“Everyone in the utility industry helps each other out,” said Ivy. “One of the first groups to call and offer support was Xylem’s Sensus. We’ve been a Sensus customer for 12 years now, and I consider them my friends.”

The largest water utility in New Mexico is on a mission to ensure this kind of water service interruption doesn’t happen. They’re leading the way in continuous improvement by transitioning to smart digital solutions.

After a deadly tornado ripped through Western Kentucky just before the December 2021 holiday season, survivors described the destruction as beyond the scope of imagination. Homes and businesses leveled, vehicles mangled, transmission and distribution lines downed.

It was no ordinary February across the state of Texas. Severe and uncommon winter weather conditions led to a state of emergency. Fortunately, the City of Jacksonville, Texas kept the water flowing for its more than 5,000 residents with the help of its smart utility network from Sensus, a Xylem brand.

While ultrasonic metering technology is not new, it has only recently become cost competitive with mechanical alternatives. Ultrasonic meters also deliver many advantages, including precision, dramatically reduced wear and tear, and compatibility with advanced, smart gas metering infrastructure.

Upgrading to gas Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is a crucial part of digitally transforming a gas or combination utility. It enables these utilities to leverage new efficiencies and opportunities while improving safety and long-term planning.

Transitioning away from a traditional distribution model in a territory covering nearly 400,000 electric and natural gas customers isn’t as simple as flipping a switch. Technology has helped the utility seize the opportunity for new grid controls while ensuring quality and reliability as demand evolves.

Virtually all modern water distribution networks are pressurised to a level set by industry practice or regulation, and measured at the connection pipe to the end-customers property. Sometimes, the pressure requirement is also set to meet the needs of the fire service, who need a minimum pressure of water to deal with fires in standard residential dwellings.