Around 1600 smart meters will be rolled out across Exmouth from mid-July under the Western Australian Government’s $1.25 million project to improve water efficiency and help customers reduce their bills.
Under the project, existing mechanical meters will be upgraded to new smart technology that measures water use hourly and transmits data daily.
Customers can access information through their Water Corporation online account, which provides insight into their daily water use, trends, and opportunities to develop waterwise habits.
The technology also makes it easier to identify high or unusual water use patterns, helping identify hidden leaks sooner, saving money and reducing water wastage.
The new meters take around 15 minutes to install, which means Exmouth residents can expect minimal disruption as the rollout occurs across homes and businesses.
“Climate change indicators show hotter and drier weather conditions into the future, and we all need to do our bit to conserve our most precious resource,” Water Minister Simone McGurk said. “Smart meter technology provides access to hourly water usage data, updated daily, which makes it easier for people to understand their water consumption trends and identify costly hidden leaks early.”
Water Corporation was one of the first water utilities to adopt smart meter technology, with 14,000 smart meters installed in Kalgoorlie-Boulder in 2010. More than 40,000 smart meters are now installed across the State, including some areas of the Pilbara and Yanchep. A project to install 16,000 similar meters across Perth and Peel began in August last year.
CSIRO modelling predicts climate change will lead to higher temperatures, more extreme weather events, and less reliable rainfall in the Gascoyne and across Western Australia.
The meter replacement project is one of several measures to ensure the sustainable use of Exmouth’s existing water resources.
Last year, Water Corporation worked with the local community to implement several free waterwise initiatives, including showerhead replacement, irrigation servicing, and waterwise plumbing services. These initiatives, combined with initiatives targeting high-use irrigation sites, will help deliver water savings of over 12 million litres annually, enough to fill 285 backyard swimming pools.
“I encourage the Exmouth community to get on board and take ownership of their water use and enhance waterwise habits – there’s a real opportunity here to create both water and cost savings,” said Ms McGurk. “The Government’s $1.25 million investment in the latest smart meter technology and investigations into a new drinking water source highlights our commitment to improving water security in Exmouth.”
In parallel, work is underway to investigate a new drinking water source to supplement Exmouth’s supply. Either a sustainable small-scale desalination plant or an additional groundwater source is being considered.
For more information on the smart meter replacement program, visit watercorporation.com.au/exmouthmeters.
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