Itron to Help Decrease Non-Revenue Water and Improve Water Access in Burundi

LIBERTY LAKE, Wash. — Jan. 30, 2018 — Itron, Inc. (NASDAQ: ITRI), a world-leading technology and services company dedicated to the resourceful use of energy and water, is working with REGIDESO (Régie De Production et Distribution d’Eau et d’Electricité) for the Republic of Burundi in Africa. The utility will use Itron’s residential and commercial & industrial (C&I) water metering automation solutions, as well as software-as-a-service (SaaS) for analytics and meter data management, to decrease the non-revenue water levels in Burundi’s capital city of Bujumbura.

Improving access to clean water is a constant concern of the Burundian authorities. The utility chose to collaborate with Itron to address water losses within its water supply network and develop a program to decrease non-revenue water. This will allow the utility to improve access to potable water while also increasing its revenue. With Itron’s water metering automation solution, the utility can better account for water usage and limit waste using detailed meter data to detect leaks, monitor system performance and improve water efficiency. With more accurate meters, the utility can also better track water usage to ensure resources are being used efficiently.

REGIDESO will use Itron’s advanced data collection and data management to streamline meter reading, and collect and process advanced data to generate insights from across the utility’s distribution network in Bujumbura. It will also take advantage of Itron’s SaaS offering, which combines data into a single high-performance, secure repository that can be accessed anywhere using a web browser.

“Water is a precious resource in Burundi as we face challenges with water shortages and access to clean drinking water. With the help of Itron’s technology, we can ensure that treated water is not lost during delivery. This is a critical step in improving water access in Bujumbura,” said Laurent Mbonihankuy, assistant of minister of energy, during the official kick-off of the project. “This project will improve the efficiency of the drinking water supply while reducing progressively water losses and shortening the period of water shortages. At the same time, the quality of the customer service will increase. Itron will deploy smart metering and mobile data collection, which will shorten the billing cycle and improve revenue protection.”

“At Itron, we are dedicated to the resourceful use of energy and water. We have extensive experience helping utilities in Africa address non-revenue water and conserve precious water resources. It is our privilege to help the REGIDESO in Burundi better manage the delivery and use of water,” said Mathias Martin, Itron’s vice president of non-revenue water solutions. “With our water metering automation solutions, the utility can better account for water usage and reduce non-revenue water. This is a great example of how we are working with our customers to create a more resourceful world.”