Turning Smart Meters into Water Leak Detectors

Water, once an abundant natural resource, is becoming a more valuable commodity due to droughts and overuse. Undoubtedly, effective water management has increasingly become important over the years. Implementing solutions that can assist municipalities and consumers in water management will be critical in preserving and sustaining this resource.

Water leaks are becoming a significant cause for concern with municipalities desperately trying to conserve more water while attempting to decrease the amount of clean water that is being wasted through burst water pipes. Old infrastructure, metal pipes rusting and clean water gushing onto the street or into drains, costing municipalities millions in revenue. Adding to that growing loss are consumer and household-based leakages.

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According to the Department of Water and Sanitation, 41% of municipal water does not generate revenue and 35% is lost through leakage across many cities in the country. In addition to that, over 3 million people still do not have access to basic water supply service and only 64% of households have access to a reliable water supply.

Smart metering has become a productive tool for Municipalities and consumers alike as a means of reducing water wastage, managing water bills and detection of water leaks. Lesira-Teq, a leading smart meter manufacture, focuses on using cutting edge technology in their products to assist municipalities in reducing the 35% of revenue lost in leakages by supplying smart meters that send notifications to authorities and consumers when a leak or burst pipe is detected. The products also aim to assist municipalities in recovering the 41% of water that does not generate revenue by providing effective billing management through their smart meters.

By changing litres values to Rands and displaying information on the smartphone App, Lesira-Teq has managed to put the power back into the consumers hands and build a strong sense of conversation by enabling them to monitor their water consumption, be notified when an unusual water flow has been detected and be made aware when their water meter is being tampered with. “The more effectively we can manage water consumption and supply; the more transparent and fairer the billing process becomes between the municipalities and their customers, the quicker we will be able to reduce the number of people who do not have access to basic water supply.” concluded Edwin Sibiya, Managing Director, Lesira-Teq.

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