Previous catastrophic breaks in this pipeline had recently motivated the purchase of a Motorola Moscad Radio Telemetry system. The telemetry system utilizes radio communications  and photovoltaic power cells to collect data on the remote meter stations. The data from these stations is forwarded to a computerized central control station that is programmed to recognize alarm situations.  An alarm dialer then calls the city employees  to notify them of the type and location of the problem.  This new system had only been on-line for a few months when it proved its worth by alerting city employees in the early morning hours of a severe pressure drop. This early warning allowed the public work's personnel to take immediate actions to secure the Town's water supply.  By being able to narrow down the location of the break, the telemetry system also helped to prevent a major wash-out of several lengths of pipe. Only the one damaged section of pipe had to be replaced.