WIRELESS WATER METER DATA COLLECTION ON THE MOVE

Drive-by Water Metering is an advanced mobile AMR solution where a vehicle-mounted receiver wirelessly interrogates nearby Wireless M-Bus (wM-Bus) water meters as the vehicle drives along municipal routes — without requiring vehicle stops, manual intervention, or physical wire connections to any meter.

Core Engineering Pillars

Wireless M-Bus Reception

Captures radio packets from nearby residential and commercial water meters broadcasting compliant Wireless M-Bus (EN 13757-4) signals.

On-the-Move Mobile Ingestion

Gathers hundreds of meter readings continuously at driving speeds without stopping, accelerating billing cycles from weeks to hours.

Local Offline Storage

Retains full meter records in secure onboard flash storage during network dead zones, guaranteeing zero data loss across rural routes.

GSM / Internet Server Backhaul

Transmits encrypted meter batches directly to backend utility servers via GSM cellular or internet connections during or after completion.

Non-Intrusive Municipal AMR Architecture

Eliminates gate access restrictions, locked compound hurdles, and hazardous confined-space pit inspections, keeping utility meter readers safe inside the vehicle.

Whether deployed in compact utility utility cars, maintenance vans, or municipal service trucks, Mirach Drive-by Water Metering dramatically lowers per-meter reading costs and maximizes operational productivity.
Drive-by Water Metering — High-Speed, Non-Intrusive Mobile Meter Data Acquisition.

Drive-by Water Metering In-Cabin Receiver and Tablet Display

How Drive-by Water Metering Operates

A flexible, high-efficiency data collection workflow designed for scalable urban and rural water networks

On-the-Move Mobile Collection

Continuous Radio Interrogation

The vehicle-mounted drive-by unit listens across standard Wireless M-Bus frequencies (868 MHz / 169 MHz / 433 MHz), automatically logging incoming telegrams as the patrol vehicle navigates streets:

  • Zero Stopping Required: Reads meters at standard city driving speeds with omnidirectional high-gain antennas.
  • No Physical Access Barriers: Easily interrogates meters situated in basements, underground vaults, and locked properties.
  • Live GIS Route Display: Real-time mapping interface displays acquired meters in green, alerting drivers to missed readings.
Wireless M-Bus Protocol High-Speed AMR GIS Route Tracking

Flexible Data Handling & Backhaul

Local Resilience & Cloud Transmission

Provides robust dual-mode data storage and backhauling options to suit diverse municipal network conditions and utility security policies:

  • Onboard Local Storage: All received meter readings are stored directly within local flash memory for offline retrieval.
  • GSM Cellular Backhaul: Directly streams telemetry batches to the central utility server over cellular GSM/APN.
  • Office Wi-Fi / LAN Export: Automatically uploads collected batches upon vehicle return to the depot via Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
Offline Flash Buffer GSM / LTE Backhaul Automated Depot Sync

End-to-End System Communication Flow

From residential water meters to utility billing and MDM engines

1

Field Water Meters

Meters installed at homes and commercial units broadcast encrypted wM-Bus consumption frames periodically.

Wireless M-Bus T1 / C1 Modes
2

Mobile Reception

The vehicle-mounted receiver captures radio packets as the vehicle drives through the distribution sector.

Vehicle Receiver Magnetic Antenna
3

Dual Data Path

Data is buffered locally on the device while simultaneously pushing to the server when cellular networks are live.

Local Memory GSM Push
4

HES & Billing Ingestion

Readings ingest seamlessly into Mirach HES, updating customer billing profiles and leak detection dashboards.

Billing Engines MDM Platform

Drive-by Water Metering System Specifications

Technical parameters, radio compliance, and mobile operational characteristics

RF Metrology & Collection Capabilities

  • System Type: Mobile AMR Drive-by Collection
  • Wireless Protocol: Wireless M-Bus (EN 13757-4)
  • Supported wM-Bus Modes: T1, T2, C1, C2, S1
  • Radio Frequencies: 868 MHz / 169 MHz / 433 MHz
  • Antenna System: High-Gain Magnetic Roof-Mount Antenna
  • Reading Radius: Up to 300 - 500 Meters (Line of Sight)

Data Storage, Backhaul & Power

  • Local Buffer Capacity: 100,000+ Meter Readings
  • Server Backhaul Options: 4G LTE / GSM / Wi-Fi Depot Sync
  • Data Security: AES-128 / TLS Encrypted Transport
  • Operating Voltage: 12V / 24V DC Vehicle Power & USB-C
  • Mounting Profile: In-Cabin Vehicle Mount / Compact Enclosure
  • Operating Temperature: -20°C to +70°C Automotive Range

Municipal Operational Advantages & NRW Reduction

Transforming water utility meter reading with high-speed mobile AMR, leak intelligence, and zero customer friction

Loss Prevention

Non-Revenue Water & Rapid Leak Detection

Wireless M-Bus smart meters broadcast continuous flow, reverse flow, and burst pipe flags. Frequent mobile drive-by collection enables water utilities to detect subterranean leaks and tampering within 24–48 hours instead of waiting for monthly manual bills, saving millions of liters of treated water.

Continuous Flow Alarms Reverse Flow Tamper Alert NRW Loss Mitigation
Field Safety & Access

100% Inaccessible Meter Capture

Overcomes locked compound gates, aggressive dog hazards, and deep confined-space meter pits. With wireless radio coverage up to 500 meters, meter readers capture reliable consumption readings without leaving the air-conditioned patrol vehicle or scheduling homeowner appointments.

Up to 500m RF Range Zero Pit Entry No Missed Estimates
Utility ROI

10,000+ Reads Per Vehicle Shift

A single driver and vehicle can read over 10,000 meters in an 8-hour shift at normal traffic speeds. This slashes meter-reading labor overheads by over 80%, eliminates manual transcription discrepancies, and shortens the utility revenue billing cycle from weeks to a single day.

80%+ Cost Reduction Same-Day Billing Digital Audit Trail