PLANO, Texas — Sept. 11, 2014 — When San Antonio Water System (SAWS) began merging operations of Bexar Metropolitan Water District into its city-owned utility in 2012, efficiencies and improvements were critical to manage cost savings. One of the key factors was the purchase of a substantial number of ROADRUNNER™ Handhelds from Datamatic of Plano, Texas. SAWS selected Datamatic’s ROADRUNNERS to replace units from a competitive vendor.
SAWS is a city-owned public utility that has relied on Datamatic to help read and bill water usage for over 25 years. In January 2012, SAWS began integrating the 65-year-old service area of the former BexarMet territory after its ratepayers overwhelmingly voted for the merger in November 2011. Steps for integrating the former BexarMet’s approximately 80,000 meters and its meter reading operations took place immediately.
“The San Antonio Water System typically reads over 480,000 meters each month and we add another 8,000 to 10,000 accounts per year, and that’s before the merger with BexarMet” said Alan Williams, SAWS Director of Customer Service. “That means that we must aggressively optimize our people, pipes and technology to meet the rising demand in such a dry area of the country. To maximize our efficiency and minimize the transition for the larger number of former BexarMet customers, we chose to expand our Datamatic ROADRUNNER™ System. For us, it was a wise decision.”
The ROADRUNNER™ handheld is a powerful and versatile solution for utility meter reading. The unit can incorporate the latest optional technologies, including WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, a laser scanner and a camera. When combined with Datamatic’s RouteSTAR Meter Reading Software, meters can be read with handhelds, with mobile radio equipment or via fixed network AMI technology.
“Datamatic has earned a reputation for providing outstanding hardware and support that meet our clients’ expectations for reliable service,” said Phil Masters, Datamatic Chief Financial Officer. “The ROADRUNNER handhelds are consistently selected because of their versatility, ease-of-use and value. We look forward to helping SAWS complete their integration as they provide those living in the BexarMet area with world-class water services.”
About Datamatic, Inc.
Datamatic is a leader in utility meter reading automation. The company’s innovative ideas created an industry when it installed the first electronic meter reading system in 1980. For nearly over a quarter of a century, Datamatic has been at the forefront in the design, implementation and support of advanced utility meter reading and field data collection solutions for water, gas and electric utilities. Additional information about Datamatic for the media is available by calling Taylor Nelson at (214) 520-3430 or at www.datamatic.com.
