An experimental analysis on accuracy of customer water meters under various flow rates and water pressures

Abstract

Abstract Apparent losses are mainly due to metering errors in well-managed water supply systems. There are many types of water meters based on mechanisms to measure flow passing through. Therefore, selection of water meter type is important as meter type effects measurement accuracy. In this study, a total of 50 domestic water meters were tested under varying flow rates and different water pressures. Water consumptions of end-users show temporal changes depending on the life style of consumers. Flow rates passing through the water meter and water consumption profiles affect water meter accuracy. Water consumption of a couple of end-users was monitored and consumption patterns were extracted and obtained water consumption patterns were used to determine water meter errors. The collection method was applied for determination of water meter errors. Starting flow rates, error curves and weighted error of water meters were measured in a laboratory setup. Tested volumetric-type water meters have the lowest starting flow rate and the highest accuracy whereas single-jet water meters have the lowest accuracy and the highest starting flow rate. This study aimed to provide insights on the accuracy of water meters under varying flow rates and water pressures, and advantageous information for water meter-type selection.