Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) will soon begin installing smart water meters to all properties throughout the Region.
Following an initial trial of almost 2000 meters, TRC Water and Waste Committee Chair Cr Rebecca Vonhoff said Council had voted to commence full implementation of the program.
“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,” Cr Vonhoff said.
“We’ve been able to detect leaks on customers’ properties which we previously wouldn’t have identified which is one of the main goals of this program.
“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.
“Residents will also be able to use an app to check how much water they’re using. 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. 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.”
The cost of the project, which includes the installation, operation and maintenance, is estimated to be $27,650,000 in total and will be staged over the next three years.
