1. Using AMI to Identify Leaks,
Inefficient Irrigation, and
Educate Customers
Stacie Hatfield
Revenue Operations Supervisor
City of Santa Rosa

2. 2

3. Our AMI System
• RNI (Sensus) - Regional Network
Interface
• MDM or SmartWorks Compass -
Meter Data Management system
• WaterSmart portal (Customer
Connect) – Customer portal
• CIS (Advanced) – Billing Software
• Hansen – Asset Management
Software

4. Getting More From Your AMI
System
• Water Waste – Leaks
• Customer Service/Education
• Emergencies

5. AMI and Leak Notifications
• Leak notifications process
• Internal Reporting
• Customer driven notifications

6. Internal Reporting
• Internal process
• Continuous use report worked by billing staff
• Collaboration between Billing and WUE
• Challenges
• Contacting customers
• Landlord/tenant relationship
• High volume issues

7. Internal Leak Alert Threshold
Customer Class Hours of Use Above Threshold Gallons Used Per Hour
Commercial 48 50
Industrial 72 100
Institutional 24 30
Multi-Family 48 80
Single Family 24 20

8. WUE creates warning
shutoff door tag and
Meter Techs leave at
property
WUE sends 1st water
waste letter and calls
(and emails if
available) customer
WUE sends 2nd water
waste letter and calls
(and emails, if
available) customer
WUE routes 3rd water
waste account holder
letter for Director’s
signature and calls
(and emails, if
available) customer
2 weeks
2
weeks
10
business
days
72 hours
prior to
shutoff
WUE sends example
shutoff door tag to
Billing for Meter Techs
to leave at property
after shutoff
Single Family Residential Water Waste Shutoff, Scenario Three
Meter Techs shut off
water at city curb stop
and lock meter
Collections marks
account as
Disconnected in CIS
WUE send email to
Fire and PED, and
letter to property
owner about
inoperable fire
sprinklers
If property has fire sprinklers
The section processing shutoff is to notify the WUE Supervisor, Revenue Operations Supervisors, Senior Customer Service Rep, Administrative Secretary, and Admin Support
Supervisor that shutoff is pending, and then again when shutoff is complete.
Internal Coordination
Process Use This process is to be used when the customer has been unresponsive to other Water Department contact attempts.
Notes All actions towards shutoff, including customer interactions will be noted in CIS under Notes tab.

9. Customer Driven Notifications
• WaterSmart Portal for customer access
• ~11% of service area has an account
• On 3/30/2023 there were 6353
• Alerts are “opt in”, and self-determined – low
participation

10. Single-Family Resident
Water Savings Success
• January 1, 2020 through April 4, 2023:
• 2,136 leaks detected (~500-700 per year)
• Average leak amount per hour = 49 gallons
• Average leak hours = 322 hours (13.4 days)
• Water saved = 2,184,000 gallons

11. Estimated Water Saved Example
Leak of 10
gallons per
hour starts on
May 1, 2021
Leak
notification
sent on May 5,
2021
Leak fixed on
May 10, 2021
Leaks are
usually fixed in
15 days. This
leak was fixed
in 10 days.
Water savings
is 15 days - 10
days = 5 days
of savings
24 hours * 5
days * 10
gallons/hour =
1,200 gallons
saved

12. Inefficient Irrigation
• Set parameters for continuous use
• For remainder of the year – set parameters
low and short – 30 GPH for 24 hours – to
find any leaks quickly
• For winter months - identify any irrigation
meters running at all
• Irrigation during the day

13. Daytime Irrigation
9
am

14. Residential Irrigation

15. Educating Customers
• Portal
• Radio, social media, videos
• Articles
• Digital advertisements
• Bill Inserts
• Events
• Information cards at every office
• Website

17. • Provide an incentive
• Get them to actively participate
Customer
Engagement

19. Hidden Benefits of AMI
• During times of emergency
• Water shortage/Drought
• COVID
• Wildfires

20. Questions
Stacie Hatfield
shatfield@srcity.org
707-543-3992