Schneider Electric has announced the availability of its 6500W + IMT65W battery-powered electromagnetic water meter, the Trio J-Series industrial Ethernet radios, and SCADAPack 474i Smart RTU. These are all intelligent technologies that provide the water and wastewater industry with greater accuracy, visibility and resilience.
“Water scarcity is one of the most urgent and complex challenges facing the world today. Here, smart technologies can help utilities and municipalities manage this resource more effectively,” says Kobus Vermeulen, direct sales executive for process automation at Schneider Electric. “Our solutions are built to optimise network performance, reduce non-revenue water, and enable remote monitoring even in the most challenging environments.”
Looking at the solutions, water utilities are tasked with managing remote or off-grid assets where traditional metering is often impractical due to power constraints. The 6500W + IMT65W addresses this with long-life battery-powered operation, making it an ideal solution for remote district metering areas, underground installations, or areas with intermittent infrastructure.
Similarly, the Trio J-Series (JR900 and JR240) overcomes remote area issues by delivering long-distance, high-speed, secure wireless communication without the need for fibre or copper infrastructure. This is particularly critical for real-time telemetry in wide-area water distribution networks, pump station automation, and reservoir monitoring where latency and downtime can lead to costly inefficiencies or water loss.
Lastly, the SCADAPack 474i combines remote monitoring with onsite intelligence to enable real-time decision making, bringing edge computing to the water sector and allowing operators to automate processes such as pump control, pressure balancing, and alarm management, even when connectivity is limited.
The 6500W + IMT65W battery-powered electromagnetic water meter is designed for power flexibility. It supports battery operation with up to ten years of life, an optional mains supply with battery backup and compatibility with renewable energy sources. Integrated pressure and temperature sensors are built in for leak monitoring and improved network efficiency, while an innovative rectangular bore flow tube enhances the signal-to-noise ratio and accuracy, requiring zero inlet or outlet lengths. Data communication is handled via RS485 Modbus RTU protocol, supporting low-power operation in battery mode and high-frequency polling for powered installations. High accuracy is assured, with certification to OIML R49 and MID Annex III (MI-001), and full bi-directional measurement capability. Typical application areas include district metering, revenue metering, leak detection, irrigation and dewatering, and comprehensive water distribution management.
The Trio J-Series Ethernet radios, comprising the JR900 and JR240, deliver robust and secure wireless communications for industrial networks. Dual Ethernet ports provide autosensing 10/100 Mbps links, while SmartPath, LinkXtend and KwikStream technologies enable advanced network recovery and repeater functionality. The JR900 operates within the 915 MHz licence-free frequency band, and the JR240 can be configured for use in the 2,4 GHz licence-free band. A built-in Modbus gateway ensures seamless integration with legacy systems. Engineered for harsh conditions, the radios operate reliably in extreme environments and carry Class 1, Div 2, and ATEX certifications. Secure management is enabled through embedded tools for remote configuration and diagnostics, with trusted access control. These radios are ideally suited to remote pump stations, reservoir monitoring, and network telemetry installations where cabling is cost prohibitive.
The SCADAPack 474i Smart RTU extends intelligence to the network edge, supporting real-time applications in Node-RED, Python or C/C++. Its protocol versatility includes compatibility with Modbus, DNP3, MQTT, OPC UA, and IEC 60870-5-104, ensuring seamless integration across diverse control architectures. RemoteConnect software centralises configuration, logic development and diagnostics, simplifying deployment and lifecycle management. Cybersecurity is integral, with role-based access and secure authentication designed for critical infrastructure protection. Built for extreme conditions, the unit operates from -40 to 70°C, and is certified for hazardous locations. Application areas include remote well field automation, water treatment and distribution network monitoring, and real-time infrastructure health diagnostics.
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