The Cost of Quality Exploring Why Quality Is Kamstrup’s Top Priority – And Why It Should Be Yours Too by Jake Piccioni, Kamstrup Part 1 Quality by Design INTRODUCTION A HISTORY OF COMPROMISE - AND THE NEED FOR CHANGE Quality starts with design. For decades, water utilities have operated in a challenging reality. Where meter failures, degrading performance and costly replacements have come to be expected. From mechanical meters with worn internal parts to static meters plagued by water intrusion and fragile components, the industry has treated quality as an afterthought rather than a foundation for far too long. Warranty replacement programs can help ease the sting of a failed meter. Still, they do not address the operational strain, including truck rolls, labor costs, lost data, and erosion of trust between utilities and vendors. Behind each failure is a design flaw—a compromise that passes unnoticed until it reaches the field. Quality issues affect meters of all types. Mechanical meters, for instance, suffer from accuracy degradation as moving parts wear down over time, with the greatest accuracy loss occurring at low flow rates. These meter inaccuracies lead to apparent losses and an increase in non-revenue water (NRW) for the utility, which in turn results in a loss of revenue. This loss of revenue often destabilizes rates as utilities are forced to increase rates to account for that loss of revenue. The inherent accuracy issues with mechanical meters have led many utilities to begin using static meters—both electromagnetic and ultrasonic. However, static meters are not immune from quality concerns, either. The internal electronic components of static meters often fail due to water ingress, typically due to potting that fails over time or transducers that are press-fit through the meter body, allowing a small point of entry for moisture that leads to failure over time. Additionally, these meters often rely on separate wired radio units that come with their own set of issues. Cable terminations on meters and communication devices are prone to failure over time, with penetrations in meter housings providing yet another potential point of water intrusion. These cables are also an easy target for tampering, with cables being cut or disconnected by consumers. At a cost between $20–$80 per cable, plus the aforementioned costs to the utility to replace or repair these components, the cost of these failures adds up quickly. All of these quality issues underscore the importance of choosing a more reliable, long-term solution that utilities can trust.
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