Customer Water Usage
Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ) Achieves Three-Fold Increase in Revenue with Meter Upgrade
Case Study / 5 min read
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Customer Water Usage
Case Study / 5 min read
Outdated equipment made it impossible to ascertain accurate levels of water supply and demand. Upgrades were needed to measure water loss across a vast service area in Jordan.
By accurately measuring consumption, the utility has increased the amount of water being billed by three times as much compared to previous years. Improved accuracy resulted in less time spent in the field managing leaks, lowering labor costs and reducing the utility’s carbon footprint.
To conserve and manage the potable water supply in the country, WAJ needs to accurately measure supply and monitor consumption rates throughout the service area. In 2019, the utility was still sending meter readers into the field, sometimes traveling up to 5 hours between points to gather consumption data to bill customers for water usage.
High rates of failure meant that WAJ’s mechanical meters, many of which were installed over 15 years ago, were reaching their end of life and needed to be replaced. Some incidents of water theft further complicated matters and meant getting a clear picture of water resources was difficult.
Reetaj Technologies, a long-standing Badger Meter distributor in the Middle East worked alongside WAJ to upgrade their metering system, culminating in a transformational project for the utility and a country focused on water conservation.
"To manage water resources, the utility wants to know how much water they produce, as well as how much is being consumed, plus they want to bill their customers more accurately and fairly to get a clear picture of supply and demand with consumer consumption behavior to manage resources versus demand efficiently,” said Hazem Fakhouri, Managing Director with Reetaj Technologies.
The project resulted in the installation of battery-powered IP 68 ModMAG® M5000 Electromagnetic flow meters from Badger Meter in wells across the region at well heads at hospitals, schools and farms—historically, locations where high water loss had been recorded.
The flow meter is equipped with a stainless-steel tube lined with a non-conductive material. Outside the tube are two DC-powered electromagnetic coils positioned opposite each other. Perpendicular to the coils are two electrodes inserted into the flow tube. The energized coils create a magnetic field across the diameter of the pipe. As a conductive fluid flows through the magnetic field, a voltage is induced across the electrodes. This voltage is proportional to the average flow velocity of the fluid and is measured by the two electrodes. This induced voltage is then amplified and digitally processed by the converter to produce an accurate analog or digital signal. The signal can then be used to indicate flow rate and totalization, or to communicate to remote sensors and controllers.
Delivering accuracies of +0.4% of measured value + 2mm/s accuracy independent of fluid viscosity, density and temperature, the durable design creates no pressure loss for low operational costs and is built with corrosion-resistant liners for longer life.
M5000 Electromagnetic flow meters are installed at 187 sites across Jordan.
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Each meter is equipped with a GSM battery-powered data logger to reduce field time.
Additionally, each of the meters was equipped with its own GSM battery-powered IP 68 data logger that limits the amount of field time needed to read a meter. All in all, 187 sites are now being monitored with the new equipment.
The data is transmitted back to the utility’s main server in Amman via the 4G network, where it is incorporated into WAJ’s billing software. Alarms automatically alert utility staff with readings of low or no flow, indicating potential theft or meter tampering. Meters are used to measure the production on the utility side and throughout the customer network, or the consumption side; then WAJ compares those numbers to find a water loss rate.
"Prior to installing the Badger Meter meters, there was no consumer profile because the data was not reliable or accurate. Now, flow monitoring is automated, and data is transferred directly to utility software installed to enable the remote monitoring of water consumption. The utility can now build a customer profile and investigate [when readings fall outside of typical consumption rates],” said Fakhouri.
With the new meters in place, WAJ has saved on labor and fuel costs, with meter reads that are collected automatically, rather than having a technician drive to each location and get the reading. The new technology has also helped WAJ lower its carbon footprint, with less vehicle patrolling required to read the meters.
“Billing revenue has increased three-fold, and utility staff can see real data that reflects a reliable picture of system strength and water supply,” said Fakhouri.
Reetaj Technology supplied, configured and installed the equipment for this project.
Prefer to call?
Customer Care representatives are available by phone Monday–Friday, from 9am–5pm CST.
Badger Meter is an industry-leading innovator in flow measurement, water quality and control products, serving water utilities, municipalities and commercial and industrial customers worldwide.
