SOMAGEP-SA to Benefit from Itron Technology and Services to Improve
Water Efficiency
LIBERTY LAKE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Itron, Inc. (NASDAQ: ITRI), a world-leading technology and services
company dedicated to the resourceful use of energy and water, announced
today that it has signed a contract with the Malian Drinking Water
Supply Management Company (SOMAGEP-SA), water provider to 160,000
customers in Mali in Western Africa, to help the utility to improve its
water supply, save water and, ultimately, improve water access to more
people in the country. SOMAGEP-SA will use Itron's residential and
commercial & industrial (C&I) water metering automation and monitoring
solutions, including software-as-a-service (SaaS) for analytics and
meter data management, to decrease its non-revenue water levels.
Water scarcity is a major issue in Mali. SOMAGEP-SA chose to collaborate
with Itron to start tackling water losses on its water supply network
and develop a program to decrease non-revenue water. The first
implementation of Itron technology and services, a pilot project
targeting a dedicated district metered area (DMA) in Bamako, La Cité du
Niger, featured encouraging results in a short period of time.
SOMAGEP-SA was able to improve its network efficiency in the DMA by 14
percent, decreasing the amount of water lost every month by half. This
positive implementation initiated a new contract to deploy Itron
solutions in another larger DMA, where nearly 60,000 metering points are
managed.
With Itron's water metering automation solution, SOMAGEP-SA can better
account for water usage and limit waste using detailed meter data to
detect leaks, monitor system performance and improve water efficiency.
Also, with more accurate meters, the utility can better track water
usage to ensure resources are being used efficiently. By decreasing
wasted water, SOMAGEP-SA has the potential to increase water access to
more people.
SOMAGEP-SA will use mobile data collection for residential customers to
streamline meter reading and improve operational efficiency. For its
commercial customers, SOMAGEP-SA will use Itron's WaterMind®
C&I water monitoring solution, to remotely monitor the daily consumption
patterns of these customers and immediately detect events such as leaks,
meter blockages, backflow, excessive consumption or significant pressure
drop.
SOMAGEP-SA will also take advantage of Itron's SaaS offering, which
combines data into a single high-performance, secure repository that can
be accessed anywhere using a web browser. The utility will see a simple,
consistent interface with modules for customer support, billing, network
management and analytics, workforce management and customer portal.
"Mali is facing a fast growing urbanization and with it, a growing
challenge to effectively distribute water in the capital city of Bamako.
This is why SOMAGEP-SA turned to Itron to help us better manage the
delivery and use of water resources," said Boubacar Kane, CEO of
SOMAGEP-SA. "Ensuring that our water resources are used in the most
efficient manner is critical to us and our customers. We know that Itron
has the depth of experience and knowledge to help us meet our goal of
saving water and improving water access."
"At the core of Itron's mission is the desire to help utilities increase
access to clean drinking water around the world, which is why we are
proud to work with SOMAGEP-SA to improve water access in Mali. Itron's
water automation and monitoring solutions turn meter data into
intelligence that will help SOMAGEP-SA eliminate waste due to leaks and
protect precious water resources," said Mathias Martin, Itron vice
president of Non-Revenue Water solutions. "Working with customers like
SOMAGEP-SA brings us one step closer to creating a more resourceful
world."
About Itron
Itron is a world-leading technology and services company dedicated to
the resourceful use of energy and water. We provide comprehensive
solutions that measure, manage and analyze energy and water. Our broad
product portfolio includes electricity, gas, water and thermal energy
measurement devices and control technology; communications systems;
software; as well as managed and consulting services. With thousands of
employees supporting nearly 8,000 customers in more than 100 countries,
Itron applies knowledge and technology to better manage energy and water
resources. Together, we can create a more resourceful world. Join us: www.itron.com.
Itron® is a registered trademark of Itron, Inc.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160608005357/en/
Itron, Inc.
Sharelynn Moore, 509-891-3524
Vice
President, Global Marketing and Public Affairs
sharelynn.moore@itron.com
Source: Itron, Inc.
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