DESIGNERS NOTEBOOK

Water-Meter Selection and Sizing

Timothy A. Smith, CPD A recent announcement from the Chicago Department of Water prompted me to think about an aspect of plumbing design that may be taken for granted. The news is that the City of Chicago will undertake the major expense of installing water meters in all houses in the city. Evidently, there are thousands of houses in Chicago that have never been metered. The residents have been charged for water usage, but the charge was based on an estimate rather than on actual use. Someone now has figured out that the initial water-meter installation cost will be offset by the additional revenue. The concern is that many engineers who design water systems connected to municipal water supply may take water-meter selection and sizing for granted. Regularly, municipal water purveyors dictate the type, size, and cost of the water meter to be used for buildings. This practice has become more prominent with the advent of remote meter reading and digital connectivity. It is very common for a municipality to read a water meter through the telephone system. This is easy to do, even with yesterdays technology. Many designers have become familiar with the size and type of water meter that the water purveyor provides for a certain building type. Therefore, they can establish the amount of pressure loss to apply to the pipe-distribution sizing calculations from the meter manufacturers pressure loss curves. What about installations where the plumbing contractor is required to provide the water meter based on the designers plans and specifications? A water meter typically is located at the water service entrance to a building. Therefore, it is the first device calculated into a water-distribution system design that inevitably results in having the proper flow and pressure at the farthest fixture in the building. Water meters have other applications in Figure 1. Descriptive Specifications for Four Types of Water Meters Disc Meter
A. Positive displacement type AWWA C700-02 and/or C710-02 (cast bronze body C700-02/ plastic body C710-02) 1. (Bronze) or (plastic) body constructed with a nutating disc or oscillating piston; flanged or threaded connections B. Application: Residential and small commercial buildings with flush tank toilets or small quantity of flush valves C. Commentary: Available in sizes 1/2-in. through 2-in.; 1/4-gpm minimum through 160-gpm peak flow; available with analog/digital remote reading capability; accurate low flow range; pressure loss increases with flow somewhat proportionally to the recording inaccuracies.

Turbine Meter
A. Turbine type, AWWA C701-02 1. Bronze body with rotating impeller (rotar) located within the measuring chamber mounted in the center of the flow; vortex reducing flow vanes; flanged connections B. Application: Commercial, process systems, large institutional, and facilities of potentially high usage and high flow rates C. Commentary: Available in sizes 2-in. through 20-in.; 2 1/2-gpm minimum through 19,000-gpm continuous; remote reading is available; small fluctuation in accuracy throughout entire flow range; inaccurate for flows less than 2 gpm.

Compound Meter
A. Combination type, AWWA C702-01 1. Bronze body with dual measuring chambers separated by a pressure/velocity-sensitive mechanism or plate; positive displacement chamber and turbine chamber combination; as pressure loss through positive displacement (low-flow) chamber increases, the mechanism or diverting plate shifts the flow to the turbine (high-flow) chamber; flanged connections B. Application: Commercial, institutional, places of assembly, and facilities with fluctuating usage and flow rates C. Commentary: Available in sizes 2-in. through 6-in.; 1/4-gpm minimum through 1,200-gpm peak flow; available with analog/digital remote reading capability; accurate low and high (peak) flow range; progressing pressure loss until mid-flow range when low-flow chamber diverts to the high-flow chamber with lower pressure drop; can experience quick pressure-loss spike when switching from low-flow to high-flow chambers.

Propeller Meter
A. Propeller type, AWWA C704-02 1. Iron or fabricated steel body and thermoplastic impeller with deep impeller vanes, curved and tapered (similar to a propeller) for reduced resistancy; mounted in open pipe with wafer or lug connections B. Application: Process or industrial facilities, well-pump discharge, pumping stations or sewage treatment plants where flow rates are very high and constant C. Commentary: Available in sizes 2-in. through 72-in.; 30-gpm minimum through 50,000-gpm continuous; unable to accurately register low and intermittent flows; broader band of inaccuracy; exceptional for high, continuous flow applications.

plumbing design, such as tenant secondary metering, control of the application rate in irrigation systems, measurement of water usage or loss for process or boiler systems, and control of the regeneration cycles for water softeners, to name just a few.

Sizing Is Critical
My last article, on tempered water systems, outlined the false concept of matching the mixing valves inlet sizes with the pipe sizes. The same principles apply to water-meter sizing, although the systems dynamics are

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DESIGNERS NOTEBOOK
supply by backflow or back siphonage. In addition to being uneconomical, oversized water meters typically do not accurately measure minimal flow rates. Larger meters are more expensive than smaller meters. Municipalities usually assess meter and tap fees according to size, so oversizing can become expensive for a buildings owner. When selecting and specifying a domestic water meter for a buildings service entrance, you must understand the buildings size, function, fixture types, usage occupancy, and peak population. These factors will allow you to determine the minimum and maximum flow rates and enable you to select the proper water meter, based on pressure loss, recording accuracy, and capability of accommodating the projected flow variations. The ASPE Data Books provide good resources for calculating the buildings water usage. Remember to always specify tapered fittings when reducing or increasing from the meter size to calculated pipe sizes. The alternative reducing/increasing method using pipe bushings can produce three to ten times the pressure loss of tapered fittings, depending on size.

