ABB’S AQUAMASTER CELEBRATES 20 YEARS OF SUPPORTING THE WATER INDUSTRY IN INDIA

ABB’s AquaMaster electromagnetic flowmeters were first introduced in India 20 years ago with the first installation in the city of Bengaluru. Today, there are approximately 500 units in operation in the city, helping the water utility with accurate flow measurement. ABB has supplied the AquaMaster to 15 cities spread across 8 states. Over the years, the association that started with Bengaluru has grown with approximately 2000 units operating in the country, in states such as Gujarat, Rajasthan, Odisha, New Delhi and more.

AquaMaster measures water flow in real-time, tracking the exact quantities of water passing through the water network. The flowmeter improves control at pumping stations and reservoirs, helping water utilities measure and optimize water use. Additionally, it enables metering to ensure efficient & equitable water distribution even in areas without power, this helps utilities to pump and distribute treated river water to rural homes.

The flowmeter offers measurement accuracy down to flow velocities lower than 0.1m/s and detects leaks faster than many conventional solutions. As such AquaMaster is ideal for detecting small but continuous leaks that exacerbate water shortages. This serves as a critical component for leak management within water networks by providing highly reliable low-flow measurement performance. The accurate measurement coupled with remote monitoring also helps in managing water thefts, leaks & contributing for NRW reduction.

AquaMaster was the world’s first battery-powered electromagnetic flowmeter for water distribution networks. It was invented by ABB engineers in 1988. A series of inventions followed suit, with AquaMaster becoming, amongst others, the world’s first flowmeter with an in-situ electromagnetic verification system in 1996, and the world’s first self-verifying flowmeter in 2006. In 2022, ABB introduced the digital metering solution AquaMaster 4 Mobile Comms, the world’s first electromagnetic flowmeter with bidirectional connectivity. The same year, the solution won “Test and Measurement Product of the Year” in the Instrumentation Excellence Awards.