New years resolution – net zero leaks

How about we start 2025 bold and beautiful: net zero for this year for energy and for leaks, for a sustainable start to the year?

How about we start 2025 bold and beautiful: Net zero for this year for energy and leaks. This means we will not only tackle all existing leaks but also ensure that throughout the year, and especially by the end of 2025, there is not a single worthwhile leak that has not been addressed.

The path

Like completing all tasks, it involves the basic components: committing to the goal, making a plan, chunking it down into manageable, individual, bite-size elements, then implementing it and putting systems and procedures in place to ensure all the individual measures are maintained so that they can create sustainable savings long into the future. Sounds easy, right? It actually is.

The individual building blocks

The elements required to turn this idealistic goal into a reality include the right organisational framework, technology, resourcing, budget, and monitoring.

Organisational Buy-in

The importance of building capacity and achieving organisational buy-in for such a programme is often overlooked. Unfortunately, water is frequently seen as the “poor cousin,” receiving nowhere near as much attention as energy. Yet everybody loves water, and the programme described here has a very good payback of under two to three years.

Who would not want to save water when it’s easy, saves a measurable amount of beautiful fresh drinking water that otherwise would have been wasted into the sewer or the stormwater drain, and delivers all of that at a return of investment (ROI) that handily fits into the financial controller’s New Year’s resolutions.

Technology

In today’s rapidly evolving world, integrating advanced technologies in water management is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Smart water metering, driven by cutting-edge solutions such as NB-IoT (Narrowband Internet of Things) and a modern SaaS water management platform like UtiliOS, provides an ideal platform for effective water management. NB-IoT allows for the seamless connection of devices at any location in Australia or NZ, indeed globally. It offers low power consumption and excellent penetration even in challenging environments. It ensures near real-time data collection and transmission, allowing facility managers and utilities to gather accurate insights on water usage.

UtiliOS, a software platform specifically designed by practitioners for practitioners to provide readily actionable insights within one or two clicks right at your fingertips, enhances the capability of smart meters – and derives the value that sits inside the technology. It helps facility managers and utilities monitor water consumption, detect leaks, and manage supply in a more granular way. While these technologies might at least initially be harder than just collecting a monthly manual reading, their ability to provide invaluable data and improve operational efficiency justifies the investment.

Resources

The resources used to implement smart water metering systems must be robust and reliable, whether internal or external. A managed service like WaterGroup’s AWARE (Active Water Analysis Risk and Efficiency) program provides a proven solution for facility managers and utilities to track and optimise water usage effectively. With years of industry experience and a track record of success, the AWARE service demonstrates measurable reductions in water lost due to unknown leaks.

Proven results result from a combination of state-of-the-art technology, expert consultancy, and tailored service plans that ensure seamless integration with existing infrastructures. Utilities can confidently rely on such resources, backed by technological innovation and field-tested efficacy.

Budget

As with other systems, smart water metering has a capital expenditures (CapEx) and operational expenditures (OpEx) component when it comes to budgeting. The initial CapEx typically covers the supply, installation, and commissioning of the smart meters. The OpEx relates to the ongoing costs for the connectivity (SIM card), device management, and data platform, e.g., UtiliOS.

The real value of any smart metering system comes from the operational savings achieved, but I didn’t define and address leaks far earlier than would otherwise be the case. Ideally, these savings should be ringfenced to support Joint costs for the managed service, the expansion of the system, and maintenance. Using the savings to form a “savings pool” ensures sufficient funds are available for the effective ongoing operation of the system. It provides the long-term sustainability of the Smart water metering system implemented and its ongoing operational efficiency.

Monitoring & Reporting

Monitoring and reporting are critical in any water management strategy, as they provide transparency and accountability. Regularly collected data is only valuable if it is accurately tracked and analysed and creates actionable insights. This leads to action, and the results are reported to all stakeholders.

Smart meters provide granular data that can be continuously monitored to identify trends, detect anomalies, and evaluate system performance. The key to success lies in providing accurate and accessible reports that keep everyone involved honest.

By showcasing measurable outcomes, facility managers utilities can demonstrate the effectiveness of the smart metering systems. Importantly, they prove that significant water savings are being achieved at a modest cost and a high ROI. Success is contagious. When stakeholders see tangible improvements, they become more motivated to maintain momentum, reducing water wastage and even more efficient water resource management.

Next Steps

As we move toward a future where sustainability is paramount, joining initiatives like the Net Zero – Leaks challenge becomes a noble goal and a necessary step for any progressive facility managers or utility. Integrating smart water metering and data-based management is a critical part of this journey. Now is the time to act.

The Net Zero–Leaks challenge provides an opportunity to address water losses, contribute to sustainability goals, and ensure that resources are used efficiently. By embracing smart technology, facility managers and utilities can help lead the charge toward a greener, more sustainable future while reducing costs and improving customer satisfaction. Ready to take the plunge? The future of water management is smart, and the time to act is now.

For more information, visit watergroup.com.au

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