more forgiving of an improperly sized water meter than an improperly sized three-way mixing valve. Remember, using the one-size, one-type-fits-all philosophy is really asking for trouble. Improperly sized water meters can affect the operation of the buildings water distribution system and plumbing fixtures, which also can affect the health of the buildings occupants. Undersized water meters can cause excessive pressure loss, reduced flow,

and noise. High-pressure losses through meters at peak flow rates can result in pressure surges, water hammering, and the inability to maintain proper residual pressure at the fixtures or equipment. High-pressure loss through a meter also corresponds with a high-flow velocity and thus results in more noise. Improperly sized meters can cause negative pressures in the piping system and lead to contamination of the potable water

Meter Types
The American Water Works Association (AWWA) has promulgated widely recognized and accepted standards for the construction of water meters. All water meters manufactured
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DESIGNERS NOTEBOOK
Figure 2. Typical Accuracy and Performance Graphs

Courtesy of Badger Meter, Inc.

for domestic water service use in the critical. Process applications may only United States are manufactured in require approximate flow recording. accordance with AWWA standards. Positive displacement meters are the best selection for small commercial or These standards set forth construction institutional facilities or residences. criteria, physical construction, internal They have excellent accuracy at low components, dimensions, and testing flows and, if sized properly, can accucriteria to help ensure uniformity rately measure the peak flow rates. across the industry. All water-meter Compound meters (see Figure 3) are manufacturers that meet the AWWA an excellent choice for large commerstandards can provide the test results cial or institutional facilities because for their products. The designer they have the ability to accurately should maintain a water meter prodaccommodate low flows and high uct binder with pressure-loss curves flows through their multiple-measurand accuracy graphs, produced in ing chamber design. Refer to Figure 2 accordance with AWWA standards for for performance curves for a typical each meter type and size. compound-type meter. Turbine and Figure 1 lists descriptive specificapropeller meters are tions for various types of better suited for continwater meters utilized for If the meter is uous, higher-flow applidomestic water applications. to be used for cations and are inaccuTable 1, Table 2, and billing purposes, rate at low flows. Table 3 are reprints from AWWA Standard M22, as Turbine and propeller accuracy reprinted in ASPE Data Book meters are not recomis critical. Volume 2, Chapter 5. These mended for commertables will provide additional cial, institutional, or resguidelines for selecting and idential buildings sizing water meters, but the manufacbecause the flow rates are constantly turers of water meters can supply test fluctuating and minimum flow rates curves of each meter type and size may be as low as 1/22 gpm. that better define actual performance After the meter type is selected, a and characteristics. See Figure 2 for size needs to be determined. The size typical performance and accuracy is established by comparing the minigraphs. mum and peak flow rates of the facility against the minimum and maximum Meter Selection flow capabilities of the meter size. The first step in selecting a meter is The flow rate will correspond to a to establish the purpose for metering pressure loss, which factors into the the service. If the meter is to be used pipe-sizing calculations. The greater for billing purposes, accuracy is 72 Plumbing Systems & Design Jul/Aug 2003

the pressure loss at the meter, the less pressure is available for the systems friction loss. Thus, larger pipe sizes are required downstream of the undersized meter. If a backflow preventer is required on the service (typically consuming 510 psi), it is necessary to be more conservative with the water-meter pressure-loss selection. It is recommended that the calculated peak flow rate for the facility not exceed 80% of the maximum capacity of the meter. This recommendation needs to be evaluated closely when low incoming residual pressures are prevalent or backflow preventers are required. It is not uncommon to design for a maximum of 23 psi pressure loss through the water meter where municipal water pressures are weak.

Strainers
Water meters have internal mechanical components that move with the flow of water, so it stands to reason that debris and sediment will have an adverse effect on the meters operation. It is recommended that an in-line strainer on the meters inlet be specified to collect debris and sediment and prevent them from entering the meter body. Strainers are available that are designed specifically for use in conjunction with water meters. These strainers are designed and engineered to provide low pressure losses. They also have removable screens and accessible covers to facilitate cleaning and maintenance. Strainer

DESIGNERS NOTEBOOK
Figure 3. Three Types of Water Meters

Compound Meter Disc Meter

Turbine Meter
Courtesy of Badger Meter, Inc.

maintenance is critical because a clogged or dirty strainer impedes flow and increases pressure losses.

Installation
The installer needs to strictly follow the manufacturers installation instructions. Improper installation may affect the meters operation, capability, and accuracy. Meters should be located in an accessible location and protected from damage. Meters are mechanical devices that need periodic testing and repair. Make sure there is ample room to repair or remove the unit. Envision what it would take to work on the unit. Refrain from installing meters in crawl spaces, under stairs, or in confined spaces. Some areas still allow the installation of water meters in exterior pits

or vaults. I do not recommend this installation. It makes the meter hard to maintain and service, and exterior pits and vaults can flood. In some cases, submerging the water meters causes rapid deterioration and corrosion to the unit. Also, there is a remote possibility that the contaminated water in the pit can leech into the potable water supply. It is recommended that a floor drain be installed adjacent to the water meter, especially for larger meters. The floor drain can reduce or eliminate water damage to the building caused by meter repairs, replacement, or testing. Larger meters are tested in place, so it is imperative to have somewhere to discharge the test water. The bottom line is meter accuracy

and pressure loss. Accuracy is critical to the purveyor of water because meters that inaccurately measure the supply result in lost revenue. Pressure loss is critical to designers because they need to ensure that their engineered systems operate properly.

Tim Smith is vice president, partner, and founding member of Metro Design Associates, Inc., in Schaumburg, IL. He has more than 23 years experience covering all aspects of consulting engineering, specializing in plumbing, fire protection, and civil engineering. His email address is tsmith@metrodgn.com.

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