With years of experience in metering essential services, one company is now setting its sights on transforming the future of water management with smart metering.
Water, often taken for granted, is now at the centre of a digital transformation. Researchers from the University of California Davis (UC Davis) in 2022 found water leaks waste a third of the world’s water supply. Similarly, a 2021 report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence suggested that global water consumption would rise by 20 to 50 per cent above current levels by 2050.
With mounting pressure to improve efficiency, the question isn’t whether water authorities will embrace smart metering – it’s when. Enter Bluecurrent, a company well-versed in navigating the complexities of smart utilities and now making its foray into the water sector.
Experience meets opportunity
Bluecurrent has spent 17 years refining its expertise in smart metering for electricity and, more recently, gas.
Richard Fink, Chief Product Officer, believes this background positions the company well to bring smart water metering to scale.
“We’ve been in the game for a long time,” he said. “We manage complexity across the electricity and gas sectors, and that experience translates directly into helping water authorities address sustainability and scarcity.”
The company’s expansion into water is not just a theoretical pivot. Its acquisition of Metropolis, a firm already working in smart water metering, has given Bluecurrent direct exposure to the industry. Fink said this experience reinforces its belief the future of water management is digital.
End-to-end advantage
Unlike some players who handle only parts of the process, Bluecurrent sees itself as an all-in-one provider. From procurement to installation, data management to maintenance, the company aims to simplify smart metering for water utilities.
“We take the complexity out of it,” Fink said. “There are a lot of players that do bits and pieces, but we do the end-to-end. We manage everything – hardware, installation, maintenance, connectivity, and data delivery. That’s the big difference.”
With utilities often struggling to integrate multiple service providers, Fink said Bluecurrent’s full-service model de-risks the process for water authorities. The challenge is not just installing meters but ensuring their long-term functionality.
“In water, the real challenge starts after installation,” he said. “Meters need to stay connected, send accurate data, and function efficiently over time. That’s where our expertise in maintaining large-scale deployments comes in.”
Lessons from energy
Bluecurrent’s entry into smart gas metering four years ago provided valuable lessons applicable to water. Much like water infrastructure, gas networks were ageing, with outdated meters and incomplete asset records. The transition to smart gas metering required close collaboration with retailers, field teams, and end customers – an approach Fink believes is just as crucial in the water sector.
“We learned a lot in gas, from dealing with old infrastructure to ensuring compliance, and the same principles apply to water,” he said. “We know rolling out smart meters at scale requires more than technology. It needs partnerships, field expertise, and robust management processes.”
Scaling for the future
As water authorities move from trials to full-scale deployments, the ability to manage complexity at scale will become increasingly important. Bluecurrent’s existing infrastructure and field expertise make it a strong contender for these rollouts.
“Our value proposition is simple: we’re a trusted, credible partner, and we can manage large-scale rollouts effectively,” Fink said. “Right now, water authorities are at a tipping point. The business cases are in place, and the time for action is now.”
With 2.6 million meters under management and billions of data intervals processed daily, Bluecurrent believes it has the operational muscle to support the water sector’s shift to smart metering.
For more information, visit bluecurrent.com.au
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