With just 4,200 service connections and a lean staff of ten—including only two field technicians—the City of Sandy, Oregon has transformed its water management approach through strategic technology investments. Facing limited local water treatment capacity that necessitates the purchase of supplemental water, Sandy’s leadership recognized that reducing water loss wasn’t just environmentally responsible—it was financially essential.

Creating a Digital Foundation with Advanced Metering

Water Supervisor Joe Johanesen operates on a simple principle: “You can’t manage what you can’t measure.” This philosophy drove Sandy’s initial investment in Mueller Solid State Registers with a comprehensive AMI network supported by five collectors and six repeaters.

Johanesen, said “Prior to installing the AMI system, meter reading was a very manual process, and it cost the city $3,000 a month for a meter reader just to read half the service area. The AMI installation has saved the City money, and those savings have gone back into the program to help absorb network and maintenance costs.”

It has also given the city the ability to get daily, or on-demand, meter reads as opposed to only once a month. And with the contouring topography of Sandy’s service area, utility staff can accurately read meters remotely in hard-to-read areas.

To help keep an eye on complete system usage, the City can also set water use limits for certain connections such as businesses with high water usage and nearby water districts that the city wholesales water to.

Building a Comprehensive Water Loss Strategy

In 2024, Sandy expanded its smart city initiative by implementing a systematic approach to water management that would identify leaks, optimize pressure, and quantify both problems and solutions.

Diagnostic Phase: Establishing the Baseline

The city strategically isolated a pressure zone and deployed a combination of technologies:

• Insertion meters in Singer® PRVs
• i2O® pressure loggers
• AMI consumption data

This integrated approach revealed approximately 33% water loss in the test pressure zone—a significant opportunity for improvement. The deployment of EchoShore®-DX acoustic leak monitoring technology quickly identified a previously undetected 7-gallon-per-minute leak that accounted for roughly 15% of the water loss in that district metered area (DMA).

The EchoShore-DX technology incorporates the use of acoustic monitors, which are installed in fire hydrant caps throughout the system. The sensors then record data, listening for sounds of potential leaks. That data is then uploaded to the Sentryx™ Water Intelligence platform, a cloud-based program where it can be analyzed by utility staff to identify points of interest. The sensors can identify even faint acoustical noises emitted by leaks before they become detectable by conventional methods.

Precision Detection and Rapid Response

With baseline data established, Sandy expanded its acoustic monitoring network. “The sensor nodes are super simple to install and deploy,” Johanesen explains. “The technology identifies the exact leak location, making excavation and repair much easier and less costly.”

The precision of this approach delivered impressive results. Repairing the identified 7.85-gallon-per-minute leak saved over 4 million gallons annually—water that would have otherwise seeped into the ground undetected—representing approximately $33,000 in recovered revenue.

A particularly valuable feature is the system’s history tracker, which automatically checks for correlations at locations with leak history. “We’re looking for the unknowns,” Johanesen explains, “like a hole in copper or poly line, or a water main crack that hasn’t surfaced yet—perhaps it’s just a bell joint leaking slightly.”

Smart Pressure Management: The Final Piece

Sandy’s comprehensive approach extended to pressure optimization in critical zones. In Zone 4, the city installed five i2O pressure loggers at various elevations to monitor pressure reduction efforts throughout the DMA. i2O’s dedicated patent-protected pilot valve and system control algorithms are designed to optimize network pressure without triggering burst-causing transients to the network.

Two Singer pressure control valves with built-in insertion meters—a 6-inch and 10-inch S106-PG Single Rolling Diaphragm Valve w—were installed to feed the pressure zone from separate entry points. This redundant setup allows pressure adjustments from either location, including remote control capability.
“Having EchoShore listening for leaks while simultaneously controlling pressure is incredibly beneficial,” Johanesen notes. “We maintain sufficient pressure during peak demand but can reduce it overnight, lessening stress on pipes and minimizing water loss. Or, during those low demand periods, even if there are active leaks, you can still keep the pressure low to lessen the loss.”

This smart pressure management reduced water loss by an additional 11 gallons per minute, helping decrease the city’s overall water loss. Johanesen estimates that non-revenue water (NRW) loss has reduced from about 22% down to about 18-19% just from the one DMA being addressed.

