Assessing the impact of working pressure on water meter registration
Loading...
Date
2021
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Research and Technology-Aqua
Abstract
Fluctuations in the network pressure of water supply systems affect hydraulic performance and water
meter accuracy. The development of metering error curves requires steady-state conditions which are
extremely rare in water distribution systems characterized by intermittent supply. Simple deterministic
models are suggested and developed from monthly data collected over a 4-year period (2010–2014) for
three most dominant meter models (Models 1–3) in the Kampala Water Distribution System (KWDS),
Uganda. This study combines pressure and billing information at the same time to understand metering
accuracy. Results showed that metering accuracy increased by 4.2% for Model 1, 8.4% for Model 2 and
2.9% for Model 3, when the pressure was increased from 10 to 50 meters head. Age did not influence
the impact of pressure on meter accuracy. The most sensitive parameter in the model was the meter
age. Metering accuracy was relatively constant after a period of 5 years. The least sensitive parameter
was the working pressure which caused a slight change to the annual billed volume. The ability of the
model to accurately predict the meter registration degenerated with an increasing annual billed
volume. Model 2 meters were the best performing and probably the most suitable meters in the KWDS.
Description
Keywords
billed volume, meter age, meter registration, water meters
Citation
Musaazi, I. G., Sempewo, J. I., Babu, M., & Kiggundu, N. (2021). Assessing the impact of working pressure on water meter registration. Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology-Aqua, 70(6), 822-831. doi: 10.2166/aqua.2021.123