HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem #02 Sensus FlexNet Water/Reclaim Metering System
AGENDA ITEM COVER SHEET
Meeting Date: August 21.2007
Item # 01
Contact Name:
Contact Number:
Charles Smith
407 -905-3100 ext. 4000
Reviewed By:
Department Director: Charles S
City Manager: Robert Frank
Subject: Sensus FlexNet Water/Reclaim Metering System
Background Summary:
The FlexNet Meter Reading System provides a "one button" processing of meter reading data from every
compatible meter within the coverage area. The meter data will be updated five times a day with hourly
values. Based on the hourly data provided by this system, leaks and high consumption intervals can be
determined and specific meter usage can be reviewed.
Attached is a more descriptive assessment of the FlexNet Meter Reading System.
Issue: Should the City implement the Sensus FlexNet Meter Reading System which eliminates the need to
read water/reclaim meters on a monthly basis.
Recommendations
Motion to authorize the City Manager to implement the Sensus FlexNet Meter Reading System and to
contract with Sensus Metering Systems to provide the City of Ocoee with the required improvements to
facilitate the implementation of the FlexNet system including; the Tower Gateway Base Station, Regional
Internet Interface, other miscellaneous apparatus, software installation and training in the amount of
$100,000.00.
Attachments:
FlexNet Manufacture's Cut Sheet.
Financial Impact:
Funds will be expended from the Water Meter Line Items in both water and sewer accounts in the amount of
$55,000. and $45,000. respectively. Funds in the wastewater account are available due to meters for the
reclaim retrofit projects being paid out of the 2003 bond proceeds and funds in the water are available due to
the decrease in the number of new meters being installed. Future secondary impacts will be the need to add
two more Tower Gateway Base Stations @ $65,000 (present value) to provide for total coverage of the City.
This impact should be mitigated due to the reduction in resources needed to perform monthly meter reading
duties.
Type of Item: (please mark with an "x'J
Public Hearing
_ Ordinance First Reading
Ordinance Second Reading
Resolution
X Commission Approval
Discussion & Direction
For Clerk's Deot Use:
_ Consent Agenda
Public Hearing
_ Regular Agenda
Original Document/Contract Attached for Execution by City Clerk
X Original Document/Contract Held by Department for Execution
Reviewed by City Attorney
Reviewed by Finance Dept.
Reviewed by ( )
df ~iJ-
N/A
N/A
N/A
1
Mavor
S. Scott Vandergrift
center of Good L' .
<\~e It'l~
Commissioners
Gary Hood, District 1
Scott Anderson, District 2
Rusty Johnson, District 3
Joel Keller, District 4
City Manager
Robert Frank
MEMORANDUM
TO:
The Honorable Mayor and City Commissioners
FROM:
Charles K. Smith, P .E.
Utilities Director
DATE:
August 21, 2007
RE:
FlexNet Metering System
BACKGROUND:
Meter reading, before MXU technology was available, required meter readers to physically
approach each meter. This entailed opening the lid, cleaning the dial, reading the register and
recording the meter's values in either a written log book or a handheld electrical recorder. This
labor intensive method was highly subject to errors and discrepancies.
The addition of electronic capabilities improved the meter reading process. These enhancements
consisted of: equipping the meters with an electrical pickup capable of transmitting the meter's
value, and equipping the handheld recorder with a wand that receives the transmitted value when
touched to a meter pickup. This significantly increases accuracy and reduces labor, however, the
meter reader must still approach each meter.
The next innovation came with the partnering of the touch read meter and radio read device
(MXU 520r). These MXUs have a limited broadcast length, which requires a near-area drive by to
record the meter's last transmitted value to the MXU. Another improvement associated with the
radio read was the additional porting of the recording process to a laptop computer. The laptop
computer is equipped with mapping software that depicts the City's service area and all meters
equipped with an MXU 520r. During each billing cycle, as meter readers drive by and take a
successful reading, the meter display either changes colors or disappears from the screen. This
was a substantial progression from past reading.