From Data Overload to Actionable Intelligence

Despite the wealth of data now available, Sandy’s small team hasn’t been overwhelmed. The city typically receives about 20 alerts daily. Johanesen explains that with the new data from the loggers and leak monitoring, half of the alerts are usually eliminated immediately because staff already know the reason for the alert, or now have an understanding of the flow in those areas that may cause an alert. He added that it usually comes down to just a few alerts that may need a truck dispatched to investigate.

“For our small team, using technology to pre-screen issues saves tremendous time,” he says. “Instead of driving around and checking every yard, we only visit locations that truly need attention.”

One staff member now reviews all alerts—whether for leaks, tampering, or no-flow conditions—and dispatches field technicians only when necessary. This targeted approach has proven highly efficient for the small team.

Proven Results Leading to Expanded Implementation

Sandy’s technology investments have delivered measurable returns that convinced both staff and leadership of their value. “We proved to ourselves and our director that these are legitimate, effective solutions,” Johanesen says. “Our department can now begin including more technology in the budget to address additional pressure zones.”

Despite its small size, Sandy has achieved impressive results by combining complementary technologies into a comprehensive water management system. The approach has reduced water loss, decreased system pressure, lowered electrical pumping costs, and minimized infrastructure wear and tear—all while keeping rates affordable for customers.

The Sandy model demonstrates that with the right technological approach, even small utilities with limited staff can achieve substantial improvements in water conservation, operational efficiency, and financial performance.

SINGER ROLLING DIAPHRAGM CONTROL VALVE

The City of Sandy, Oregon upgraded its infraContstructure with 6 and 10-in. S106-PG Single Rolling Diaphragm Valves, known for their versatility in pressure, flow, and level control applications. These hydraulically operated valves offer precise pressure control from maximum to virtually zero flow without requiring low-flow bypass valves. Their compact design, thanks to a constant effective area of the rolling diaphragm, results in a smaller and lighter bonnet compared to flat diaphragm versions. Furthermore, the rolling diaphragm design prevents seat chatter at low flows, eliminating small pressure pulses that could lead to increased leakage, losses, or pipe bursts over time. Additionally, an anti-cavitation option is available for high-pressure drop situations to limit damage to valve components.

The Singer Rolling Diaphragm Valves can be modified to pair with an approved insertion flow meter, an automatic pilot valve, and a pressure control logger. This combination of precision valving and IoT devices can provide the utility with a wide range of data, including zoned pressure automation, instantaneous flow and consumption.

*Singer is now certified as Build America, Buy America (BABA) compliant. With BABA certification, every Singer product purchased supports American manufacturing and infrastructure development.

6 BENEFITS OF PRESSURE MANAGEMENT

Pressure management in water distribution systems is crucial – it helps to minimize water loss due to leakages and reduces transients that wears down infrastructure and can cause water contamination. By using smart technology like pressure sensors and variable speed drives, waterworks can achieve a more reliable and sustainable water supply. The benefits of a good pressure management plan can include:

Reduce bursts and customer interruptions by 40% on average. Implementing advanced pressure management systems can significantly diminish the frequency of pipeline bursts, thereby reducing service interruptions to customers by up to 40%, enhancing system reliability and customer trust.

Reduce water loss by 20% on average. By using advanced algorithms to refine pressure levels across the water distribution network, leakage and system stress can be minimized, and can cut down water losses by approximately 20%, which contributes to greater water conservation for utilities.

Optimize pressure in the network 24/7/365. Continuous real-time monitoring and dynamic adjustment of water pressure ensure optimal network performance every hour of the day, throughout the year, leading to improved efficiency and longevity of the infrastructure.

Reduced network transients to calm the network. Smoothing out transients, or sudden changes in water flow and pressure, helps to stabilize the network, reducing stress on pipes and equipment, and prolonging their operational lifespan.

Reduce energy and operational costs. Utilities are concerned about the efficient deployment of skilled personnel. Efficient pressure management not only prolongs the lifespan of water network components but also decreases the energy required for water distribution, resulting in significant reductions in both energy consumption and operational costs.

Improve customer service. By enhancing the stability and reliability of the water supply system, customers receive a better service with fewer disruptions, and more timely and effective responses to issues, thereby improving overall customer satisfaction.