2003-12-09 - ABB’s factory in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, has supplied electronic water metering equipment for use in water supply network projects throughout the Middle East. The orders are the result of massive programmes being undertaken by the governments of Kuwait, Jordan and Iran to modernise their water supply networks with the latest technology.
In Kuwait, 85 water meters have been supplied to replace meters that had been installed for over 20 years. Utilising the same communications technology as used in mobile telephones, the new meters will enable the Kuwaiti Water Ministry to remotely collect information from the meters on a daily basis. Previously, this data had to be collected manually every four weeks from over 400 metering locations.
A further 22 water meters have also been supplied to the Amman Water Company in Jordan to help solve a problem which had destroyed many of the previously installed units.
Jordan’s water supply network is frequently shut down for several days at a time to help conserve water. Previously, whenever the supply was turned back on, any water remaining in the pipeline was propelled at high speed through the pipes, severely damaging the moving parts of many of the mechanical water meters installed throughout the network.
The new flowmeters supplied by ABB’s Stonehouse factory have helped overcome this problem. With no moving parts, the flowmeters cannot be damaged by surges in the pipeline caused by the supply being turned off or on.
The supply of the flowmeters is a continuing part of ABB’s drive to help modernise water networks in countries throughout the Middle East. “Even though water is a precious resource in the Middle East, many of the countries in the region have not invested adequately in their water distribution networks, resulting in them becoming outdated,” says Paul Wade, Export Regional Business Manager at ABB’s Stonehouse factory. “The equipment we have supplied from this factory will help to bring the networks up to date and ensure that each country is using their water efficiently.”
Products from ABB’s Stonehouse factory are used all over the world to help improve the management and quality of water supplies. In addition to the equipment supplied to the Middle East, the factory has also recently supplied over half a million pounds of water quality monitoring equipment for use in 15 provinces throughout China.