There’s a new partnership on the horizon: Subeca’s plug-and-play LoRaWAN solution enables Tejon-Castac Water District (TCWD) to have access to an open network using AWS IoT Core for LoRaWAN in just minutes.

For TCWD, this means that they are able to activate a genius meter register, providing them with remote water consumption data that helps inform decisions about consumers and water consumption management.

What Is Smart Water Metering?

Smart water metering is a way for water suppliers and consumers to access and measure water usage with increased frequency. It helps save money by providing accurate readings, reducing water waste, and preventing leak loss and potential property damage.

Smart meters also help the environment by reducing the number of meter reading and customer service vehicles on the road, as well as reducing power demand for pumping and treating water, and wastewater processing.

Communities Need Smart Water Metering

Many water suppliers still use archaic analog or radio read meters that drive other operational costs such as labor and unnecessary vehicle trips. Further, by only capturing data once per month, leaks, defective meters or registers, or other end-user problems go undetected. This can lead to inaccurate readings with associated revenue loss, high bills from water waste or leaks, and unaccounted for water when meters or registers fail.

Smart metering helps address these issues by providing accurate, frequent data and more efficient distribution of water resources. Smart meters, accompanied by desktop and smart device app interfaces, empower end users to become partners with suppliers in managing and conserving water. There has never been a time when everyone needs to help manage water use like now.

Why Tejon-Castac Chose to Partner with Subeca

The Problem

The Tejon-Castac Water District (TCWD), located in California’s Kern County, needed an efficient water metering system to reduce pressure on limited staffing for meter reading and billing purposes.

The Need

Moreover, TCWD is expecting significant growth in the region. They needed a smart, scalable option that would both accommodate growth as well as future investment in additional “Internet of Things” (IoT) smart technologies for the water system and consumers.

Subeca’s Solution

After reading about Subeca’s innovative approach to meter conversions and networking capability, TCWD chose to partner with Subeca. Subeca offered both an open LoRaWAN (LongRange) network and retrofit technology that ensures TCWD can buy any meter brand they want in the future..

Subeca offered the best solution for their needs of today and into the future. The Subeca ability to offer ease of installation without disruption of water services, the need to change meter readings, scalability of the network to meet their growth plans, and cost-effectiveness of ownership gave TCWD the confidence to choose the leader in the field.

How Subeca’s LoRaWan Technology Helps Communities Obtain Affordable Smart Meters

LoRaWAN is a low-power, long-range network that can accommodate IoT devices of many kinds—beginning with Subeca’s genius PIN retrofit meter register. This technology is a very cost-effective network for smart metering and IoT applications, which helps communities save money by providing them with an affordable and effective solution.

Subeca is currently the only AMI (advanced meter infrastructure) that utilizes an open network approach that provides maximum utility for the water supplier. Additionally, Subeca’s smart registers utilize AWS IoT Core for LoRaWAN. AWS IoT Core brings numerous benefits to users that include low cost of data transmission and some of the best security in the business.

Subeca’s technology ensures that TCWD can have access to accurate readings for their water consumption management and help them save money on operational costs. Additionally, Subeca’s smart meters help protect the environment by providing users with the tools to conserve water and reduce “surprise” bills from undetected waste.

What Are the Customer Benefits?

With an open, scalable network in place, consumers can directly purchase, or be provided with rebates to purchase LoRa-compatible IoT devices that will help them manage water through the same platform they see their meter activity on.

Whether a smart irrigation controller, a moisture sensor, or even a Subeca ACT™ automated valve to stop leaks from anywhere, consumer empowerment is the missing link in true conservation efforts.

What the Future Holds for Water Consumption Management

The partnership between TCWD and Subeca is a great example of how cost-effective, long-range, open and scalable networks are part of the future for smart metering and water management IoT.

Amazon Sidewalk

What is also on the horizon is another innovation for smart metering that will address TCWD growth projections in difficult areas for networks such as mountainous regions. Subeca and Amazon Sidewalk will be beta testing a brand new approach to meter network access through 2023.

Sidewalk provides a nearly free network option that is already deployed in over 90 percent of the nation’s populated regions—and Subeca is tapping in! Keep an eye on this industry-disrupting technology partnership and beta test by signing up to receive the Subeca newsletter at www.subeca.com/newsletter.

Transform Your Water Management with Subeca

Subeca is revolutionizing how communities access and measure their water consumption data. Our cost-effective LoRaWAN network—and future Amazon sidewalk connectivity—can help you save money while simultaneously protecting our water resources.

With our innovative technologies, we’re transforming the way water management is done—no one else in our industry has created an open environment that allows agencies and customers to benefit from the same network.

If you are interested in learning more about how Subeca can help your community, don’t hesitate to schedule a demo today or email: info@subeca.com!

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