Badger Meter Offers Free Online Tool To Help Utilities Uncover Lost Revenue

New Low Flow Revenue Calculator enables utilities to quantify the financial impact of deploying various types of water meters

Badger Meter (BMI), a leading innovator and manufacturer of flow measurement solutions, has created an online calculator tool that enables utilities to estimate revenue potential when using water meters that accurately capture readings at both high and low flow rates. The Low Flow Revenue Calculator helps utilities to compare a variety of common metering technologies. With 16 percent of all domestic water consumption occurring at flow rates of less than one gallon per minute (1 gpm), if low flow is not accurately captured by the meter, the impact on a utility's revenue may be significant. For more information, visit www.badgermeter.com/lowflowcalc.

Low Flow Revenue Calculator Incorporates Meter Accuracy Data from Water Research Foundation
Badger Meter developed the Low Flow Revenue Calculator using metering accuracy data for meters at ultralow flow rates from a recent Water Research Foundation project that is summarized in the article, "Apparent Losses Caused by Water Meter Inaccuracies at Ultralow Flows," AWWA Journal, June 2010. According to the article, reducing the apparent losses caused by meter inaccuracies at low flows can result in substantial increases in utility revenue and lead to increasingly equitable service charges for water users in the long term. In addition, the article indicates that for meter sizes of ¾ inch and smaller, nutating disc meters have proven to be the most accurate type of meter in low flow environments.

"Because the technology used in a meter deployment may have a considerable impact on a utility's revenue, we wanted to provide a simple way for utilities to see how different meter types would affect their specific situation and bottom line," explains John Fillinger, marketing manager, Badger Meter.

Easy-to-Use Tool Measures Revenue Generated by Various Technologies Compared to Nutating Disc
Utilities can easily determine how much revenue they could capture with nutating disc meters. The utility simply enters meter size, unit of measure, billing units, average usage, water rate/billing unit, sewer rate/billing unit and number of services into the tool, along with the meter type or types to compare with the nutating disc. (Meter types include multi-jet, oscillating piston, single jet, turbine and fluidic oscillator.) Then, they choose the number of years for which they wish to project revenue gains. The tool then displays the results.

For example, when comparing a multi-jet meter to a nutating disc meter, a utility with the input values below would experience a $9.37 loss for every 5/8 inch meter service in the first year. Based on the number of services, that equals a total loss of $93,744 in the first year, $182,988 after two years and $268,014 after three years. Year two and year three totals are discounted by the time value of money using a 5 percent discount rate.

Example input values:

To help utilities reduce the apparent losses caused by meter inaccuracies at low flows, Badger Meter offers a complete line of nutating disc meters – Recordall® Disc Series Meters. Among the company's most flexible metering solutions, they deliver precise accuracy in extended flow ranges from 1/8 gpm to 170 gpm. In addition, Recordall Disc Series Meters have the lowest pressure loss in the industry, making them an ideal long-term metering solution.

About Badger Meter:
Badger Meter has earned an international reputation as a leader in the development and manufacture of flow management solutions. It serves the global flow measurement market with products for water utilities and industrial and commercial markets including energy and petroleum, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, chemical, HVAC, process, wastewater and automotive. For more information, visit www.badgermeter.com.

SOURCE: Badger Meter (BMI)