AMI technology provides daily water usage stats to customers, reduces water loss and is critical to complying with the new state conservation standards
Image: San Jose Water has filed an application with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to deploy Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) throughout its service area. Photo: courtesy of rony michaud/Pixabay.
San Jose Water, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SJW Group (NYSE: SJW), announced today it has filed an application with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to deploy Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) throughout its service area. AMI technology includes advanced meters that can take up to hourly readings daily, along with a data transmission system to provide water usage information to customers in near real time. Currently, meter reads are performed manually and are provided to most customers once every two months as part of their bill.
The filing comes on the heels of a successful pilot study completed earlier this year, which showed significant customer benefits of the AMI program, including 24-hour access to water usage data, early leak detection, and timely notification of usage spikes. In addition to enhancing customers’ access to water use information, AMI has been shown to encourage more efficient use of water and preserve water resources, supporting statewide initiatives to drive water conservation.
“California is still feeling the impact of our most recent severe drought. And, the reality of future droughts has changed the way people think about water,” stated Andrew Gere, President and COO of San Jose Water. “Customers want to know how they can manage their water consumption. AMI is a critical investment in our infrastructure that aligns with our goals of environmental stewardship and innovation as a solution. This technology would allow customers to more effectively monitor and control their usage and preserve valuable water resources – while complying with new state conservation standards and minimizing our carbon footprint.”
Since California’s historic drought (2014-2017), the Governor and State Water Resources Control Board have put in place permanent water use restrictions and other policies that make conservation a way of life for all Californians. Senate Bill 606 and Assembly Bill 1668, both signed into law by the Governor, will define urban efficiency standards for both indoor and outdoor use, and address the need to minimize water loss through leaks. Beginning in 2022, these laws set initial indoor consumption at 55 gallons per capita per day, gradually dropping to 50 gallons per capita per day by 2030. Enforcement is scheduled to begin in January 2025.
San Jose Water’s filing requests an implementation schedule that would complete installation by the end of 2024. Operation of these meters is intended to begin by January 2025 to coincide with the anticipated enforcement of the new urban water efficiency standards. AMI deployment by San Jose Water is subject to CPUC review and approval.
Source: Company Press Release