Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) has been a major game changer for water utilities everywhere. Beyond more accurate billing, the benefits of AMI are hard to argue with: fewer truck rolls and better visibility into the water distribution network, among others. But getting to the point where one can enjoy those benefits means poring through unprecedented levels of data, analyzing said data, and generating reports that can be communicated across multiple departments.
Unfortunately, most AMI software systems are built with billing in mind, and additional software or other solutions are needed to access the data for other purposes, such as infrastructure management, leak detection, and more. In addition, many systems are limited by the number and type of reports that are preprogrammed into the software.
To take AMI to the next level, water utilities need a solution that allows users to build their own reports and analyses using business intelligence tools. In addition, by centralizing AMI data in a single repository that allows users to customize analyses and reports, water utilities can eliminate data and workflow silos and ensure that users are getting the most out of it.
Breaking Down Silos
AMI systems generate a lot of meaningful data but rarely make it accessible to departments outside of billing and customer service. For example, the engineering department could use consumption data for demand planning or sizing of infrastructure. Historically, to do that would require either porting it into the AMI database or manually sorting through tens of thousands of individual meters. In addition, AMI systems can store data on the age and location of meters, which can help technicians in determining which meters may need servicing, firmware upgrades, and more.
This is what drew John Wilson, AMI field services coordinator with Henry County Water Authority (HCWA), to Utility Data Lake (UDL). HCWA began transitioning to AMI in 2015. Right away, the system generated a wealth of data, but according to Wilson, “Nobody knew what to do with it. Most of us didn’t even know what the data meant.”
One year into the transition, HCWA adopted Sensus Analytics. This tool was helpful, but Wilson and his team were eager to try something with greater flexibility. In 2022, HCWA was chosen as a beta customer for UDL (Figure 1). The system, which fully rolled out earlier this year, comes with a standard set of reports that it can run. But HCWA, like many water utilities, has needs that are specific to its operations, its customers, and their unique challenges. What has really brought value to Wilson and his team over the past few months has been the ability to either modify existing reports or build brand-new reports.
To do this, however, required Wilson and others to learn business intelligence tools. Bolstered by support and encouragement from upper management, Wilson got to work learning to code. “I just started Googling everything, finding all the resources that I could, learning to code through trial and error, and I wasn’t afraid to ask for help,” he said.
It wasn’t long before Wilson was put to the test. He and his team were able to build alerts tied to home vacancies. “Normally, when a customer calls and says, ‘I’m moving out,’ we have to roll out a truck to lock off the meter,” he said. Once a new owner moves in, another truck roll is required to unlock it. However, with UDL, they need merely to tag the home as vacant in the system until the property is occupied. In the meantime, if consumption occurs up to a certain point, an alert is sent out indicating unauthorized usage. Only then is someone sent to lock the meter. Such occurrences are rare, and the result has been a significant reduction in truck rolls.
Leveling Up The Workforce
It makes sense that leveling up AMI also means leveling up one’s workers. There are numerous resources to help personnel of all educational levels learn business intelligence tools, from YouTube videos to books like SQL for Dummies. Sensus also provides a range of resources to support users looking to develop their people’s business intelligence skills. And many water utilities would be surprised to find that learning business intelligence is easier than it may sound. “Four years ago, my only experience with computers was reading and sending emails,” said Wilson. “But this just goes to show you that you don’t know what you can do until you try. And you don't know what you can gain from it until you do it.”
UDL is also a solution for those utilities struggling to attract younger workers. It offers the chance to use innovation, advanced technologies, and custom engineering in a career that serves the community and protects the environment. This intersection of technology and stewardship has a broad appeal to those who are newly entering the workforce. Beyond recruiting, encouraging existing workers to develop new skills can help boost employee satisfaction and retention.
AMI is no longer the future of water utilities – it’s the present. In order to take AMI to the next level, analytic software needs to be able to break down silos so all departments can access and utilize data. UDL enables that by centralizing all data in a single repository with an open and flexible interface that, with the right amount of training, presents limitless possibilities to analyze and understand the network.
Leveling Up AMI Operations