Northrop Grumman gets automated meter-reading system contract

Northrop Grumman Corp. will automate data collection from water meters in the Hartford, Conn., area under a six-year, $2.9 million contract, officials of the Los Angeles company said today.

The contract was awarded by Hartford's Metropolitan District Commission. Under the contract, Northrop Grumman's Herndon, Va., Information Technology unit will provide an automatic meter reading system that will automate data collection from residential, commercial and industrial water meters.

The mobile automatic meter reading system will cover 55,000 of the district's 96,000 water meters, according to Northrop Grumman.

The system will include radio-frequency meter transmitters and receivers manufactured by Ramar LLC of Research Triangle Park, N.C. It will also include Northrop Grumman VersaTerm handheld computers and VersaProbe touchread devices, and meter-reading data-management software, according to the company.

The readings will be downloaded to the district's customer information and billing system at the end of each work day.

"This AMR system no longer requires meter readers to access property, increases accuracy of readings and enhances the safety of district personnel by reducing exposure to hazards," said Joe Delaney, vice president of commercial information services for Northrop Grumman IT.

Delaney said the system will also improve operating efficiencies and cut meter-reading costs.

System installation will begin this month and continue over five years, according to Northrop Grumman.

The Metropolitan District Commission is a nonprofit municipal corporation that supplies water and sewer services to its eight member municipalities: Bloomfield, East Hartford, Hartford, Newington, Rocky Hill, West Hartford, Wethersfield and Windsor. MDC also supplies treated water to the Town of Portland and portions of Glastonbury, East Granby, South Windsor and Farmington.