Problem: West Slope Water District in Portland, Oregon, has an integrated water meter and radio, resulting in the radio having to transmit from 12 to 36 inches underground. Two of the variables that affect radio propagation are metal and water. West Slope gets a lot of rain, making it common for meter boxes to have water inside much of the year. The integrated radio, when combined with water in the meter box, forced crews to drive every street slowly and even stop to wait for meter reads to come into the reading software. This made monthly meter reading more time-consuming than it needed to be. 

Solution: West Slope has been replacing old meters when they fail with the Mueller Systems modular AMR System. The AMR migratable radio antenna is separate from the register, connected via an industry-standard inline Nicor connector. It is installed high in the meter pit, above most, if not all, water that may be in the meter box. This placement ensures a stronger signal for meter reads. These new radios provide efficient, long-range two-way communication. LoRa — short for long range — is resistant to most interference in the 900 MHz band, ensuring readings are reliable. This allows utilities to drive every other street and at the speed limit.

Result: The new modular AMR system is over three times faster than the older meters, a significant time saving that enables crews to attend to other tasks. The new radios are also easier to install, and are easier to maintain due to their modularity. 800-423-1323; www.muellersystems.com