By Jeremy Cook
More than 9000 smart water meters will be rolled out to properties in the Southern Downs in phase two of a $3.5 million project aiming to improve long-term water security for the region.
Installation of the technology began on 9 January for properties on the reticulated water network in Warwick, Allora, Yangan, Killarney, Dalveen, Leyburn, Wallangarra and Pratten.
The smart technology will replace existing mechanical water meters in a move which is expected to help identify water leaks, improve accuracy of water bills, provide access to real-time water consumption data and inform more sustainable water usage decisions.
Southern Downs Mayor Vic Pennisi said the smart technology would help council pinpoint leaks and save water.
“Future droughts are inevitable, and council is currently delivering multiple drought resilience projects across the region to improve long-term water security,” Mayor Pennisi said.
“Smart water technology is a proactive step forward in modernising our water infrastructure and offers several advantages over traditional meters to bring increased efficiency, accuracy and convenience to monitoring water usage.”
It follows the successful rollout of approximately 2700 smart water meters to Stanthorpe in October 2022 which helped identify more than 100 property leaks, according to Southern Downs Regional Council.
A spokesperson for the council confirmed approximately 36,000 kL of water was lost to those leaks with council having sent almost 500 leakage notifications regarding potential leaks since the beginning of the rollout.
It takes council an average of 11 days to fix leakages, the spokesperson said.
In a statement to media, a council spokesperson said water discolouration and air in water lines following installation of the smart water meters will dissipate once water runs through the pipes for a short period of time.
Funding for the project was provided by the Queensland government through the Smart Reticulation and Network Monitoring program.
