Innovative solutions for holistic water management

Australian councils and water utilities are facing increased challenges in their water management. This is due to tight budgets, ageing infrastructure, and the impacts of climate change. Here are some holistic water management solutions water service providers can implement to provide reliable, sustainable services to their communities.

To proactively solve current and future water management challenges, Australian water service providers need to implement long-term, innovative approaches now. Councils and water utilities can create a holistic, circular approach to water management by focusing efforts on the innovation of new research and designs. This is better than only a short-term, temporary solution.

Choosing a solution for your community

Innovative digital solutions for water management should focus on analysing real-time data. They also need to communicate with end-users, increase sustainability, improve asset efficiency, and detect asset faults or leaks.

The increased data that is available thanks to digitised assets can rapidly improve understanding of the situation. Water service providers can understand how to conserve water, maintain asset quality and strengthen their community relationships.

Digitising water assets allows service providers to select a customised solution from various technologies to suit financial, environmental and community needs best. This includes holistic solutions such as IoT devices and smart meters.

Implementing digital solutions into local assets

Central Highlands Water (CHW) is a water and wastewater utility servicing the Central Highlands region in Victoria, including Ballarat, Maryborough and Daylesford. CHW has recently entered into a contract with global water management company, SUEZ. They will upgrade CHW’s existing water meters with 75,000 fully integrated digital water meters. SUEZ aims to begin installations in late 2023 and to be completed by 2026. The digital upgrade is intended to provide a range of solutions to local challenges.

The introduction of digital meters will enable an improved customer experience. Customers will have access to near real-time data, which can assist with leak detection. The digital meters will identify areas where CHW and their customers can save water. Digital meters can give customers exact water usage readings at increased accuracy and speed.

The rollout will also reduce safety risks for CHW’s meter reading team. By automating the reading process, CHW staff will no longer be required to travel long distances on roads. They will no longer need to access customers’ properties, offering safety and environmental improvements. As the meter data will be collected in near real-time through digital channels, it will also speed up the repair process for any faults or leaks.

By detecting and reducing water leakage, the digital water meter installations will help CHW’s customers identify areas where water can be saved, resulting in a lower water bill.

CHW’s Managing Director, Jeff Haydon, said, “We are focused on providing digital solutions that deliver benefits and improve customer experience. With this new digital water meter rollout, we can provide our community with better service usage data, help customers to reduce bill costs, and proactively engage in water conservation.”

CHW’s local community strongly supports the digital meter upgrade; through the utility’s extensive community engagement, customers have encouraged CHW’s digital transformation.

Creating circular solutions, the smart way

SUEZ’s Business Development Manager, Laurence Daly, emphasised the proven effectiveness of digital solutions in increasing customer satisfaction rates.

“Water providers are struggling with old challenges, and old solutions are no longer viable. New solutions like digital water meters improve asset efficiency and reduce the costs and resources needed for local communities,” Mr Daly said.

“We don’t want customer savings to be an uphill battle. We’re focusing on circular, holistic water management strategies to provide long-term solutions to current and future challenges.”

SUEZ has recently developed a strategic plan highlighting similar objectives to the digital water meter project. The company will focus on implementing circular water and wastewater management solutions that increase innovation and strengthen investments for water providers and local communities.

Through its new research and development (R&D) commitments, SUEZ is exploring innovative digital technologies that offer water providers new, customisable water management solutions to Australia’s existing – and future – challenges.

By implementing digital solutions to local challenges, water providers can support the growth and development of internal climate adaptation and improve communication strategies within local regions.

For more information on how SUEZ can help councils improve their water and wastewater infrastructure, please visit www.suez.com/en/australia-new-zealand.