Case Study: Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority cuts energy costs with SEL power metering

Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority (FKAA) - Customer Case Study

Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority (FKAA) needed to offset declining water revenue caused by successful conservation efforts while continuing to maintain a 130-mile transmission system serving 49,000 connections. To better understand and reduce pumping costs, FKAA worked with Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) to replace unreliable meters with high-accuracy power metering and make energy costs visible in real time.

SEL installed revenue meters and motor management relays, and FKAA turned complex electric bills into a simple dollar-based dashboard showing wire-to-water efficiency. The new visibility helped operators identify inefficient pumps, cut unnecessary starts and stops, and improve maintenance, leading to about $600,000 in annual electrical savings from an initial investment of roughly $60,000. FKAA also installed 15 meters at distribution stations, plans to add 30 more, and has seen payback in as little as a couple of months.

Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority (FKAA)

Jim Brewster

Electrical Instrumentation Controls Manager