Water Science & Technology: Water Supply Vol 12 No 3 pp 270–280 © IWA Publishing 2012 doi:10.2166/ws.2011.116

MCP methodology for intelligent water metering (IWM): assessment of low flow consumption

J. L. Solanas and M. R. Cussó

Uses at different flows, non-intended consumption or other reasons can cause significant low flow consumption with regard to nominal metering magnitudes. It is important to assess this situation because it could cause measuring and billing inaccuracies due to both non-revenue water and metering errors. MCP (multivariate case profiling) methodology summarizes IWM (intelligent water metering) information by means of categories and levels suited to distinguish different causes concurring on each individual case. We characterised a significant group of ‘Lowflow’ cases showing at the same reading period: ‘significant consumption at normal flows’ but ‘significant continuous consumption at flows lower than normal for intended uses’. We propose variables associated to the new MCP Lowflow category by analysing: (1) lowest intervals of the flow-volume histogram to assess ‘consumption at flows lower than normal’; (2) minimal mean flow in the volume-time histogram to assess ‘intended uses’. MCP yields Lowflow case classification tables, indexes and analytical tools applying those variables, the aim being to detect and assess such abnormal low flow consumptions for any case or group of cases.

Keywords: apparent losses; intelligent water metering; MCP methodology; metering inaccuracies; multivariate analysis; non-intended consumption

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