Roll out of Smart Water Meters - Starting June 2020

Moree Plains residents will soon have greater control over their water consumption with the installation of new smart water meter readers, scheduled to be rolled out to residences across the Plains over coming months.

Moree Plains Shire Council’s Acting Director of Engineering Alan Lawrance, welcomes the installation of the smart water meter readers explaining how they work and the benefits they will provide to the community. 

“A smart water meter is a device that automatically records water usage at regular intervals, has the ability to report water usage information at regular intervals and provides residents with access to this data which can highlight leaks and alert them of high usage,” explained Mr Lawrance.

“The smart water meters detect the rotating dial on water meters and send readings through radio transmission.

“With this new technology, Council will be able to pinpoint leaks within the network and potentially identify mains breaks before they escalate and cause customer disruptions.”

Through analysing the data collected from the smart water meters, Council will be able to identify inefficiencies in water networks, which will inform upgrades to water infrastructure. The automatic readings will provide a more accurate representation of a residence’s water use and allow Council’s staff to better manage our potable water system as well as responding faster to breakdowns or maintenance jobs.

Moree Plains Shire Council’s General Manager, Lester Rodgers believes the smart meters will deliver significant savings to the community in water usage and water charges in the long term.

“On average, 10% of homes and businesses have concealed leaks they are not aware of despite best efforts to save water,” Mr Rodgers said.

“Residents in other areas where the meters have been installed have provided supportive feedback, welcoming the ability to detect leaks at an earlier stage, helping them to save money on their water bills.

“Once rolled out, owners will be able to understand the water consumption on their own property via the online customer portal and use this information to conserve their water usage and budget their water bills.

Taggle Systems has been selected through a formal tender process and will work with Moree Plains Shire Council to deliver this high-quality, innovative technology to residents across the local government area. The smart water meters will be installed on properties around Moree by an authorised contractor commencing in coming weeks; residents can experience a short 20-minute interruption to their water supply while the meter is installed.

Contractors will be knocking on the door to notify residents of the installation and will leave a flyer in the mailbox or at the premises once installation is complete. If access is restricted, our contractor will be in touch to make arrangements for the meter to be installed.