Water Corporation has been using smart water meters for years in some regional areas and is now running a pilot program in Perth. Here's a quick look at what's happening, and where plumbers and customers can find everything Water Corporation says about this new way of measuring water usage.
The Perth smart water meter pilot is scheduled to run through to 2025 and will help Water Corporation make future decisions about changing all standard meters to smart meters.
The pilot will see 16,000 smart water meters installed across Perth. Once they are all in place, Water Corp says it will monitor them for 12 months to see how the technology performs in different conditions.
They will also seek feedback from customers about new services, such as leak alerts, which smart meter technology makes possible.
Water Corporation says smart meters improve the safety, reliability and efficiency of meter readings while allowing them to provide a better online service to customers. Another benefit for customers is that the smart water meter technology can save them money by identifying potential leaks. This also means less precious water going to waste.
If a customer's property is selected for a smart water meter, the only inconvenience should be that their water will be turned off for about 10 to 15 minutes during the installation.
There is no cost to customers and no change to the way Water Corporation bills them.
Once a smart meter is installed, it starts measuring water usage at hourly intervals and wirelessly sending the information to Water Corporation every day. Manual reading continues during a transition period.
Eventually, when everything is in place, customers will be able to see their hourly water use via an online account and Water Corporation will send alerts if they detect unusual water use.
For more information
For extensive information about smart water meters and the pilot program, including a detailed FAQ section and project updates, see what Water Corporation's website says about the Perth smart water meter pilot.
