CONNECTIONS

SPRING 2018

Our customers come first. Always have. Always will. We’ve made it our mission to anticipate the specific needs of utilities for the business of water. In keeping with this mission, our new logo represents our promise to continue delivering innovative solutions. Our new colors represent our commitment to the water industry and our passion for serving water utilities.

Along with our new brand, we’re launching exciting new innovations and water industry firsts to support tomorrow’s smart city initiatives. We are still the group that has led the way for decades with technology to help you solve problems. A strong customer focus is in our DNA, and is the core of our Brand Promise to support you in being:

A Purposeful Utility - Technical solutions are designed with a clear purpose, to respond to – and anticipate – the needs of the water utility. Neptune technology focuses directly on ideas that most effectively resolve challenges felt by our customers in their daily work life.

An Adaptive Utility - Our design and engineering processes allow utilities to adapt quickly to ever-evolving technologies while leveraging existing assets to accomplish unique business goals.

A Connected Utility - How well technology, data, and systems serve our customers is the true measure of our success. The connected age requires well-thought-out, ready-to-use tools to share information, linking utilities to solutions, departments, consumers, and partners.

A Responsible Utility - Together, we are stewards of a life-sustaining resource – water. Neptune is committed to help protect water quality in every community we serve and partner in the education of the value of water.

As your most valued partner in water measurement tools, technology, and connectivity we’ll connect you to what’s next in water. We can’t wait to tell you more when we see you in Vegas for ACE18!

–        Don Deemer, President, Neptune Technology Group Inc.

ACE18 is coming up fast. Connect with us in Vegas June 11-14, at Booth #17043. Innovation designed for the business of water will be on display! Learn how you can win your day with solutions for Smart Cities, Future Compatibility, Non-Revenue Water, Customer Service, IT Resources, Data Management, and AMI Networks.

You’ll also see spotlights on new innovation:

Neptune is committed to continually anticipating the needs of the water utility. As part of that commitment, we’re proud to introduce our R900™ Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) technology, the water industry’s first LoRa Alliance™ certified solution for AMI water networks. With an R900 NaaS solution utilities can get back to the business of water by eliminating system infrastructure maintenance. They can also build a fixed network while maintaining backup mobile reading capability, moving from an open smart water network to the smart city of tomorrow.

This year also marks the debut of Neptune^® 360^™, a data management platform delivered as a service. Using this new cloud-based software system, a water utility can lift its information technology (IT) burden and put data into action. No installation is necessary. Your utility can increase efficiencies without being encumbered with IT concerns, freeing personnel to focus on more profitable tasks.

Let us share more about how Neptune innovation can help you win your day. Visit us at ACE18 at Booth #17043!

Leverage Your Smart Water Network for the City of Tomorrow

Technology is changing rapidly and cities are feeling the pressure to keep up. What was revolutionary or “smart” a few years ago now takes place daily. With the Internet of Things (IoT) here to stay, city decision makers don’t have the option of sitting still and waiting for tomorrow. On the other hand, they’re looking for ways to optimize current and future technology investments, without having to worry about them being obsolete in a year or two.

There is a smart way forward. Many water utilities are already smart, having long used high-resolution metering technology pioneered by Neptune^® – innovation that has set new expectations and standards. These utilities have been gathering actionable data far beyond a meter reading and monthly bill, building on existing investments for a smart water network. By not having to replace technology and infrastructure, they can move forward with confidence, knowing their solutions are tailored to grow with them as their needs change.

For example, water utilities can build on the smart water technology they already have using Neptune’s R900™ Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) technology, the first LoRa Alliance™ certified solution for water AMI networks. It not only eliminates the costs, frustrations, and maintenance of deploying AMI network infrastructure. It also enables a seamless transition from mobile to fixed network data collection.

“The AMI functionality in the Neptune R900 operates seamlessly with the Neptune mobile technology we have deployed in our system,” said Jason Jay, Programs Manager for Columbus (Georgia) Water Works. “We are excited about this easy migration path to a high performance AMI system that Neptune is providing us.”

The same open communication infrastructure can also accommodate data from other smart city sensors. This can include water pressure and leak monitors to help prevent catastrophic main breaks, as well as non-water sensors such as traffic signals and street lamps.

Municipal water utilities can leave server procurement and maintenance behind and lift their IT burden. Cloud-based Neptune^® 360™ data management platform delivered as a service is designed to be user-friendly and intuitive. The software empowers utilities to analyze reams of data faster for more proactive, decisive actions. Customer service representatives can share information about water consumption or possible leaks with consumers in seconds, heading off high bill complaints.

“Neptune’s R900 technology is designed to provide us with the meter data we require to effectively manage our system without having to install or maintain the network, allowing our people to focus on their day to day critical functions,” said Kevin Mascaro, Director of Finance for Western Municipal Water District in Riverside, California. 

Neptune is committed to continuing to help water utilities and municipalities make the most of their data for a smarter, more connected city. That includes your utility and city. We’ll work with you to tailor solutions for your unique needs. It’s time to connect to what’s next with Neptune.

Ash Goel and Ami Parikh were coaching their son and five other fifth-to-seventh-graders for a First LEGO League (FLL) contest in 2017. To meet its hydrodynamics research challenge, the students “would have to come up with a real-world, unique solution for water,” said Goel.

The team visited the Greater Cincinnati Water Works (GCWW) and learned about water treatment and distribution as well as its meters, reading and billing processes. Seeing the importance of leak detection from the utility side, Parikh and Goel noted that they utilized an electric smart app providing homeowners detailed electricity consumption data – and that a similar app for water would be equally useful.

After conducting a survey of 139 households to gauge leaks and consumption awareness, the team researched automated metering. The students identified an opportunity to assist consumers by providing near real-time information.

After connecting with Neptune^®, the team had an E-CODER^®)R900i™ encoder register/RF MIU installed at Goel and Parikh’s residence. They then used an R900® Belt Clip Transceiver and the NGO™ app to extract up to 96 days of consumption activity directly from the meter. The results of the first test showed a massive increase in water use beginning just 30 minutes before, when a frozen pipe had burst. With the leak identified on-screen, Goel and Parikh were able to have the water to their home turned off before it incurred major damage or expense. Weeks later, the same technology detected a second leak of 400 gallons per hour for two straight days. Further investigation revealed a basement toilet as the culprit.

With these results in mind, the students brainstormed an idea for a self-directed smartphone app, LimitLeaks. The app would assist homeowners in tracking their water consumption while enabling them to tailor alerts based on usage thresholds. Taking the real-world metering data they collected, the students designed a mockup of the app and presented sample screens at the FLL competition, including a feature to proactively notify homeowners of any water consumption measured while they were away.

Although the team did not advance to the next level of competition, Goel sees a bright future for the students’ efforts. “This app could help a lot of customers out there. We wouldn’t have been able to develop it without the help and accurate data we got from Neptune.”