State Water Corporation has begun installing approximately 70 new water meters in the mid-Murray region, as stage one of the NSW Metering Scheme. The NSW Metering Scheme is funded by the Australian Government’s Sustainable Rural Water Use and Infrastructure initiative, through the NSW Sustaining the Basin Program.
The project aims to improve water management through water meters and telemetry to transmit water usage information extracted from groundwater, regulated and unregulated water sources and will help NSW and its customers to comply with meeting their obligations under the National Metering Standards by 2016.
State Water Project Director, Josh White said the project had already been rolled out in parts of the Murrumbidgee and the lower Murray over the last two years.
“State Water has already installed approximately 1250 meters throughout parts of the Murrumbidgee and upper Murray.”
The new water meters and their installation costs are being installed at no cost to the customer; the meters will be subject to an annual maintenance and service charge (MSC). The MSC charge is applied to cover the cost of maintaining the meters in accordance with the National Metering Standards and is currently being determined by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC).
Every State Water customer identified as part of the project has initially been informed. The next stage of the engagement process will be by your local State Water Customer Field Officer (CFO) to discuss your pump site and individual requirements.
“State Water are committed to keeping all customers involved in the project up to date,
“The NSW Metering Scheme will improve equity by ensuring all meter installations are installed to the same standard.”
Any customer who fits the criteria and has not been identified in stage one, will be part of stage two of the mid-Murray Project. Information sessions for stage two will be held in June 2014, with installations due to commence in early 2015.
“For landholders and irrigators this project will mean improved water security and delivery, with less water wasted.” Mr White said.
