Clayton County Water Authority Expands its Deployment of an Advanced Leak Detection System from Itron

LIBERTY LAKE, Wash. — September 1, 2009 — Itron Inc. (NASDAQ: ITRI) announced today that Clayton County Water Authority (CCWA) is expanding its deployment of an advanced leak detection system from Itron. A water utility serving more than a quarter of a million people in Clayton County, Ga., CCWA will extend coverage of MLOG acoustic leak detecting technology into Jonesboro and Forest Park, Ga., as part of its comprehensive leak detection strategy.

With the additional 950 MLOG leak sensors, the Authority will be able to complete leak studies throughout the county in one month—a process that used to take six years. The proactive leak detection capabilities will build upon CCWA’s successes, having reduced non-revenue water losses by 37 percent—from 20 percent loss down to 12.5 percent loss—since initiating the leak detection program.

“We were very diligent in our research and it resulted in our purchase of a proven suite of products that work in concert, day in and day out, to pinpoint and curtail leaks,” said Jeff Jones, CCWA leak detection and repair foreman. “With Itron we felt we’d be able to cost-effectively reduce leakage and minimize associated costs and so far we’ve saved $4 in water production costs for each $1 expended.”

Installation of MLOG leak sensors began in 2008 with the deployment of 585 acoustic leak sensors. The MLOG sensors enable CCWA to regularly collect acoustic recordings that identify and localize leaks in their distribution system. In addition to MLOG units, the utility utilizes Itron DigiCorr digital correlators to accurately localize CCWA’s pipeline leaks, as well as Itron ZCorr digital correlating loggers to pinpoint the location of leaks during an overnight surveillance.

“Since deploying leak detection solutions from Itron, Clayton County Water Authority has recovered billions of gallons of water and recouped associated production costs,” says Thomas Butler, director of product marketing at Itron. “The savings realized by CCWA, and those expected by the expanded MLOG deployment, will delay utility plant expansions for years. Itron is proud of our partnership with Clayton County, increasing water sustainability in its region—a real benefit taking into account the serious drought conditions the area went through in 2007.”