Smart water meter rollout to cost $27m
Residents can check usage on phones
TOOWOOMBA residents will soon be able to monitor their water usage on their phones thanks to new smart water meters, but the rollout won’t come cheap.
After trialling almost 2000 devices across the region, Toowoomba Regional Council has now voted to install smart water meters on all properties in the local government area.
The full project, including installation, operation and maintenance, was estimated to cost ratepayers more than $27 million over the next three years.
TRC Water and Waste Committee chair Rebecca Vonhoff said the investment in technology allowed the council to detect leaks that were previously unexposed.
“This is a large financial commitment from council so prior to rolling out the meters to all households we targeted as many suburbs as possible to make sure the technology was compatible for all areas within the Toowoomba Region,” she said.
“The system also has the ability to alert our team of any significant spikes in usage.
“Once the rest of the meters are installed we’ll be able to identify further leaks, which will help us save valuable water and improve our water security, which is vital.”
Ms Vonhoff said residents would be able to use an app to monitor their water usage after installation.
“This will allow them to review their data and see what activities around their property use a lot of water so they can reduce their water use and also reduce their water bills,” she said.
“If properties have an underground leak, the meters will also help with early detection.
“Essentially, this means that council will be able to operate more efficiently and residents will be able to monitor their own water usage effectively which will provide cost savings to both the resident and to council.”
For more information, phone the council on 131 872.