https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources & Events
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources/Events
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers/eBooks
    • IWCE Expo
    • Calendar of Events
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Magazine
acc.com

News


Article

Industry Insights: Metering

Industry Insights: Metering

Q&A with John Fillinger, director of utility marketing for Badger Meter, the only independent U.S. water meter manufacturer.
  • Written by Government Product News Staff
  • 8th October 2018

Government Product News (GPN): What are some new innovations that have been integrated into your industry’s products recently?

John Fillinger of Badger Meter (JF): Over the past several years, the integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) and deployment of smart city systems have both had an effect on water utility operations. Changing water utility and consumer demands have also pushed water metering manufacturers to explore greater innovations in both water meters and metering technologies that are critical for relaying data to the utility.

For water meters – the utility’s “cash register” – electronic, or ultrasonic meters, have become much more mainstream. These meters empower water utilities to capture data reliably and on a large scale – from high-flow to very low-flow installations. With pressure sensors now being placed in electronic meters, utilities can also detect breaks in a water line much more easily and quickly than ever before.

Communication technologies are also dramatically changing how water utilities operate. The water metering industry continues to see more manufacturing companies offer cellular technology, for instance, rather than traditional fixed-network systems.

Cellular automated metering infrastructure (AMI) technologies do not require physical infrastructure to update and maintain, which allows for maximum flexibility and scalability. In comparison, traditional fixed-network AMI and other systems that require the deployment of infrastructure are ‘stuck in time’ deployments.

In other words, as technology advances, utilities with a traditional fixed-network system are stuck with the same technology platform over the life of the system. Much like failed upgrades on older computers, this fixed infrastructure may not support new technologies in the future.


GPN:
What is the biggest misunderstanding/myth that you think public sector professionals may believe about doing business with your industry or using your industry’s products?

JF: For decades, the water industry advanced slowly, but recently, the industry has seen fairly rapid advancements in cellular technologies, along with the rise of the IoT and smart city deployments. These changes created a gap in understanding, especially in the capabilities of cellular AMI technology.

While metering manufacturers and trade associations work to dispel questions about cellular, questions remain. These questions are in part a result of the technology’s continued evolution. Cellular technology affects every part of our lives, but how machines operate on cellular networks is different than how individuals use these networks.

With the introduction of a new cellular network built only for machine-to-machine communication – the LTE-M network – water utilities now have access to an even more powerful, reliable and safe infrastructure-free network built specifically for applications, such as metering technology. As cellular technology continues to evolve (from LTE to LTE-M and beyond), utilities will also be able to deploy metering endpoints with the latest possible technology.

The rate in which technology is advancing today requires a more flexible solution. By understanding and working to dispel questions surrounding cellular technology, water utilities should find that this technology offers the ability to evolve and support greater network reliability and security.


GPN:
What future developments can governments expect to see from this industry?

JF: Looking to the future, technology advancements surrounding data, sensors and communication will continue to drive the industry. These technologies are fast-moving and evolving, as well. This is a significant change compared to the past generations of metering technologies that advanced on a five-to-ten-year (or longer) basis. Today, the industry is seeing new technologies roll-out almost annually, and with the focus turning to smart water solutions traditional fixed network AMI systems are becoming obsolete.

In addition, water utility smart city deployments, critical for capturing a greater amount of data and empowering a utility to act upon the data, are also impacting cities as a whole. The all-encompassing nature of a water utility’s reach throughout a city has made water utilities key decision-makers in the type of technology an entire city will use for its smart city deployments, which can impact smart parking meters, lighting, trash removal and more. Thus, a water utility deploying solutions, such as infrastructure-free cellular networks, can allow for greater flexibility and innovation for the entire city.

Since cellular networks currently cover more than 99.9 percent of the U.S. population (according to information provided by the U.S. government in support of its Global Goals for Sustainable Development), cellular solutions save significant time and money by allowing water utilities to manage their smart city deployments without the need to “lock in” an entire city to a specific smart infrastructure.

Beyond communication and smart city technologies, water meters are continuing to become more robust and reliable. Changes in metering communication solutions have required metering manufacturers to review current metering technology, including both electronic and mechanical meters. And, while newer ultrasonic meters may be the right fit for some water utilities, nutating disc meters still remain relevant and valuable.

Because of the faster-pace of technological advancements, it’s imperative that water utilities consider their long-term plan before implementing a metering solution. By working with a metering manufacturer or trade association to learn about the solutions available, a water utility can determine the metering solution that best fits its needs and the needs of its water customers.


John Fillinger is the director of utility marketing for Badger Meter, the only independent U.S. water meter manufacturer. With 20 years of experience in the water industry, he directs the company’s utility marketing efforts and the release of products and technology.

Tags: News Public Works & Utilities Article

Most Recent


  • Homelessness
    Report: Police response to homelessness is inherently punitive
    Clearing encampments and arresting those living on the streets might temporarily remove homelessness from the public eye, but it doesn’t help unhoused residents retain housing or recover their longterm stability. Even so, a new policy brief from the researchers behind Boston University’s annual Menino Survey of Mayors finds the majority of American cities still rely […]
  • 2022 Crown Communities Award winner: Miami-Dade County Clerk of Courts' jury selection system
    The Miami-Dade County Clerk of Courts is revolutionizing the jury selection process.  In many jurisdictions, jury duty is perceived as an obligatory nuisance. On their appointed day, potential jurors arrive early and stay late. They read books or watch television to pass the time as judges and attorneys make in-person selections from the pool of […]
  • public trust
    With many cities facing a fiscal cliff as ARPA funding ends, debt ceiling debate continues on Capitol Hill
    As debate over the debt ceiling continues, cities and counties across the nation are facing an uncertain future as American Rescue Plan Act funding dries up. The federal government reached its spending cap of $31.4 trillion, previously set in 2021, in January. Since then, with lawmakers on Capitol Hill locked in impasse, the U.S. Department […]
  • Broadband
    Oversight committee addresses NTIA reauthorization, FCC broadband map ahead of BEAD Program funding allocations
    As technological advancements continue to roll out at a breakneck pace, from artificial intelligence to high speed broadband connectivity, investment in digital infrastructure has become a defining theme of the modern era. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, (R-Wash.), chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, stressed the importance of this charge in opening remarks at […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • NLC releases State of Cities 2021 report
  • North Texas alliance partners with Marketplace.city on smart government solutions
  • Harris County deploys next-generation security in 150 public buildings
  • The Colonial Pipeline attack: What it means for critical infrastructure, and why businesses need to have a plan in place

White papers


5 reasons why Plan Examiners need Objective Trapeze

30th May 2023

7 Permitting & Licensing Fails Slowing Community Growth

24th May 2023

The Secret Ingredient to Local Government Employee Retention

23rd May 2023
view all

Webinars


How to Centralize and Build a Grants Management Process at your Organization

24th May 2023

Making Permitting Easier: What We’ve Learned Helping America’s Largest Cities Improve Their Permitting Process

16th May 2023

Digital Property Tax Collection: Tales from the Trenches of Modernization

16th May 2023
view all

PODCAST


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

GALLERIES


10 best suburbs for city-like living

1st June 2023

Gallery: Annual index ranks America’s top performing cities; most are in the West

30th May 2023

Gallery: Top 10 American cities for seasonal and summer jobs

25th May 2023
view all

Twitter


Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.