitor our systems closely for proactive management of our water supply on the island,” said Trino Pedraza, Executive Director, Public Works & Utilities with the City of Galveston.

In areas where the E-Series^® Ultrasonic Plus meters are installed, an integrated valve allows the water utility to remotely connect and disconnect service using the AMI platform. This is an important feature that will make the City of Galveston more resilient in the face of extreme weather events—like freezes or hurricanes—allowing the city to preserve or conserve water supplies. Additionally, if a home or business owner reports a leak, the water utility can now address the problem remotely, without having to send a technician into the field to turn the water off while the source of a leak is found and repaired.

During this meter upgrade project, the city began using water quality monitoring devices in the distribution system to learn more about their network. Sensors and monitoring devices were deployed at strategic sites that would capture the chemistry, clarity and disinfection levels of the water supply. This information is fed directly to the AMI software and viewable alongside pressure and consumption data from the meter.

In addition, the real-time information allows operators to dose chemicals more accurately and to know when to more appropriately flush lines if needed. The AMI data is also being used for the City of Galveston’s water and wastewater master plan. AMI data is being exported and placed into water models so that operators can see the true diurnal curve of the system, with the peaks and valleys of consumption. This project has improved response times and allowed the utility to be more proactive in managing water supply, no matter what event may come their way.

"Managing pressure and water quality in the distribution network has improved emergency response times and allowed the utility to be more proactive in managing water supply, even during extreme weather events. These measures will transform water management in the years to come," added Pedraza.

This project demonstrates the power of actionable data and shows how forward-thinking utilities can move toward proactive management of their water system, becoming more resilient over time.