Jaco de BruynHead: Development PlanningWater & Sanitation DepartmentCity of Cape Town, South Africa

http://www.capetown.gov.za/water/ 18 - 22 May 2009CTICC, Cape Town,

SOUTH AFRICA

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AUTOMATED METER READING– PILOT PROJECT IN CAPE TOWN

CONTENT

• Cape Town Context

• Rationale for Project• Automation, Monitoring & Control Strategy

• How Pilot System works• Pilot Areas

• Tender process• Project Plan and Actual Timeline

• Challenges

CAPE TOWN CONTEXT• ~650 000 Metered connections• Population ~3.5M people ~910 000 hh• Area ~ 2 500km2• 256.551 M kl/a Water supplied 2007/08• Monthly billing from SAP• Legacy devices, varying standards

– 26 municipalities become 7 became 1 (Dec 2000)– Meter types, Flange standards– 75% estimated Non-pulse meters– Meter age range– 7 Meter reading platforms

RATIONALE FOR PROJECT• Test suitability -• Zonal Water balance• Consumption profile analysis

– frequent readings• Elimination of billing estimates

– 85% readings soft barrier– Customer confidence, less disputes

• Reading inaccessible meters• More reliable monthly consumption data• Leakage detection• Simultaneous midnight month-end reading• Replace 7 MR platforms with 1• Part of larger technology-based Automation, Monitoring & Control

strategy

AUTOMATION, MONITORING & CONTROL STRATEGY

• Automate routine mundane tasks • Integration of information• Make data readily available• Efficient operations by use of technology• Real-time knowledge of service status• Reliable Reporting and KPI’s

HOW PILOT SYSTEM WORKS

• License-free radioband• Not susceptible to interference• Few GSM modems

PILOT AREAS

Sunset Beach

Epping

N2 Gateway

A wide range of city environments

PILOT AREAS: SUNSET BEACH15 yr old residential area, large erven: 735 meters,

15 – 50, mostly 20, 25 dia

PILOT AREAS: EPPING INDUSTRIAOld area: 421 meters, 12 – 200, mostly 50, 100 dia

PILOT AREAS: N2 GATEWAYCouncil apartment block – indigent households, one

main meter, shared water account: 704 flats

TENDER PROCESS

• Two-stage:1) Functional qualification >70%2) Price submission

• Price 90%• HDI Status 10%• SCORE 100%

• 6 tenderered, 3 qualified in stage 1• Tender contained

– Pilot areas– Rollout extension phase until 2009/10

PROJECT PLAN

WORK STAGE TIME LINE (Weeks)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

Formalize Coontract

PHASE 1: AUDIT AND REPORT

1. Audit Notices

2. Audit

3. Training

4. Audit Report

PHASE 2: METER REPLACEMENT

1. Meter Procurement

2. Meter Replacement

3. Training

PHASE 3: INSTALL SYSTEM

1. Installation of Waveflows

2. Installation of WaveTalks

3. Installation of WaveCells

4. Develop and Install Software

5. Training

6. Evaluation Period

ACTUAL TIMELINE

WORK STAGE1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

Formalize CoontractPHASE 1: AUDIT AND REPORT1. Audit Notices2. Audit3. Training4. Audit ReportPHASE 2: METER REPLACEMENT1. Meter Procurement2. Meter Replacement3. TrainingPHASE 3: INSTALL SYSTEM1. Installation of Waveflows2. Installation of WaveTalks3. Installation of WaveCells4. Develop and Install Software5. Training6. Evaluation Period

TIME LINE (Months)

Started Jan 08

PROJECT CHALLENGES

• Anticipated completion after Evaluation period: Sep 09• Timeline grew: 19 weeks to 19 months!• Mainly due to Meter purchasing

– Procurement process– Unsuitable 3-year meter purchase tender

• no attention to pulse output, reed switches

– Optical reed switch vs magnetic, brand-specific• 12x price premium makes AMR non-viable

– Change resistance, scepticism of roleplayers

• Also due to state of Database and Meters in ground– Unexpected 70% non-pulse (previous samples 30%)– Bad condition of meter boxes: broken, filled, covered

AUDIT RESULTS

• Sunset Beach:– Most filled with sand – boxes installed without base plate– Municipal data fairly good– Meter ages <= 15 yrs– Some incorrect street numbers– Unknown: covered (trees or concrete), totally buried

• Epping Industria:– Meters often inaccessible– 90% rubbish dump in chambers– Many damaged chambers– Municipal data not good (serial numbers, sizes, types)– Meter ages <= 30 yrs– Older types non-SABS

AUDIT RESULTS…2

SUBURB ERVEN INCOMPAT-IBLE METERS

COMPAT-IBLE METERS

UN-KNOWN

Sunset Beach

831 516

(62%)

187

(24%)

32

(4%)

Epping Industria

421 312

(74%)

87

(21%)

22

(5%)

AUDIT RESULTS…3

PRELIMINARY EVALUATION:N2 GATEWAY

• Installation on outside walls• 577 flats evaluated over 2 day period• 55 flats > 1kl/day• 6 flats > 5 kl/day (must be tap or toilet running full)• Maximum 11.25 kl/day! Monthly water and sanitation bill

R5 972 incl VAT• Directly-detected leaks 943 kl/month (10% of total)• Dealing with few water wasters could result in saving of

43% of total complex consumption or 4 900 kl/month• 100% continual coverage over last 3 weeks

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Pro-active Audit and maintenance programme essential– Not just for AMR but also to protect income and reduce water

losses– Follow up all unknowns, fix all data errors found

• Meter purchase tender– Consider pulse output part of price– Sufficient stock in store

• Data capture & maintenance– Capture correct meter serial numbers to start– GPS capture all AMR installations– Should staff go to meters less than before?

RECOMMENDATIONS…2

• One functionally-qualified contractor for replacement and AMR– Or 2 different functions but at different times!

• Upskilling plan for meter reading staff– AMR System maintenance, operation– Meter audit & maintenance

• Ensure compatibility of water flow management or other devices– Power supply pass-through on pulse output

• Best pricing if > 50 000 meters in tender

LONG-TERM PLANNINGNO OF METERS IN CITY (2004 BASE)

17 166

1 946

14 235

1 7452 991

3 898

439 4791 506

249 41 3 5 80

2 000

4 000

6 000

8 000

10 000

12 000

14 000

16 000

18 000

20 000

12 15 20 22 25 32 40 50 75 80 100 150 200 240 300 kl

DIAMETER

Count

322 546150 675

518 000 in 2004 grew to 650 000 meters in 2009

LONG-TERM PLANNING…2

ITEM APPROX COSTING

AMR System R450 M

Meters purchase (70%) R550 M

Meter box clean & repair R100 M

Meter replacement R450 M

TOTAL R1 550 M

Phased over 20 years R77.5 M

NEXT STEPS

• Complete installation (July)• Evaluation period in parallel with manual reading (3

months to September)• Test data import protocol into SAP• Convince others: staff, management, politicians• Secure long-term budget• Acceptance of staff Up-skilling• Implement recommendations

Thank you!

Berg River testing of radial gate, June 2008