As an innovator in flow instrumentation and control products, Badger Meter knows the importance of providing valuable and timely measurement data for its customers. Since 1905, it has served water utilities, municipalities, and commercial and industrial customers worldwide.
Understanding the importance and benefits of sustainable operations, Badger Meter uses many of its own metering products in its various locations. BEACON® Advanced Metering Analytics (AMA) created a new opportunity for enhancing operation performance and conservation of resources. As a new product (launched in January 2014), many customers have already seen successes when implementing it throughout a city as part of a utility rollout, and also in specific industries such as hotels and resorts, college campuses and park systems. Badger Meter facility managers also recognized an opportunity to use the analytics platform and communications system to monitor water consumption at the corporate headquarters in Brown Deer, Wis.
Assisting in Sustainability Initiatives
With products that measure virtually anything that moves through a pipe, Badger Meter helps the world manage and conserve its precious natural resources. It also recognizes the importance to practice sustainability through its operations and facility management. By using BEACON AMA at its headquarters, Badger Meter is decreasing its environmental footprint.
BEACON AMA is an immediate solution that combines ORION® Cellular endpoints, use of existing cellular networks, and an easy-to-use software product to give Badger Meter employees the fast, near real-time data in order to conserve. This includes monitoring the runoff from a green roof in order to determine its water retention effectiveness at the Brown Deer headquarters.
This green roof was designed to reduce storm water run-off. Badger Meter currently uses meters for reporting out to local and state entities. By utilizing the BEACON AMA software suite, the operations group can easily access and manage exact, near real-time data for all 19 meters on the property. This gives them a troubleshooting tool for any maintenance issues that may arise. Because they have access to accurate data that is collected continuously, it can easily point to specific occurrences.
For example, one of the industrial washers used to clean housings for production is heavily used Monday through Friday. Once BEACON AMA was installed, staff quickly realized that this machine had water running through it 24/7 and was wasting 5,880 gallons per week. Once staff saw this data, they immediately fixed the leak. On average, Badger Meter has saved over $700 per year by fixing this one leak. “BEACON AMA has made it very easy to get near real time meter readings, keep an eye out for leaks and manage our overall consumption with machines in the plant,” said Danielle Slotke, associate engineer.
Reporting Made Easy
The decision to move forward with BEACON AMA was made even easier when considering the various information, the company needs to send to local and state entities. The publicly owned water treatment works requires water discharge quantities to determine sewer fee rates.
This is important in order to distinguish water from industrial process vs. water from sanitary sewer.
In addition, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources requires a permit in order to discharge storm water from the property to surface water that flows into a nearby creek. In order to stay within compliance a monthly report is required. BEACON AMA makes this a simple task.
Although these reports are straightforward, the data collected must be accurate and timely. Given the accuracy of the meters the water was flowing through, the time it takes became more of an issue for these reports. “BEACON’s automated data collection and online software has reduced the time it took the Environmental and Safety Manager to collect meter readings every week,” continued Slotke. “He can now easily see data in near real time whenever he logs into the BEACON dashboard at his desk.”
Future Deployment
Currently there are 19 endpoints installed at the Badger Meter headquarters. Because of the success the Brown Deer facility engineers have had, there are immediate plans to install BEACON AMA in the facility in Racine, Wis.
