Water management
Narrowband IoT Meter Logging
N-B IoT for water
What is narrowband IoT meter logging?
Most water meters still have to be read by hand. They sit in chambers, basements and meter boxes, often below ground, where an ordinary mobile signal struggles to reach.
Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) is a mobile network standard built for this kind of device. It sends small amounts of data, uses very little power, and reaches further into buildings and underground spaces than a normal phone signal.
findyIoT’s Service Point fits onto the water meters already in your network. It reads the register without modifying the meter, so the meter’s metrological approval is unaffected, and it takes about three minutes to install.
The IP68 enclosure is designed for meter chambers, and the logger works from −20 °C to +55 °C. In laboratory testing, one battery lasts up to 16 years. The longest-running unit in the field has passed five years and is still going. If coverage drops, readings are held in a 30,000-sample buffer until the signal returns.
Project start date
2021
Project goal
Remote meter reading and water loss reduction for VIK Yovkovtsi
Project volume
17,000 devices across 30+ zones
Our Partners
System technology
Existing water meter
Service Point logger
NB-IoT / LTE Cat M1 network
findy IoT platform
Products used
Configuration
The logger reads the meter register at a set interval, from every 30 seconds to every 2 hours
Readings are sent to the findy IoT platform on a schedule from every 30 seconds to every 2 weeks
Chosen solution benefits
- Works with the meters already in the network
- Three minutes to install
- Up to 16 years battery in laboratory testing
- Support of NB-IoT and LTE Cat M1
- No data lost when coverage drops
Data received
- Meter register readings
- Configurable alarms and event-based reports
- Internal battery level
- Network Bearer
- Radio Signal Strength
- Link Quality
- Serving Cell ID
- Mobile network code
- Mobile country code
- Signal SNR
- Cell LAC/TAC
System performance
- Up to 16 years battery in laboratory testing; 5 years and running in the field
- 30,000 sample buffer for weak coverage
- IP68 enclosure, −20 °C to +55 °C
- Firmware updated over the air
Project benefits
- Remote readings without site visits
- Zone balances for district metering areas
- Support for non-revenue water reduction
Project Results
- Water losses cut from 63% to 27% over three years
- 17,000 meters read remotely across 30+ zones
- Existing meters kept in service, no replacement needed
- Longest-running unit: 5 years and still going
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