Puerto Rico gets 1.4 million smart water meters

The Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA) is to replace its almost 1.4 million mechanical water meters with smart water meters.

The programme, which is being supported with $711 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), follows the impacts of 2017’s Hurricane María on PRASA’s water meter infrastructure, with the decision that replacing and protecting the entire inventory was necessary to ensure its optimum functionality, operation and maintenance as part of the potable water distribution system.

The mechanical water meters will be replaced by ultrasonic meters with advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), which should help to protect PRASA’s assets and add resilience against future similar events.

“The change from mechanical meters to smart meters is currently the most important and emblematic project for the Authority,” says Executive President Doriel I. Pagán Crespo.

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“The project represents a total investment of $790 million for PRASA. Once again, we are grateful for the support and willingness of all the groups that joined us in this process to achieve this historic project for Puerto Rico.”

The first phase of a pilot project is currently underway to determine the type of smart meters to be used.

Replacing mechanical meters with ultrasonic technology should provide multiple benefits for PRASA.

Ultrasonic meters do not require a filter, are not affected by water quality or wear and tear over the years and provide accurate readings for the life of the equipment, which is estimated to be 20 years.

With the AMI system remote reading capabilities are enabled and the provision of real-time water flow information should allow PRASA to anticipate potential breakdowns and dispatch maintenance crews promptly.

The hazard mitigation funding included in the award amount to replace all the meters to avoid the risks associated with partial infrastructure repair is the highest to date obligated under Hurricane María.

To date, FEMA has allocated over $33 billion for nearly 11,000 projects to address Puerto Rico’s recovery from Hurricane María, among them a smart electricity meter replacement programme.

Of these, PRASA has received over $3.6 billion to repair water distribution and treatment facilities across Puerto Rico.