Two thousand more smart water meters will be installed by Orange City Council this financial year, the most to be installed since the rollout of the new equipment began 18 months ago.
The smart meters, connected by digital technology, help households save money by allowing residents to track their water usage instantly online.
Infrastructure Policy Committee Chair Cr Jack Evans says the new smart meters are being welcomed by residents.
“Residents are telling us how efficient and convenient this system is, that they can go online anytime and find out how much water they’re using”, Cr Evans said.
CLEVER: The new smart meters, being rolled out across Orange, lets residents learn about their water use online.
“The rollout isn’t going to happen overnight. We are slowly but surely installing more smart water meters across town, and this year more than ever will be installed.”
When the program began in 2018, the primary goal for the Council was to identify water leaks and encourage residents to be more efficient in the way they consume water.
“Our community was very conscious about water use during drought but when the weather brings months of rain they can lose that focus. The smart meters are a great tool to help boost awareness of how we use water all year round,” Cr Evans said.
Since the first release across Orange in 2020, 650 homes and businesses have had smart meters installed. The rollout began with Orange’s top 250 water users, mostly commercial and industrial properties. About 400 residential properties have also benefited from smart meters.
When a smart meter is installed, the property owner receives a letter from the Council to inform them. Residents can sign up for an online account on the MyH20 website where they can access their water consumption information.
The water meter replacement program is free for residents. It will be progressively rolled out citywide across the next five years.
