Leeton Shire Council’s water meter replacement program which has seen smart water meters installed at properties in Leeton, Whitton, Murrami and parts of Yanco over the past few weeks is already detecting water leaks at some properties.
A smart water meter is a device that automatically records water use, has the ability to electronically report water usage information at regular intervals, and provides instant access to data that can show peak usage and other information.
“The smart water meter technology enables Council staff to have timelier discussions with ratepayers on water-use issues and potential leaks, rather than waiting for the manual reads to identify any problems,” said Council’s Director Operations Peter Keane.
Peter Keane said the leak detection report obtained through data from the new smart water meters has shown more than 200 customers in the Shire may potentially have a leak within their property. Council is in the process of notifying affected customers.
Leaks are detected by identifying meters that indicate water usage that never stops, particularly during the night when there’s very little flow, if any, at a typical property.
“Many of these customers have had leaks of 240 litres per day or more and this would have previously gone undetected,” Peter Keane said.
Local resident, Mick Boots, was notified of a large leak on his property of 33,000 liters per day which equates to an estimated $80 per day worth of water.
“Without Council notifying me of the large leak, it may have been a few days before anyone noticed the tap that had been left on at the back of my property,” said Mick Boots.
Peter Keane said that in addition to already seeing potential water savings through leak detection, Council expects that its electricity and water treatment costs will reduce.
“This is a good outcome,” said Peter Keane.
By December, Council will launch MyH20 – a customer portal and application to enable customers to monitor and review their water usage and check how efficiently water is being consumed within their home and property.
Council is currently trialling with a small sample of customers the MyH20 portal and application for water usage prior to a full roll-out.
The MyH20 system has the capability to enable customers to be notified via SMS or email alerts of any potential leaks. Prior to full rollout, more extensive information about the MyH20 customer portal and application will be made available to all customers.
Published 9th October 2020 by Leeton Shire Council