Sharing Best Practices related to Accuracy, Integrity and Reliability of Flow Instrumentation
News & Articles
Hundreds of sensors and machine-learning software to be deployed at the Region of Peel for hydraulic modelling, capacity assessment, and infrastructure design.
Concord, ON, January 26, 2023 – Flowmetrix, a leading provider of water and wastewater infrastructure monitoring solutions, announced that the company has been awarded one of largest sewer flow and rainfall monitoring projects in Canada from the Region of Peel. Located in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) of Ontario, the Region of Peel provides services for the growing cities of Brampton, Mississauga, and the town of Caledon, a combined service area population of more than 1.5 million.
The multi-year project will include the installation of over 350 sensors throughout Peel Region’s sewer network and more than 30 rain gauges to monitor and collect data for hydraulic modelling, capacity assessments, inflow and infiltration remediation, flood forecasting, regulatory reporting requirements, and more.
Real-time data will provide critical and actionable information during extreme weather events and will enable Peel Region to proactively plan sewer network maintenance.
“Providing high quality and reliable data is in our company DNA, and our entire team is proud to have been selected by the Region of Peel for this large-scale project,” said Sam Mills, Vice President of SCG Flowmetrix. “We have successfully delivered infrastructure monitoring projects throughout Canada, and we have made critical investments over the years in our data acquisition and management processes that make us uniquely qualified to deliver large and complex projects.”
As part of the project, SCG Flowmetrix will deploy the infinitii ai FlowWorks FACEPRO software platform that provides advanced machine-learning capabilities, and a streaming analytics application enabling users to add logic and algorithms for real-time data processing and operation of models, including output events and predictions. “Over one billion points of data will be captured and analyzed over the life of this project, and advanced machine-learning and quality assurance software will drive more actionable insights for Peel Region,” added Mills.
The health and safety of our employees is our top priority during these uncertain times. Many of our office employees have transitioned to remote work environments and our manufacturing/assembly facilities have implemented best practices for workplace safety. As an essential business we are committed to maintaining our high level of customer service and meeting our product and system delivery dates to the best of our abilities. Please contact us if you have any questions.
Our field team’s expertise and project experience on large and small jobsites is what differentiates us. We do not believe in anything less than perfection and complete client satisfaction. In Ontario, our field crews are based out of London and Concord to serve our clients.
FAQ's
Yes. If a meter is not properly sized, it might be accurate for the range of flows it is designed for however, it might be inaccurate at the flow rates it is trying to measure. This is certainly true for a meter that is oversized.
Although there are many ways to provide a better level of confidence, there is only one true way to calibrate – comparing one flow reading against another to a level of confidence outlined in the testing practice to achieve the level of accuracy for each meter.
Typical instrumentation programs for annual certificate of approvals doesn’t truly yield a “verification” nor “calibration” since the flow meter is not being challenged against a know value of throughput.
manufacturers “flow tube simulators” only validate the electronics converter for display, outputs, and volumetric registration. This does not prove the overall performance or accuracy statement of the meter being verified.
An audit is required for many reasons.
- When there is a balance error where the contribution of error could be directly related to metering
- When an IWA/AWWA water balance/audit is being done where a level of confidence in the calibration techniques needs to be defined
- When a current calibration program is not adequate enough to prove performance
- When a more detailed approach to understanding the metering process is required identifying all aspects of metering type, installation, flow throughput, calibration, outputs, registration, etc
A general answer is NO. This would depend on the benefit or predicted return on the investment to conduct such calibration practices.
Working within a greater study incorporating meter selection and changeout, meter sizing, meter verification and meter accuracy programs work together to form a complete metering program.
No, it is not required if you are willing to accept the numbers as is. Meter calibration is part of a meter verification program. Meter calibration is conducted when a meter falls outside an acceptable level of tolerance within a certain level of confidence.
Meter calibration ensures all flows are measured to the best truth possible for accountability, revenue, and balances.
The main categories are Supply Input Volume, Authorized Consumption, Water Losses, Revenue Water and Non-revenue Water.
The sub-categories are Billed Authorized Consumption, Un-billed Authorized Consumption, Apparent Losses and Real Losses.
A Balance is a report outlining all components of a water system accounting for 100% of the water used after production, by means of operational use, theft and inaccuracies, demand and real losses.
An Audit is reviewing the information obtained that forms the balance providing clarity of numbers providing 95% confidence against each component in the balance. This process ensures the best numbers are presented to complete the balance addressing priorities to increase revenue and reduce losses while becoming a more efficient operation.
The meter size is only one of the basic inputs to review and therefore, I can not say what the minimum size should be. However, it might be said, review your larger customer base first and then review smaller sizes second. Other inputs that should be considered is volume and cost of meters ownership to predict a ROI based on efforts and increased revenue yielded from such a program.
There isn’t a common denominator for this answer.
Each meter principle should be considered for every meter application reviewing both low and high flow characteristics, and pressure losses.
Understanding your clients, demand profile and inventory, use of building, seasonal uses, etc. would be some of the items to consider when determining the best meter for the application.
P.S. Don’t forget the various approaches to meter registration collection, this also counts.
Meter sizing allows the water purveyor to capture all revenue possibly while balancing the potential pressure losses du to higher flows.
An undersized meter will create a pressure loss, while an oversized meter will not have this issue, rather it will under-read due to low flow demand.
P.S. Remember an improper sized meter might be accurate but not suitable for the flow demands, losing revenue, or creating pressure issues in the system for the end user.
Yes. Verification allows the owner to realize performance status across an expected operating range or industry standard like AWWA.
The testing results identified in a sample of meters predict the best time for meter replacement program rather than accepting a standard that does not know your meters, your customers, etc.
Meter selection is paramount and should be done in consideration with meter sizing.
If the meter selection does not satisfy the customer demand applications, the overall accuracy might not yield the best performance, and hence lower revenue.
In addition, poor meter performance would only suggest that a premature replacement would result losing any investment benefit upon initial meter changeout.
Meter sizing can be done after the fact. Using the customer account information and meter size along with meter specifications (AWWA or other), will assist in prediction of whether the meter is under/over-sized.
However, to ensure the meter is sized properly, a field flow demand profiling study will need to be done to overlay against the predicted assumptions. These values will yield a potential benefit in higher revenues, if the desktop office review is done properly.
Depending on the purpose of the related task. If you are only interested in knowing whether the meter is functioning as per a set tolerance for display, output, and volumetric totalization – then a calibration is fine. Ensure all controls are tight and the data used for calibration is unquestioned.
However, if you are using other peripherals such as SCADA for volumetric accumulation, reporting, or billing – then an audit should be conducted as well.
It is the most important meter in the system. It is generally the largest meter in the system (certainly if you only have one production meter).
The cost of this meter is generally sizeable in nature compared to all other meters as well.
It is the starting place of all balance calculations and therefore should have the most activity against to the highest standard.
Since the cost of the meter is the greatest, even more care should be taken for the selection, installation, maintenance, and calibration prior to purchase.
When an electro-magnetic flow meter is installed, it should be pressurized with the process liquid and then “zeroed” for any inconsistency related to the installation effects. If this is not done, the value being read during true zero flow will be additive (+ or -) to the actual readings causing great errors during a no flow condition or at least during low flow conditions above the low flow cut-off filter.
This is reviewed during any audit but not necessarily during an annual calibration.
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