Don’t think ageing infrastructure is just a Government problem. Water pipes are under pressure! They age and corrode with time as does everything. Leaking pipes don’t discriminate, they affect private property equally. Underground pipe leaks can continue for years undetected, costing hundreds of thousands, even millions. Undetected underground water leaks can seriously damage buildings and undermine foundations.
WATER METERING
Water Management in South Africa is in a critical state, just like Eskom, and annual cost increases have far exceeded electricity inflation, over 1300% in the past 2 decades, 4 times higher than the CPI.
The national statistic for the amount of water lost in infrastructure (water we are paying for but never receive through leaking pipelines) before it reaches the consumer is 41%, in eThekwini that loss figure is 57%.
With water pipes situated below ground, this statistic for leaking pipe infrastructure on private property is not much better. How do you know if you have an underground water leak if the water doesn’t surface?
Why bother with Smart Water Metering?
Municipal water billing is based on estimated average use with meter readings taking place less and less frequently. This together with human error is leading to more and more disputes.
Aging infrastructure is a major problem. With water pipe networks largely underground it is difficult to detect and find leaks that can go unnoticed for months, even years before there is any sign, other than a sudden massive increase in your monthly bill through a sudden large catastrophic failure.
What is Smart Water Metering?
Smart Water Metering is an automated process of meter reading that eliminates human error, saving time and manpower in the process of collecting and storing meter records.
How it works?
Smart Metering uses “Internet-of-Things” (IOT) based technology to transmit readings in real time to a central server where the data is stored, analyzed and reports generated for clients. Reports include consumption data, leak detection alerts and billing information.
Smart Technology can tell you if you have a leak.
Consumers are then able to access their water usage through a web portal or mobile app and make informed decisions about their water consumption and management.
Benefits of Smart Water Metering.
- Real time monitoring of water usage.
- Accurate and timely measure of water consumption.
- Automated Leak detection in real time.
- Automated Billing.
- Smart Metering in Community Living Schemes.
In the more than 70 000 community living schemes and gated estates around the country, many only make use of one bulk water meter and then the managing agents apportion the water bill across the number of
members or residents.
This leads to unfair billing, one unit may have 1 resident whilst the neighbor has 4 residents using 4 times the water, yet they get billed the same amount.
Being able to bill individual members based on their own consumption has proven to lead to an automatic overall reduction in consumption as people are more alert to costs when it affects them personally as
opposed to just being part of a communally shared bill.
Balanced metering that compares the bulk metering to individual meters and common property taps can detect and highlight where potential leaks are situated.
Contact Axxess Digital Systems for a quote!
