AI data solution deployed for 25 large commercial water meters in California

Olea Edge Analytics, a provider of intelligent solutions and services for the water utility industry, has launched a pilot programme to deploy smart technology to 25 large commercial water meters in California’s Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District (EVMWD) service area.

Olea’s Meter Health Analytics (MHA) solution uses AI to provide insights into the performance of commercial and industrial water meters, which can have an outsized impact on both water loss and utility revenue.

Olea cites a 2018 study, Quantifying the global non-revenue water problem, which found that non-revenue water — water that has been produced but is ‘lost’ before it reaches the customer — comprised 30% of water system input volumes worldwide. The total cost of such losses for utilities can be up to $39 billion per year.

“EVMWD is one of the country’s most technologically savvy utility companies, and they were interested in trying an innovative solution to reduce water loss and maximize water efficiency,” Olea Edge Analytics CFO Jennifer Crow said.

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“When large commercial meters perform optimally, it benefits the entire system. The largest water consumers are billed accurately and utilities can address significant apparent water loss quickly.”

Municipalities across California have asked their customers to reduce their water use as the state contends with its third straight year of drought.

Despite some respite from heavy rains in December 2022 and January this year, the need for efficiency remains to ensure supplies for the future.

“When confronting the challenges of drought, EVMWD takes a multifaceted approach to ensure water is available 24/7 for our community,” said Greg Thomas, general manager for Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District.

“Using [such] tools…will allow our operations team to more accurately detect and address water loss.”