Leak Correction (Water & Wastes Digest)

Clayton was plagued with exceptionally high nonrevenue water rates in the 50% range. The city attributed the problem to leaks in its water system (parts of which have been in place since the 1920s), exasperated by high pressure levels needed to pump water to more than 3,200 service connections throughout Clayton’s mountainous terrain (located 2,200 ft above sea level). Furthermore, manual collection of meter readings across the city’s expansive service area was prone to human error and took as long as three weeks, making it virtually impossible to isolate leaks. The city turned to Cleveland, N.C.-based Mueller Systems, a subsidiary of Mueller Water Products Inc. Clayton’s Public Works Department decided to implement the company’s AMR system Hot Rod. Read More