Top 3 Metering Technologies Used in Water Treatment & Distribution

This water treatment cycle involves many processes, including collection, filtration, aeration, treatment, disinfection, dosing, pumping and distribution. Because there are so many steps operating at any given time, treatment managers must select accurate, reliable meters to keep operations running safely. Uncover three technologies used often for water treatment and distribution applications and why they’re leading choices. 

Ultrasonic Meters

Ultrasonic flow meters are a popular solution to simplify flow measurement across a variety of applications. These meters are available in both inline and clamp-on configurations and deliver impressive accuracy with a greater extended flow rate compared to mechanical meters. They also require minimal maintenance because they’re designed without moving parts, lowering cost of installation and ownership.

Another reason ultrasonic meters are often selected is for their flexibility. Some ultrasonic meters offer a clamp-on design allowing them to be easily installed permanently or temporarily by a single user in under an hour. Users can install these meters as a permanent measurement solution or relocate as needed to verify the accuracy of other meters.

Electromagnetic Meters

Electromagnetic meters manage critical flow applications to improve accuracy, decrease system maintenance and meet the demands of challenging liquid conditions. Because these meters don’t have moving parts, they are ideal for wastewater applications or any dirty liquid that is conductive or water based.

These meters are often selected because they solve a major challenge most treatment facilities experience: space shortages. When space doesn’t allow for significant and costly modifications to meet the straight run requirements of a specific meter, our ModMAG^® M2000 Electromagnetic flow meter is a leading choice. It delivers impressive accuracies of ±1% with zero straight run requirements or ±0.2% with appropriate straight run. 

Nutating Disc Meters

Nutating disc meters are the most common and accurate type of positive displacement meters. They are built with durable materials to meet challenging application requirements, including additive dispensing. Because they feature a rugged, reliable build, nutating disc meters assure minimal maintenance and consistent performance compared to other available technologies.

These meters deliver accuracy ratings of ±1.5% and notable repeatability over the entire flow range. They are ideally suited for any water application, delivering reliable accuracy over the flow range. Compared to turbine meters, for example, nutating disc meters have better low flow capabilities and are viewed as a cost-effective solution for lower flow applications.

Choosing a Metering Technology for Your Application

Every application has its unique challenges and requirements, especially within the water treatment cycle. While these three metering technologies are often selected, there are many others you can pick from to seamlessly integrate with your existing applications. Learn more about our metering lineup to better understand what’s available to meet your needs.