Kamstrup 'Take Measures' to Prevent US Water Losses

Skanderborg, Denmark-based smart meter manufacturer Kamstrup is looking to America for new opportunities—and all indications are that business should be good. According to the American Water Works Association (AWWA), there are close to 237,600 breaks per year in legacy water distribution systems nationwide throughout the United States—leading to approximately $2.8 billion lost in yearly revenues. What’s more, smart meters can help to monitor water usage during the current (and possibly, chronic) drought conditions throughout the Southwest.

With U.S. operations based in Atlanta, Kamstrup expects to start offering nationwide service and support within a few months. Country Manager Jarmo Jake Heikkinen commented, “We have a clear mission here. Natural water shortage and leaks in the distribution system are ubiquitous and immediate problems … need to be addressed with consequence. We have had great success with our intelligent water metering systems performing leakage detection and securing revenue for water utilities worldwide. And as we see many of the same problems in the USA with aging distribution systems and water shortage, we believe that we have the right product to the right time. Being a finite resource, fresh drinking water should not be wasted.”

He added, “These figures clearly indicate that there is a strong business case for utilities [to upgrade] to intelligent water metering. With more than 3 million sold ultrasonic consumption meters, we are introducing proven technology.”

If You Don’t Measure, You Don’t Know

Metering of water consumption is the starting point for water conservation. Kamstrup notes that, in efforts to reduce the loss of water and to strengthen the focus on consumption, the deployment of intelligent water meters is “an indispensable measure.”

Kamstrup’s smart water meters rely on an ultrasonic measuring method, combined with digital data processing. Ultrasonic measuring ensures high accuracy. With digital processing, all unusual events—such as bursts and tamper attempts—are logged together with consumption data for 460 days, giving operations managers and consumers a strong basis for trouble-shooting and decision-making.

In several cases, Kamstrup said, water utilities have been able to register leaks caused by running toilets, dripping water taps and burst pipes at the very first meter reading. Early detection not only prevented waste of water, but also property damage and costly repairs.

Kamstrup has a strong international profile with authorized distributors and sales offices in more than 60 countries. All products are developed and manufactured in Denmark.