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KC Water Installs New Large Flow Meters to More Accurately Track Water Usage

Posted on January 25, 2017

(Kansas City, Mo.) – Water utilities need to know where the water goes after it leaves the treatment plant. Small meters do the job for homes, while large flow meters are used for larger customers such as hotels, retirement homes, and apartment complexes.

“These flow meters allow us to track water usage on large commercial accounts which have domestic water service, fire protection lines, and fire hydrants,” said KC Water Utilities Supervisor, Bill White.

But, about 75 of the large meters in Kansas City are out of date and replacement parts are no longer available.

Bill White’s team is in charge of replacing the meters with new flow meters that accurately track how much water a customer is using. It’s a measurement called accounted-for water. The national average is between 80 and 85 percent.

KC Water has made noticeable progress. In fiscal year 2012, KC Water’s accounted-for water rate was 69%. Already in this current fiscal year the amount is at 78%, four percentage points ahead of last year.

KC Water has a water recovery task force that meets monthly to identify ways to close the gap even more. In addition to replacing these large flow meters, other long term solutions include the water main replacement program, faster repairs on main breaks, and a meter management program that will update meters based on their years in service and consumption.

All of this work is another example of KC Water efficiently investing in Kansas City’s infrastructure to benefit today’s customers and future generations.

For more information, please contact Brooke Givens, Media Relations Coordinator, at brooke.givens@kcmo.org or 816.513.0284.

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KC Water maintains and operates water treatment and distribution systems, stormwater management systems, and wastewater collection and treatment systems for residential and business customers in Kansas City and for wholesale customers in the Kansas City area. KC Water is primarily funded by fees charged to customers based on their use or impacts on the three utility systems.

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