Olea Edge Analytics pilots AI-based water meter performance solution in Sugar Land, Texas
Olea Edge Analytics, a provider of intelligent solutions and services for the water utility industry, has just launched an innovative pilot program with Sugar Land, Texas, to assess the efficiency and performance of commercial and industrial-sized water meters.
Olea Edge Analytics provides AI-based edge technology to help utilities optimize water delivery, billing and conservation. Their solution combines IoT and edge computing capabilities to bring transparency, accuracy, reliability and greater efficiency to the management of water resources, the company says. This technology helps reduce water loss, generate more revenue and limit rate increases for consumers.
The City of Sugar Land has chosen to implement Olea’s Meter Health Analytics (MHA) solution on 25 of its large commercial meters to detect signs of water loss, inaccurate readings and malfunctioning components. Proper monitoring is essential, as a single commercial meter failure can be equivalent to thousands of residential meter failures. That said, utilities are typically only able to test these meters through flow testing once every 1-3 years. MHA can help to prevent water loss and ensure accurate metering and billing.
“Flow testing is useful, but it is typically done infrequently, and while it can tell whether or not a meter is accurate, it does not provide a diagnosis for why,” Olea Edge Analytics CFO Jennifer Crow said.
MHA collects data from sensors mounted on meters to detect and diagnose performance issues, enabling utilities to optimize their largest meters. It also ensures accurate meter performance between flow tests, helping with billing accuracy and reducing water loss.
Currently, nearly three-fourths of Texas is experiencing drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
“As a fast-growing city, Sugar Land wanted a more dynamic and comprehensive view of their largest meters, to make data-driven decisions about asset management and to serve their customers better,” added Crow.
In 2021, Olea Edge Analytics made headlines for successfully closing its Series C funding round totaling $35 million. This investment was spearheaded by Insight Partners, a New York-based private equity and venture capital firm. The company planned to use the funds to expand its departments and enhance its AI and edge computing solutions.
Article Topics
edge AI | IoT | Olea Edge Analytics | sensor | smart city | utilities
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