Consolidated Utility District (CUD) of Rutherford County has signed a contract with Itron, Inc. (NASDAQ: ITRI), an energy and water resource management company based in Liberty Lake, Washington. The $1.3 million agreement will improve metering capabilities for Rutherford County’s water distribution system. CUD will begin installation of Itron smart water communication modules throughout its 1,400 miles of water lines. CUD’s plan will phase out existing meter reading infrastructure as current equipment finishes its life cycle, in favor of the upgrade to Itron technology.

CUD will leverage Itron’s network to improve electronic connections with customers’ meters, monitor water loss, and change meter reading from a drive-by activity to an ongoing data feed. The solution provides software that will enable CUD to move toward advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) for access to near real-time data. The contract includes 13,000 water meter transponders that are compatible with all major brands of water meters and carry an expected battery life of 20 years.

“AMI helps us to locate 24-hour usage issues more quickly,” said William Dunnill, General Manager of CUD. “If there’s a leak at a residential or commercial address, we’ll be able to spot it, alert the customer, and take action faster. Itron can help us save our ratepayers money, and it helps us raise the bar for stewardship of water in Rutherford County.”

CUD is one of the fastest-growing utility districts in Tennessee with more than 60,000 accounts throughout its service territory. Itron’s solution will allow CUD to upgrade its existing water meters, which currently communicate with one-way automated meter reading modules. The upgrades will equip CUD to improve customer service, protect revenue, and better manage water resources with detailed usage information. The project will improve CUD’s water operations by providing a highly accurate, electronic picture of the overall distribution system including future leak sensors, shut off valves, and network capabilities.

“One benefit of this technology is that it saves wear and tear on our trucks,” said Wayland Broyles, Fleet Manager at CUD. “As we deploy Itron, we’ll be able to read meters directly from our office.”

“By collaborating with Itron, we will be able to improve our operations and ensure reliable delivery of water,” said William Dunnill, General Manager of CUD. “This solution will help us continue to meet our mission of excellence and innovation.”

“This collaboration is an excellent example of how utilities can take advantage of our smart devices to gain actionable insights into water use, distribution, leaks, and more,” said Sharelynn Moore, Senior Vice President of Networked Solutions at Itron. “We are excited to extend our work in Tennessee by modernizing water infrastructure to enable greater efficiency, reliability and value.”

About Itron

Itron enables utilities and cities to safely, securely and reliably deliver critical infrastructure services to communities in more than 100 countries. Our portfolio of smart networks, software, services, meters and sensors helps our customers better manage electricity, gas and water resources for the people they serve. By working with our customers, we help improve the quality of life, ensure safety, and promote the well-being of millions of people around the globe. Itron is creating a more resourceful world. Join us: www.itron.com.

About Consolidated Utility District

At Consolidated Utility District, our mission continues to be to provide safe drinking water for all residential, industrial, and governmental agencies, meeting and exceeding all federal and state standards at the lowest possible cost with high quality, efficiency, and integrity.