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Datamatic FIREFLY Tapped for Lake Arrowhead Community Services District Conservation Efforts

Posted on: Thursday, 26 July 2007, 15:16 CDT

Datamatic Ltd., a leading supplier of utility data collection solutions, was chosen to supply and install approximately 8,000 AMR FIREFLY units for the Lake Arrowhead Community Services District (LACSD) in Calif. The project is part of the utility's effort to improve water conservation.

Ken Kercher, CEO of Datamatic, said, "The Lake Arrowhead District has been faced with critically low water reserves over the past several years because of severe drought conditions. With our AMR FIREFLY technology, the district will be able to conserve water and streamline billing in a way that saves time, money and precious resources."

The estimated $1.3 million project will include installation of over 8,000 FIREFLYs by Fall 2007. The program began in late May 2007 when the utility began retrofitting approximately 1,500 FIREFLYs to meters installed after Jan. 1, 2000. The project will also include the change out of more than 6,600 meters that will include the FIREFLY unit.

"We were able to secure federal funding for this project in large part because the AMR system is primarily a water conservation tool," stated Mark Lippert, Customer Service Supervisor for the Lake Arrowhead Community Services District. "Every drop of water counts in our district and Datamatic's technology will enable us to pinpoint where potential leaks and waste occur in our system. We believe we'll see a four to five percent increase in water savings once the system is complete."

Collecting usage data during winter months also poses a particular challenge for LACSD, when snow accumulation can keep readers from accessing meter date for up to six months. FIREFLY technology will enable the meters to be read regardless of how much snow falls.

"Our district will benefit from Datamatic's AMR technology in four unique ways including streamlined revenue management, improved snow billing capabilities, accurate monthly billing statements and improved water conservation measures," added Lippert. "We chose Datamatic because we trust their ability to take the lead over the complete installation process. When I call Datamatic, they will answer my questions and solve my problems."

Utilities interested in learning more about Datamatic's advanced AMR solutions can contact Joe Bridges at (972) 234-5000 or jbridges@datamatic.com. Visit www.lakearrowheadcsd.com for more information about the Lake Arrowhead Community Services District.

About Datamatic, Ltd.

Datamatic provides flexible data collection solutions to utilities worldwide. The company's innovative ideas virtually created an industry when it installed the first electronic meter reading system in 1980. For more than a quarter of a century, Datamatic has been an innovation leader in the design, implementation and support of advanced data collection solutions for water, gas and electric utilities. Additional information about Datamatic for the media is available by calling Scott Black at (214) 520-3430 or on the Web at www.datamatic.com.

Source: Business Wire

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