What is a Nicor Connector?

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What Should Utilities Call the Connector?

If your utility has traditionally called it a “Nicor connector,” you are not alone. The terminology has been used extensively enough that it remains part of the industry’s vocabulary.

Going forward, Hydroconn® connector is the more accurate term. The distinction is simple. Hydrocomm is the product. Geospace Technologies designs and manufactures it. Nicor helped introduce and market the technology to the water utility industry.

As AMI systems continue to evolve, using the Hydroconn name makes it easier to identify the technology and understand the broader family of connectivity options now available to utilities.

Understanding the History Behind the Hydroconn® Name

If you work with water meters or advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), you may have heard someone refer to a “Nicor connector.” The term has been used throughout the water utility industry for years and still appears in installation manuals, specifications and procurement documents.

But a Nicor connector is actually a Hydroconn® connector designed, patented and manufactured by Geospace Technologies.

Understanding why two names became associated with the same connector requires looking at the history of Hydroconn and how the product was introduced to the water utility market.

Where Did the Name “Nicor Connector” Come From?

Hydroconn connectors were designed, developed, and manufactured by Geospace Technologies. Nicor did not develop or manufacture the connector.

The relationship was a marketing one.

When Geospace entered the water utility market, the company brought considerable experience designing ruggedized cables and connectors but had limited recognition within the water industry. Nicor already understood the market and helped educate utilities about Hydroconn and introduce the technology to reliably connect water meters to radios for automatic meter read (AMR) applications.

As Hydroconn became more widely used, customers and installers began associating the product with the company introducing it to the market. Over time, “Nicor connector” became a common industry shorthand for the Hydroconn connection.

The terminology became so established that the Nicor name continues to appear in third-party documentation. OEM Meter manufacturers often identify a “Nicor Connector” in their installation documentation or provide instructions for connecting it between meter-side and endpoint-side equipment. Municipal Automatic Meter Infrastructure (AMI) specifications have also used “Nicor connector” when defining acceptable meter and endpoint connections.

The name stuck. The important distinction is that the product itself was always Geospace technology.

From Subsea Cables to Smart Water Connectivity

Geospace’s entry into the water utility market began with a conversation and a familiar engineering problem.

The late Tim Becker, a longtime Geospace engineer, was visiting a customer who was attending a water industry trade show. While there, Becker overheard several industry veterans discussing a persistent frustration: connector cables used in water meter applications were prone to leaking.

It was a problem Becker and Geospace knew something about.

Long before entering the smart water market, Geospace was designing and manufacturing ruggedized cables, connectors and subsea systems for demanding energy applications. These technologies were engineered to operate reliably in environments where water intrusion could not be tolerated.

Becker himself had extensive experience developing watertight connector technology. His work ultimately resulted in multiple U.S. patents assigned to Geospace, including patents covering the sealing and over molded construction technologies incorporated into Hydroconn® connectors.

Becker joined the conversation and began learning more about the challenges water utilities were experiencing. The application was different, but many of the engineering requirements were familiar: prevent water intrusion, protect the electrical connection and build a cable assembly capable of surviving a difficult environment for years.

Those conversations helped Geospace apply its existing ruggedized cable expertise to a new market. The resulting Hydroconn technology was not simply an existing industry connector marketed under a different name. It incorporated patented Geospace engineering specifically designed to address water ingress and long-term sealing reliability.

Geospace developed and patented the technology. Nicor subsequently helped introduce it to the water utility market, educate customers about its benefits., and worked to spec-in the technology with utilities. Nicor was the marketer. Geospace was the manufacturer. This distinction matters when utilities are identifying products, requesting replacements or specifying equipment for new AMI projects. This history helps explain why a utility may have a Hydroconn connector installed in the field but know it by another name.

Why the Name Distinction Matters Now

In July 2025, Hubbell Incorporated acquired Nicor and subsequently added the business to its Utility Solutions segment.

This change makes it increasingly important for utilities, engineers, distributors and contractors to recognize the actual product name.

Hydroconn is the connector. Geospace Technologies is the manufacturer.

While “Nicor connector” remains familiar terminology in the water industry, Hydroconn is the product family utilities should reference when identifying the connector, evaluating compatibility or sourcing connectivity solutions.

Using the Hydroconn name also provides greater clarity as the product portfolio continues to expand beyond the connector configuration historically associated with the Nicor name.

Hydroconn Has Evolved into a Connectivity Platform

Today, Hydroconn is more than a single inline connector.

The Hydroconn family includes Series III, Series IV and Series V connectors, along with HydroAdapt™ solutions designed to help utilities maintain connectivity across different meter and AMI endpoint technologies.

Series III represents the connection historically most closely associated with the “Nicor connector” terminology. Series IV provides interoperability with Itron® connections, while Series V expands Hydroconn compatibility to Badger Meter® applications.

This growing portfolio addresses an increasingly important challenge for utilities: AMI infrastructure rarely consists of equipment from a single generation or manufacturer.

Meters can remain in service while endpoints change. AMI migrations can occur in phases. Acquisitions and technology upgrades can create mixed infrastructure across a service territory.

Connector choice can help determine how easily a utility manages those transitions.

Hydroconn Was Developed for Water Utility Environments

Water meter pits present a difficult environment for electrical connections. Connectors may be exposed to standing water, flooding, temperature changes and repeated field handling over years of service.

Hydroconn connectors use molded-on construction rather than relying on an adhesive bond to seal the cable-to-connector interface. The design provides a rugged, waterproof connection intended for demanding meter pit applications.

Hydroconn products are manufactured by Geospace in Houston and are designed to provide utilities with reliable connectivity while supporting flexibility between meter and endpoint technologies.

More than 40 million Hydroconn connectors have been sold during the past decade.

Connector Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to Common Questions about Nicor Connectors

Is a Nicor connector the same as a Hydroconn connector?

The connector commonly referred to in the water utility industry as a “Nicor connector” is a Hydroconn® connector designed and manufactured by Geospace Technologies. The Nicor terminology developed because Nicor historically marketed Hydroconn products to the water utility industry.

What does OEM-agnostic meter connectivity mean?

No. Hydroconn connectors were designed, developed and manufactured by Geospace Technologies. Nicor’s historical role was marketing the product and helping educate water utilities about the technology.

Who manufactures Hydroconn connectors?

Geospace Technologies manufactures Hydroconn connectors at its manufacturing facility in Houston, Texas.

What is the advantage of overmolded construction?

The term became widely used within the water utility industry during the years Nicor marketed Hydroconn. As a result, “Nicor connector” remains in some manufacturer manuals, utility specifications and industry vocabulary even though Hydroconn is the product name and Geospace is its manufacturer.

What happened to Nicor?

Hubbell Incorporated acquired Nicor in July 2025 and added the business to its Utility Solutions segment. The acquisition did not transfer ownership or manufacturing of the Hydroconn product family. Hydroconn continues to be manufactured by Geospace Technologies.