Meter Testing

Meter testing

WRc carry out accuracy testing of meters removed from service for:

• Customer dispute tests
• Meter under-registration studies
• Performance surveillance tests
• Regulatory compliance
  

Such testing can cover meters from small domestic meters up to 150mm bore. Testing is conducted in accordance with UK and International Standards using fully calibrated and traceable reference methods. Individual test certificates can be provided.

Failure investigation

Meters can fail in many ways: quality of components, excessive wear, installation practices, environmental stresses and network events. Rectifying problems can be expensive where a large cohort of meters are affected, so water companies often look to share this cost with suppliers or installers if relevant contributory factors can be identified.

WRc carries out forensic examinations of meters to identify patterns of failure. We have a rigorous procedure for dismantling meters to examine their components with a variety of techniques, including microscopy and dimensional analysis. There will often be multiple contributory factors. Using targeted testing methods (which we design and carry out), we can identify the key factor or sequence of factors to isolate different variables and determine the root cause. The evidence gained can then be shared to help improve practice and mitigate future problems.