San Jose Estimate is $40 Million to serve 1 million customers
Like the electric grid, many of today’s water utilities are still using 19th century technologies. That’s attracting a rising number of entrepreneurs to what is one of clean tech’s newest and perhaps most critical sectors.
Some observers see a looming crisis as consumption of the planet’s limited fresh-water resources continues to rise. Sensor networks and other electronics could be leveraged to rebuild an aging and inefficient infrastructure while accelerating the move to seawater and waste water reclamation, they say.
But even the most optimistic experts admit it will take tough new policies and significantly higher prices to drive any progress toward a modern water system. Even with such changes, growth in electronics for water utilities is likely limited to the low-single-digit growth of the utilities themselves.
San Jose Water Co., one of the 10 largest in the country and more automated than most, has all 1 million of its customers metered. But the 225,000 meters it uses are all mechanical devices that must be read in person.
“It would be nice to have automated meters, but right now the cost is prohibitive; we’ve estimated $40 million for our system,” said Tom Victorine, director of operations for the utility, which employs just 324 people and supplies 50 billion gallons of water a year.
Victorine estimates Moore’s Law will put smart meters within San Jose Water’s budget within 10 years.
Moore’s Law is named after Intel founder Gordon Moore who postulated that every two years the number of transistors that can be put into a given space doubles while the price halves making the performance to price ratio increase by a factor of four every two years.
From Electronic Engineering Times
Since Mayor W. isn’t running for any office now, I would appreciate him putting his full energy toward the enormous sewer/storm water problem. This issue will run through the next several administrations so we might as well start now. Today. This is one area in local government that everyone agrees needs immediate attention and Mr. W. can have an opportunity to prove that he can be open, creative, knowledgeable, etc. etc. etc. Such action won’t erase past indiscretions but might serve as a mea culpa from him to the city.
The above comment ties into the water article because of the enormous hit the river and its tributaries receive from Evansville’s filth. Water is a crucial resource that most take for granted. We cannot continue this behavior. And quite frantkly since a main theme running through the CCO is enticing talented, “skilled” people here, I would point out that environmental conditions such as clean water and efficient sewers and storm water control are very important to intelligent, talent, skilled people. Personally environmental concerns such as these are very important to my household.
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