How ITRI's AMI Essentials is Driving Tucson's Water Conservation

Core Insights - Itron, Inc. (ITRI) has deployed its Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Essentials for water in Tucson, Arizona, aimed at modernizing the city's water infrastructure and supporting long-term sustainability goals [1][9] - The AMI Essentials solution includes 250,000 smart water communication modules, cellular Network-as-a-Service (NaaS), and the Temetra meter data management system, enhancing operational efficiency and community engagement [2][9] Technology and Implementation - The AMI Essentials for water is tailored for small- and medium-sized water utilities, providing a comprehensive solution that integrates smart meters, advanced connectivity, and data management tools [2] - Tucson's water supply challenges, particularly its reliance on Colorado River water, are addressed through the One Water 2100 Plan, which emphasizes water resiliency and sustainability [3] - The system allows for real-time data collection, enabling Tucson Water to detect leaks quickly and provide consumers with access to their usage data, thereby promoting water conservation [4][9] Operational Benefits - Automated data collection eliminates the need for manual meter readings, resulting in significant time and resource savings [5] - The deployment of Itron Cellular 500W modules will convert existing meters into smart meters, capturing and transmitting consumption data every 15 minutes [6] - Temetra, the cloud-based meter data management platform, will unify readings from various meter types and provide insights into water usage and non-revenue water loss [7] Market Challenges - Itron faces margin pressure due to increasing competition in the AMI sector, particularly in North America, which may lead to lower meter prices [8] - In Europe, the presence of numerous service providers offering complete deployments poses a challenge for Itron to maintain a pricing premium as a comprehensive solution provider [8]