How it works

At the meter end…
A battery-powered wireless transceiver is connected to each water meter. This transceiver or MIU (meter interface unit) can store large amounts of metering data.

Data collection…
Responding to data requests from handheld terminals or a remote server, the system transmits water consumption and allows utilities to detect any anomalies such as leaks, backflow, vandalism, by automatically sending alerts over a wireless connection.

In the central offices…
In mobile reading installations, a route management application creates and optimises reading routes and assigns these to each meter reader’s handheld. Once reading routes have been completed, the data is transferred back to the route manager which interfaces with the back office systems, e.g. billing system.

In fixed network installations, a software application running on the utility operator’s server handles 2-way end-to-end communications throughout the entire network – to each end-point and intermediary node – from a central location without the need for meter reading personnel.

Meter data can then be used for many purposes, from network management through to billing and customer queries and dispute management.

Future proof…
Elster ensure a seamless integration and scalability of all its solutions. The underlying technology allows for small mobile reading systems to migrate to a full large scale AMI deployment by just adding concentrators and new RF transceivers. A combination of both mobile and fixed network is also possible with Elster's Emeris technology.