Leak Hunting with Advanced Meter Infrastructure
Posted on: Mar-14-2016
Advanced meter infrastructure (AMI) is offering new possibilities for managing water use. Fort Collins Utilities installed advanced water meters in 2014 and now is putting the hourly data to work in a new leak-awareness outreach service for residential customers.The service is made possible by 'continuous consumption' data from the meters. At some point during a 24-hour period, a typical household should expect zero water use, meaning those with continuous water consumption most likely have a leak. Leaks account for a very large portion of household indoor water use in Fort Collins, 17 percent on average.
Customers likely to have the largest leaks receive a call from Utilities to let them know of the continuous consumption and to help them find the source of the leak. Customer response has been positive as the program provides the opportunity to fix leaks before seeing the full impact on their utility bill. Customers also are able to avoid or reduce the potentially damaging impact of leaks on their home. Since early 2015, over 1,300 customers have been contacted regarding possible leaks.
One of the most common sources of continuous usage is toilets since they can run silently and make leaks difficult to detect. If you are experiencing high water use, test the toilet. Place dye or food coloring in the tank and - without flushing - wait to see if the colored water seeps into the bowl. If so, the toilet's flapper may not be sealing properly and should be repaired or replaced.
To increase awareness of leaks, March 14-20 is the Environmental Protection Agency's annual Fix a Leak Week. Utilities encourages everyone to take advantage of this time to track down and repair leaks.
Fort Collins Utilities water customers should check out our rebate program when making efficiency upgrades at https://www.fcgov.com/rebates-programs. For more information and details on how to identify and fix leaks, visit https://www.fcgov.com/leaks , call 970-212-2900, email utilities@fcgov.com or V/TDD 711.
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Renee Davis, Water Conservation Specialist
- 970.224.6109
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