Pinellas County leads the fight against water waste with FME

This story was made in collaboration with Safe Software partner Woolpert. 

Tackling the meter replacement challenge in Pinellas County

Pinellas County, Florida, is upgrading 115,000 outdated water meters with Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) to address water waste issues. This technology automatically captures usage data and transmits it remotely. The upgrades will eliminate the need for manual meter readings, reduce labour costs, and minimize data entry errors. However, one of the challenges of implementing AMI is retrofitting existing systems, which may involve attaching new devices to the current meters or replacing them entirely. Additionally, each meter upgrade requires complex data collection and processing procedures.

Streamlining the meter upgrade process

Pinellas County faced challenges processing data collected by Pedal Valves, Inc. (PVI), a contractor specializing in water meter installations and upgrades. PVI gathered detailed information on meter types, installation specifics, and locations, which needed to flow seamlessly into the County’s systems.

To overcome this, the county used FME to connect Cityworks and SAP utility billing systems. By automating and simplifying data integration, FME accelerated workflows, improved accuracy, and reduced manual effort, ensuring systems remained in sync.

Automated workflows with Woolpert

In collaboration with Safe Software partner Woolpert, the County developed automated workflows to manage data efficiently. Each night, data files and photos from PVI’s servers were downloaded via FTP using Windows Task Scheduler. After the download, the files were analyzed, and data was prepared for processing. Key details from each data record were utilized to create the appropriate work order types in Cityworks, link GIS assets, and update GIS layers and equipment information. As the work orders were generated, SAP customer accounts were promptly updated with the latest meter details, ensuring that the utility billing system remained accurate and up-to-date.

Maximizing system efficiency

The integration has allowed Pinellas County to maximize the use of its existing systems. Cityworks now generates work orders that contain detailed information, including meter details, connection points, radio devices, and site photographs. Real-time data is sent to a centralized database, enabling the County to provide accurate billing to customers and obtain immediate insights into water consumption patterns.

Delivering measurable results

So far, 40,000 meters have been upgraded, all powered by FME. This initiative has saved the County over 3,000 hours of manual data entry, significantly reducing the risk of errors and enhancing analytics capabilities. By adopting innovative tools like FME, Pinellas County is setting a new standard for smarter water management and making significant progress in the fight against water waste.