The latest advancement came about with a revamping of the MXU to another broadcast
frequency, which allows for the signal to extend further so that the City could be divided into
areas with one central antenna to receive and then transfer data to a centralized process. The new
MXU (MXUFN) also has internal improvements, including its ability to capture and store hourly
meter values and then transmit those values five times a day. This significant improvement not
City ofOcoee. 150 N Lakeshore Drive. Ocoee, Florida 34761
phone: (407) 905-3100 . fax: (407) 656-8504. www.ci.ocoee.fl.us
only considerably decreases labor, but provides an extensive increase in historical and current
usage information for individual meters and system wide usage.
The City of Ocoee has approximately 14,000 Sensus Water Meters, including 8,400 meters
equipped with touch read MXU 505S and 5600 meters with local read radio MXU 520rS. The
MXU is an electronic box connected to the inside of the meter box lid which produces electrical
pickup.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff is recommending the migration of the current touch read system and localized radio read
capability to the FlexNet Meter Reading System.
IMPLEMENTATION:
Sensus Meter Systems, Inc. performed a propagation study taking into account existing towers
(cells etc.) and the City's geography and topography. It was determined that the City needs to be
divided into northern, central and southern sectors.
The northern sector will be the initial selection due to it's' topography, new residential growth
and the planned retrofitting of 1235 existing homes with reclaim water.
The biggest hurtle to overcome with in the implementation is the status of the 4600
technologically older MXU S20rs. Those units will be replaced with the newer units in the
northern sector and used to upgrade the touch read meter southern sector.
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Your data collection is protected; FCC laws
interference is removed immediately.
This dedicated frequency allows Sensus to offer our clients
the highest RF power in the industry. Two watts is at your
fingertips, increasing range and reliability on endpoint-to-tower
communications.
And, reliability is further ensured through an overlap of receiver
endpoint coverage, data/message redundancy, and backup
provisions.
FlexNet is designed to allow both one-way and two-way meter
endpoints to co-exist in the same network, giving customers the
freedom to apply FlexNet to all of their endpoints. Whether your
needs are based in electricity, gas or water, or in an urban,
suburban or rural landscape, FlexNet is the solution that gives
protected results with the flexibility to adapt the system to your
eCtedl'letwork. Eliminate
reo Partner with Sensus today and leverage
ations of the FlexNet system.
FlexNet's and command network consists of
a Local RF network and a Regional Network Interface (RNI).
The Local RF network consists of FlexNet transceivers at the
meter and Tower Gateway Base Stations (TGBs). TGBs, which
use existing radio towers, are antennas installed at heights ranging
from 200 to 650 feet. TGBs provide the best solution to cover large
areas. In addition, they have the ability to store 30 days of
data and provide eight hours of battery backup, should the primary
source of power be interrupted.
The RNI is the network backbone of the system. It receives and
stores the reading data from the TBG(s), and presents it to the user
via the Meter Data Management (MOM) software. The RNI also
monitors the system health of the TGB(s), while also keeping
a 60-day log of metering data. The RNI provides network capacity
for all of the TGBs in one local RF network.
20 year battery life
Both residential and C& I Meters
Multiple Meter Compatibility
WiltfsofSO(} MHz
licensed power output
l1l!i Programmable daily,
hourly, 15 and 5-minute
data intervals
Time-of-use billing
Remote Disconnect!
Reconnect
AC Load Shed Transition
CRC-32 protected, redundant data messages
Tamper and energy theft detection
Under the glass integration of electric meters
Power Fail notification
Hot Socket Detection
Programmable thermostat that allows two-way
communications between utility and customer
Meter location using poll command
Demand reads and demand register
reset commands
Both simple residential and advanced C&I
applications with a single network
ANSI Table sessions (virtual modem)
IlcEln:> ..?<<.............
ill Hourly or daily reporting
options
ill Flexible programming
options
ill CRC-32 protected,
redundant data messages
Plug-n-play installation using patented
TouchCoupler technology
20 year battery life
Meter tamper reporting
Leak detection
Field replaceable battery
Low battery warning
for Gas
2 watts of 900 MHz
licensed power output
Hourly or daily reporting
options
Flexible programming
options
CRC-32 protected,
redundant data messages
~"seNSUS
~ METERING SYSTEMS