Madison, Wisconsin’s Water Utility will implement Itron’s advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) for Project H20, the city’s initiative to automate the collection and analysis of water meter reads. The solution enables Madison to effectively manage conservation initiatives, improve metering accuracy, and operate more efficiently. Installation is expected to be complete by early 2013.

The utility will install more than 66,000 Itron advanced data-logging communication modules and a fixed network collection system as part of the upgrade to its water metering system. Itron’s AMI solution will enable Madison Water Utility’s 235,000 customers to switch from biannual meter reads to monthly meter reads and measure consumption in gallons instead of cubic feet, making bills easier to understand. Consumers will also be able to view their hourly water usage information online.

Robin Piper, Madison Water Utility’s customer service manager explains, “By choosing Itron’s AMI solution for Project H20, the City of Madison will be able to operate more efficiently and improve customer service using proven, reliable technology. The solution addresses the city’s need for improved metering accuracy as well as leak and tamper detection capabilities. We look forward to an advanced metering solution that alleviates the labor-intensive process of manually collecting reads while reducing our carbon footprint.”

Itron’s AMI solution will help Madison Water Utility meet two of the major objectives of Project H2O: to detect water loss and conserve water resources. It will also help the utility virtually eliminate the time it takes to read all meters in the system.

Paula Billingham, Itron regional vice president and managing director for North America, Water, adds: “Itron’s AMI solution for water will help the City of Madison Water Utility bring their metering system to the next level by enabling the automation of reads and other advanced metering capabilities. At Itron, it is our priority to deliver solutions that help our customers achieve their business goals. We are excited to do just that for Madison Water Utility.”

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