Since the first public water systems were created in the 1800's, it was important for utilities to measure their customer's usage. In most cases, water meters were installed in basements or pits to prevent freezing; unfortunately their location made them difficult to read. Beginning in the 1960s, as labor rates increased and security concerns limited accessibility to homes, manufacturers began to develop meters that had the capability to be read without directly accessing the meter. In the 1980s, interest grew in automatic meter reading (AMR) which allowed meters to be read even more efficiently. All water meters that are to be read electronically must have some means of communicating the meter reading to an electronic "AMR" device. This device may be (1) mounted outside the structure where its display can be visually read by an on-site meter-reader, (2) mounted outside the structure where its "touch-pad" can be electronically read by an on-site meter-reader, (3) mounted at the meter and include a short-range radio for communication with a walking or driving meter reader, or (4) mounted at the meter and incorporate a long-range radio for communication with a fixed-network AMR system that transfers the data directly to the utility office. Please see Figure 1 below.
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