Many water pipelines in the United States were installed in the early to mid-20th Century, with some systems still relying on cast-iron pipes more than 100 years old. Aging infrastructure stands as a critical challenge in the water sector for utilities across the nation, posing significant threats to the reliability and safety of water systems.

Silver Creek Water’s commitment to reliably track their customers’ water usage has led to their more than 40-year partnership with Sensus, a Xylem brand.

Located in Wake Forest, North Carolina, Wake Electric Membership Corporation (Wake Electric) is a rural electric cooperative serving 38,000 customers. With the deployment of the Sensus FlexNet® communication network in 2012, the utility established a reliable and scalable infrastructure that enabled it to improve billing accuracy and system management while reducing customer service calls.

From its roots as one of the oldest towns in Washington, the City of Walla Walla has aged like a fine wine. Surrounded by vast vineyards from 120 different wineries, the area is well-known for its rich history, charm and overall appeal. Unlike wine, however, the aging process has hurt some of its infrastructure—including 200 miles of water pipelines.

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.

Imagine it’s winter in Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey and temperatures drop to the low twenties by sundown. Summery, beach weather is nowhere to be seen in this coastal town and most residents have fled to warmer temperatures until summer returns. Water pipes can’t flock to warmer temperatures though, and while homeowners are gone, pipes can easily freeze and burst.

As the foundation is set for smart city applications across the utility industry, the future of managed services seems boundless. With so many utility solution providers jumping on the managed services bandwagon, the key is to ensure utilities are entering into effective and efficient partnerships for successful outcomes.

“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.”

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.

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.