Indiana’s Silver Creek Water Corporation Takes Proactive Approach to Operations Using Xylem Technology

Each year, billions of gallons of water are needlessly lost, wasting resources and money. Southern Indiana’s Silver Creek Water Corporation uses smart water technology to avoid this problem and proactively prevent water loss.

The water corporation manages millions of gallons of water over hilly terrain for a population of 20,000 in Sellersburg. There is little room for error. That is why they continually strive for improvement by upgrading their distribution system with the latest available technologies.

In 2001, Silver Creek transitioned from manual metre reading to automated metre reading (AMR) before upgrading again in 2015 by deploying the Sensus FlexNet® communication network in conjunction with iPERL® residential water meters and Sensus Analytics. These changes allowed them to manage meters remotely to save time, money and human resources.

We created a more open line of communication with our customers through the use of Sensus Analytics. When questions arise, we simply open the application here in the office and pull up the dashboard that shows our customers exactly what their water usage looks like down to the gallons per minute.

Scott Ham, Silver Creek Water Corporation Manager

The technology upgrades allow Silver Creek’s meter specialists to read and assess 8,000+ metres in a matter of hours – a feat that previously took nearly two weeks.

“Time is money, safety and efficiency,” said Ham. “We are now able to scale back hundreds of hours of labour into about half a day’s work. And not only are we doing it faster, but the data that we are getting is more accurate than ever before.”

Constant access to data also gives Silver Creek the opportunity to perfect prompt leak detection and proactive customer service. Near-real-time notifications have already allowed them to address a water loss of nearly 500 gallons per hour before the residential customer even knew there was an issue.

Dedication to continuous improvement has enhanced Silver Creek’s operations. Their long-standing relationship with Sensus, a Xylem brand, has played a big part in that and will continue as upgrades are implemented. The service provider recently conducted a water-loss audit by pressure zone, followed by the implementation of ally® water metres to improve pressure management.

“Success is not created with a ten-point plan,” said Ham. “It’s a continuous road to improvement. Advancements are always possible. Sometimes you just need a little help from technology.”

About Xylem
Xylem (XYL) is a leading global water technology company committed to solving the world’s critical water, wastewater, and water-related challenges through technology, innovation, and expertise. Its more than 22,000 diverse employees delivered combined pro forma revenue of USD7.3 billion in 2022. Xylem is creating a more sustainable world by enabling its customers to optimize water and resource management and helping communities in more than 150 countries become water-secure.

About Sensus
Sensus, a Xylem brand, provides remotely-managed products and solutions that deliver the right data at the right time for investor-owned utilities, cooperatives, and municipalities. As part of Xylem’s digital portfolio, our smart devices connect with a variety of communication technologies to help customers make timely decisions that optimise electric, gas, and water systems.