ABB’s AquaMaster Electromagnetic Flowmeters are integral to the overall water management solution
The Metropolitan Waterworks Authority (MWA) produces and supplies drinking water to over 11 million people in the Bangkok Metropolitan area covering the provinces of Bangkok, Nonthaburi, and Samutprakarn. On average, around 5.47 million cubic meters of water gets distributed daily through a network of pipelines spanning 37,700 kilometers.
Losses from leakages or non-revenue water has always been a serious issue. As of September 2018, close to 30 percent of the water supply was reported to be lost through leakages in the pipeline network.
ABB’s digitally-enabled flowmeters help Bangkok save precious water
ABB’s AquaMaster flowmeters have been integral to the overall water management solution. Over 400 AquaMaster flowmeters actively serve the Bangkok Metropolitan area helping optimize the management of the water distribution network. ABB has been supplying these flowmeters for the District Metered Area (DMA) since 2007 through its channel partner Thai Meter.
The reliable flow measurement and remote monitoring capabilities of AquaMaster provide significant benefits. GSM-SMS radio technology enables accurate, early warnings on leaks to be sent to the MWA central control room. Immediate access to a host of critical data eliminates the time, cost and potential errors traditionally associated with manual collection of flowmeter information. The durable design ensures it can be buried directly underground, in a densely populated urban environment, or submerged in water without the need for expensive protective chambers.
MWA aims to further reduce water losses to 19 percent by 2021**, which is one-third of the present rate.
“To reduce water loss, the ABB flowmeter is one of the significant tools we use to provide high-resolution data that facilitates step testing, leakage detection, and water network analysis in the Bangkok Metropolitan area,” said Mr. Supichete Tavorntaveevong, Director of the Water Loss Management department.
Next generation flowmeters for potable water distribution networks and revenue metering
ABB is well positioned to offer enhanced support to MWA and other water utilities with ambitious water management plans. ABB has launched the AquaMaster4 electromagnetic flowmeter, a digital ‘single box’ DMA solution combining flow, pressure, and data-logging. It is the world’s first transmitter to feature a contactless interface using industry standard Near Field Communication (NFC) to increase productivity and simplify sensor/transmitter configuration.
AquaMaster4 flowmeters can help utilities increase their operational efficiency with improved features like
- Accurate revenue metering, even under very low flow conditions
- Digital in-situ verification over the life of the meter using Verimaster fingerprinting
- Powered by off-the-shelf batteries with options for solar or wind power
- Up to 10 years of battery life
- Multiple communications options
- Velox smart phone/tablet app – an easy and intuitive user interface that uses NFC
These digitally enabled flowmeters promise to deliver accurate performance and revenue billing, increased staff productivity, and lower total cost of ownership over the complete product lifecycle.
* Source: MWA Annual Report ** Source: Review of the 4th issue of MWA Strategic Management Planning (2017-2021) in fiscal year 2018
