Trends in metering potable water

Sustainable management of drinking water distribution systems requires information on the operating status of system components to identify the best operational management measures. The ability to acquire information on tank levels, pipeline flow and real-time pressure offers an efficient and cost-effective management perspective, and enables wider monitoring, which can improve (physical) security as well. The technology of measuring instruments for hydrodynamic variables, used to monitor potable water systems, differs in their independence from electronic data acquisition components and ability to connect to remote data communication systems. Advanced water measurement infrastructure is characterized by the ability to capture data with measurable errors from anywhere in the system, without restrictions on communication type. This paper deals with the measurement of hydrodynamic parameters and a proposal for water meter classification. It includes analysis of the main water meter and data tele-acquisition infrastructure. Several selection criteria are evaluated with respect to their ability to support mathematical hydraulic models and expert systems for water distribution system management.