Case Three – Advanced Metering Infrastructure and Customer Access to Real Time Monitoring
As part of Pluris’s ongoing commitment to provide high quality customer service through cost-effective, innovative systems, Pluris selected an advanced metering infrastructure (“AMI”) system for all water customers.
Pictured to the right is an illustration of an AMI meter in a meter box. The meters are manufactured by Sensus, one of the largest and most reputable companies in the United States. The meter can wirelessly communicate accurate usage data continually, reducing the potential for meter misreading. Flow information is uploaded to a secure database 24/7/365 and accessible to only Pluris customer care staff and customers. The new website features a new customer portal that will provide customers more control over their account management. AquaHawk Alerting™ will allow customers to receive potential leak alerts and access to water usage information online.
This information will be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and all 365 days out of the year anywhere the customer has access to the internet. So whether a customer is home or traveling, there will be real time access available.
Benefits of New Customer Portal
Receiving timely leak alerts
With the new portal you the customer can easily specify how you want to be contacted: e-mail, text or telephone. When your usage indicates high usage or a leak, you will automatically be contacted. This feature will help in early detection of possible leaks and will provide greater peace of mind when you’re away from your home.
Monitoring water usage
An additional feature will allow you the customer to see how much water you’re using and an estimate of your bill at any time during the billing cycle.
Setting Personal Threshold Alerts
Threshold alerts will allow you as the customer to input an amount of water (gallons) or a maximum dollar amount, at which point you will be notified. If your usage or your bill is trending to, or has exceeded the threshold value, you will receive a notification. Because the information is in “Real Time” you will be able to see how water use changes during hours of the day and days of the week throughout the year.
Illustrated on the following page is an example of an actual customer account. This same format will be used in Pluris’s new web portal. In this example the customer selected information including water used, and additional information including rainfall, and average outside temperature during a time period of the prior 24 hours.
Pluris remains committed to improving customer service and protecting the environment through innovative design.