SA Water will be one of the first Australian water utilities to use new smart technology to manage the water supply network in Adelaide’s CBD, following a $4 million investment in the emerging technology.
A major part of the project will include the installation of flow, pressure, and acoustic leakage sensors to give insight into what is occurring in the water network in real-time, with the information fed back to SA Water’s Operations Control Centre.
Smart meters will also be rolled out to 100 large businesses in the CBD, helping them improve water efficiency and keep their water bills down.
The project aims to help SA Water be aware of faults in the networks such as leaks and fix them before they escalate and cause greater destruction to the community.
SA Water Chief Executive, Roch Cheroux, said, “The roll-out of this technology is a first step in ensuring we can act quickly to limit potential impacts on our customers and the community.
“Smart technology will also help us be a smarter business – we’ll have a better understanding of how our water network is operating on any given day and that will lead to better outcomes for our customers into the future.”
The installation of the smart technology will improve water quality and network flow, increase reliability, and support SA Water’s operational, planning and investment decisions to benefit customers and the community.
South Australian Minister for Water and the River Murray, Ian Hunter, said, “The State Government is committed to continually investing in our water infrastructure to ensure a reliable water network for South Australia, as well as helping reduce water bills.
“This latest investment by SA Water shows the utility is moving towards the future through innovation, and adopting emerging technologies to further improve their services to customers.
“I look forward to the establishment of a smart network in the CBD that will deliver real benefits to SA Water customers and the wider community.”
The installation of sensors and meters is expected to be completed by the end of June 2017.
