Flow meters aid water and wastewater management

An ABB Automation Tech (Instrumentation + Automation) product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Feb 23, 2007

Up to 700 AquaMaster electromagnetic flow meters from ABB are being installed as part of the transfer of responsibility for Ministry of Defence (MOD) water and wastewater assets.

Up to 700 AquaMaster electromagnetic flow meters from ABB are being installed as part of the transfer of responsibility for a significant part of the Ministry of Defence's (MOD) water and wastewater assets to C2C Services, a consortium comprising Severn Trent Services and Costain.

The transfer of water services to C2C is part of Project Aquatrine, under which three contracts have been awarded to private sector partners.

The C2C contract covers the north, east and south east of England, and includes existing wastewater treatment works, water treatment plants, pumping stations, and sewerage and water distribution systems on 1500 MOD sites.

The C2C deal is the largest water and wastewater PFI project in Europe, valued at over GBP 1 billion over its 25-year term.

The MOD will pay C2C according to the amount of water it uses, so accurate metering is crucial.

That's where the AquaMaster meters come in.

According to C2C Project Manager Patrick Egan, the AquaMaster units were among the few meters that could match the MOD's exacting specifications - in particular a requirement to maintain accuracy across a wide measurement range.

"The meters are primarily being used as a mechanism for payment".

"That's why they have to be so accurate", he says.

The AquaMaster meters feature a measuring range of 1000:1 turndown ratio.

Another important factor in the decision to use AquaMaster meters is their ability to send daily reports via text messages.

This ensures that flow data is readily accessible, making it easier for C2C to manage the network effectively.

"The meters are identifying leaks and spotting trends".

"For example, if the water consumption measured on a site slowly rises over a month, something needs investigating".

"It could be legitimate increased activity or there could be a leakage problem that we need to address", says Egan.

The meters have to be retrofitted at sites that were not originally designed to accommodate them, which presents another challenge.

For example, there may only be short runs of straight pipework available on some sites, which will not allow a stable flow profile to fully develop before the fluid reaches the meter.

However, the AquaMaster's sensor design conditions the flow profile, resulting in excellent meter performance in installations that conventional meters could not cope with.

A three-year battery life also means that the AquaMaster meters are suitable for installations with awkward access.

The project is currently halfway through, with the completion date set for mid-2007.

C2C is eventually looking to install between 600 and 700 AquaMaster meters on approximately 400 MOD sites.

C2C also have plans to extend metering, monitoring and management services to a wider client base where water conservation and cost reduction is required.