South Elgin to Use ComEd Smart Grid to Read Water Meters

Village seeks enhanced service, conservation & cost savings

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The ComEd smart grid that has provided record levels of electric service and more control over energy use and costs will provide even more value for South Elgin, Ill., as it becomes one of the first communities in the region to use the smart meter infrastructure to enable smart water meters. The South Elgin Village Board of Trustees voted in favor of the plan on Monday.

“In addition to making service more reliable and resilient for families and businesses, ComEd’s smart grid network enables smart streetlights, smart water meters and other solutions that help conserve resources and enhance safety,” said ComEd President and COO Terence Donnelly. “By partnering with our communities, we’re delivering these additional benefits to residents and business owners without the burden and cost of building a redundant network.”

Water utilities can securely tap into ComEd’s system, which enables two-way communication over a fixed wireless network, to operate smart water meters without large capital outlays to build their own separate wireless infrastructure. Smart water meters create efficiencies including the ability to read water meters remotely, obtain hourly consumption data, perform remote connect/disconnect and leak detection.

“This is such a good step forward for everyone who pays a water bill in our community,” said South Elgin Village President Steve Ward. “With a glance at a computer or a smart phone, residents will know how much water they’re using at any point of the day, or if they have a leaking toilet or forgot to turn off a garden hose for a couple of days. It’s smart, and it can save money, too.”

The South Elgin Public Works Department will oversee the installation of approximately 8,000 smart water meters beginning this summer and concluding early next year. Cities throughout the world are realizing positive results by taking maximum advantage of their smart meter networks.

“Our project illustrates the power of a smart grid network that can support multiple applications,” Donnelly said. “We expect that other northern Illinois communities will soon follow South Elgin’s lead.”

ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ: EXC), a Fortune 100 energy company with approximately 10 million electricity and natural gas customers – the largest number of customers in the U.S. ComEd powers the lives of more than 4 million customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state’s population. For more information visit ComEd.com and connect with the company on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.