TALLASSEE, ALABAMA [September 6, 2006] – The Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority has reached an agreement with Neptune and Neptune’s distributor, Sunstate Meter & Supply, Inc., to use Neptune’s ARB® Utility Management Systems™ to read its 44,000 meters. All meters in the Florida Keys, the 130-mile-long chain of islands stretching from Florida City to Key West, will be replaced or retrofitted with Neptune’s T-10 meters and pit version E-Coder®)R900i™ registers. Data from the meters will be read with a combination of Neptune’s mobile, handheld and fixed network data collectors.
The first phase will begin with the replacement/retrofitting of approximately 23,000 meters in Ocean Reef and Key West.
According to Carl Brewster, Director of Information Technology, Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority, “We feel very confident with the team and product selected for this project, and anticipate seeing more detailed, accurate, and timely information. We believe this effort will allow us to be more responsive to our customers. This project will also allow us to address such difficult issues as staffing and vehicle expenses.”
“The Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority has a unique mixture of traditional and hard-to-read settings for its meters,” said Chuck DiLaura, President of Neptune Technology Group. “The Authority’s decision to implement Neptune technology speaks highly of our ability to customize our system to meet a variety of needs for our customers.”
Monthly data collection for the Authority will be accomplished using mobile data collectors where possible, CE-based handhelds with RF receivers in areas requiring on-site data collection, and targeted fixed network data collectors in select settings.
Thielsch Engineering Water Management Services will provide all installation and retrofit services.
About the Companies:
The Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority was created in 1937 by special legislation of the State of Florida. The FKAA is the sole provider of potable water for all of the residents of the Florida Keys and presently serves over 44,000 customers within Monroe County. Potable water is transported to the Keys through a 130-mile transmission pipeline, with an additional 649 miles of distribution pipelines that deliver water to the customer's property.
Neptune Technology Group Inc., a pioneer in the development of Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) technology for nearly 40 years, is a leading provider of data collection systems under contract to read more than 46 million meters per month. Since 1892 Neptune has continually focused on the evolving needs of utilities — revenue optimization, operational efficiencies, and improved customer service. Neptune continues to broaden its focus beyond automatic meter reading and metering to include service orders and meter asset management and to extend this capability to electric and gas utilities. In 2003, Neptune acquired DB Microware, a developer of utility automation software for meter reading, service order management, and route optimization. Neptune provides utility automation software touching over 58 million connected customers throughout North America. For additional information, visit the company website at www.neptunetg.com.