More WaterTech solutions for water measurement

A complete package of solutions for water measurement! WaterTech provides utilities, distributors, and private companies with tools suitable for the efficient and timely management of water resources. Meters for specific applications, high performance, and easy to use.

WaterTech does more than designing and producing meters. In our portfolio, there are also sophisticated verification and calibration instruments, which stem from a deep measurement culture and long experience of working side-by-side with industry players.

SPECIFIC METERS

Water meters developed for specific applications and needs related to measurements in process control.

Andromeda
Turbine water meter with reed-type pulse emitter

Andromeda is a residential meter for cold potable water or hot sanitary water equipped with reed-switch type pulse output. It is suitable for applications such as water treatment or metering systems. It is a meter specially designed and developed for process control, not billing.

Andromeda is designed to be extremely modular and flexible, being able to select different pulse frequencies: 1, 2, or 4 pulses every 1, 10, 100, or 1,000 liters.

Andromeda Big Size
Woltmann reel water meter with a reed-type pulse emitter

Andromeda Big Size is a Woltmann-type reel meter for cold potable water and hot sanitary water. It has all the requirements of the Andromeda meter but is designed for industrial use. It comes in sizes from 2″ to 8″ and has a flange connection.

Such a meter allows the selection – even after purchase – of different pulse frequencies: 1 pulse every 100 or 1,000 liters for gauges up to DN125; 1 pulse every 1,000 or 10,000 liters for gauges DN150 and above. Other frequencies upon request.

Lambda
Manual or semiautomatic dosing unit

Lambda is a metering device suitable for process control (not billing) of cold or hot water flows, usually useful in industry or special areas such as truck-betters. It is equipped with a metering head on which the indicator pointer slides and there is a sliding memory index.

It is available with different dial bottom scales: 100, 200, 500, 1,000, 2,000, and 5,000 liters. For easy working and reading, the dial and lever can be positioned in multiple directions.

Delta SDC
Tangential turbine water meter with super-dry dial

Delta SDC is a tangential turbine water meter for medium dirty and solid particulate-rich water. Designed to measure water for irrigation use, including its billing, it is also very useful for process control purposes.

As standard, it is equipped with copper-can clockwork, the provision for reed-type pulse output. Upon request, it can be equipped with a lockable metal cap and cover.

CALIBRATION AND VERIFICATION SYSTEMS

WaterTech can also provide the relevant equipment for testing and verification of meters.

Test benches

WaterTech provides test benches for the verification and calibration of water meters. These can be used when testing the measuring instrument.

Each distributor needs to have its laboratory equipped with appropriate test benches and instrumentation to test the actual metrological quality of the meters supplied to them.

Generally, three possible different types of technologies are used to make a bench:

  • Comparison by weight (scales).
  • Comparison by volume (calibrated flasks or calibrated piston).
  • Comparison by comparison (meter or reference meter).

Our range of test benches is suitable for the metrological verification of water meters using different measuring systems. These are highly sophisticated instruments, the design development of which is undertaken jointly with the customer.

This way the benches meet the specific requirements of the user. WaterTech benches are therefore highly customized, as the machine that best meets the distributor’s needs is made (they are tailor-made products).

Our solutions cover all meter sizes, adapting to different types and lengths, from DN15 up to DN300.

For the construction of the test benches, we select the finest quality materials, chosen to guarantee the durability of all components, from the instrumentation (gauges, flowmeters, thermometers) to the electronic components (computers, interface cards, components, probes, printers). These measures also prevent oxidation and possible deterioration. Great attention is also paid to the easy availability of spare parts all over the world.

Last but not least, we promote the correct use of the equipment through training. All test benches are therefore equipped with detailed operating and maintenance manuals in the language required by the customer. In addition, WaterTech provides courses to better understand the correct use of such sophisticated instrumentation.

An in-depth knowledge of the correct use of test benches, together with the implementation of sound procedures and the qualification of personnel, is the fundamental basis for the creation of a certified laboratory. In fact, a truly high-performance laboratory requires adequate and advanced instrumentation, well-studied and codified procedures, as well as well-trained personnel who know how to use the instrumentation and know the procedures in detail.

WaterTech can support utilities in the complex process of setting up a certified laboratory, either by supplying the distributor with the most suitable test bench to meet its specific needs, or by providing the operator with its great know-how in metrology. WaterTech already has an ISO 17025 certified laboratory – the highest level of metrological certification obtainable – which is in direct contact with the Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica (INRiM) in Turin, the primary Italian metrological institute.

WaterTech is then able to supply standard test benches as well as special benches for hot water, accelerated wear tests, pressure tightness tests, or other special needs of operators.

Field verification devices

Field verification devices – also known as test boxes – are portable instruments to verify water meters that have already been installed. With these tools, utilities can decrease the level of utility disputes by resolving any disagreements with end customers.

If an end user disputes the proper functioning of the meter installed at his or her home, it is the duty of the water distributor to submit that meter for verification by a certified laboratory. If the party in charge of the inspection (i.e. the certified laboratory) then finds an actual anomaly in the meter, the inspection activity is – from an economic point of view – fully borne by the water operator, and the end user may be entitled to receive a reversal of undue bills.

If, on the other hand, downstream of the verification it turns out that the meter has no malfunction and was measuring correctly, then all charges related to the testing activity are to be borne by the disputing end user.

In addition to this, the customer is of course also liable to pay the disputed bill.

Test boxes are a useful aid for the utility to peacefully resolve the dispute with the utility, preventing the end customer from making the mistake of contesting a perfectly good meter and ending up having to bear the full burden of verification.

Field verification devices allow an initial check of the metrological accuracy of the meter. Although they lack the accuracy of laboratory test stands, these instruments serve as the first real assessment of whether the meter is functioning properly. The end customer, given this initial verification, can make a more informed decision as to whether it is indeed appropriate to proceed with the challenge (in case the test box shows critical issues) or to desist because the meter appears to be functioning correctly.

Therefore, it is a tool that significantly helps reduce litigation between water distributors and end customers, ensuring fairness in transactions.

Test boxes are used exclusively for functional verification of the meter. Metrological verification of the meter with such devices is not possible. The latter requires a proper laboratory test bench.

WaterTech verification devices consist of a box containing a sample meter (which can be mechanical turbine, mechanical piston, or static electronic ultrasonic), of high precision, sensitivity, and repeatability, calibrated particularly accurately and equipped with a pulse output.

The pulse lead is connected to a display totalizer (fully resettable) that allows direct display of the liters flowing into the meter, avoiding possible reading errors.