By Jay Fegan
The Southern Downs Regional Council has passed a significant milestone with the installation of over 4,500 smart water meters, part of a $5 million drought resilience project funded by the State and Federal Government. Despite this milestone, there has been some skepticism about long-term costs to the rate payers and the accuracy of the new meters.
Councillor Carla Pidgeon praised the project, highlighting its role in enhancing water sustainability and efficiency, saying, “Smart meters are set to play a pivotal role in bolstering drought resilience and long-term water security for our drought-prone region.
“By reducing water loss from leaks, enhancing the accuracy of water bills, and informing better water usage decisions, these digital devices represent a significant advancement in water sustainability and efficiency.”
Despite the positive impact of the smart meters, a few residents have raised concerns around their accuracy and any long-term costs rate payers may face, particularly around what will happen when the smart meters reach the end of their service life or when their lithium batteries need replacing.
In response to these concerns, a Council spokesperson said, “Grant funding for this initiative ensures that all existing water meters will be upgraded to smart meters without any increase in connection fees or additional charges directly related to this program. For future new meter requests, Council’s fees and charges will be updated to reflect any increases in the cost of the device and installation. However, we anticipate minimal operational cost increases once all meters have been replaced”.
Additionally the spokesperson said: “The smart meters are designed with a battery life that matches the meter’s lifespan, approximately 10-12 years. Council will replace the entire unit as part of its capital budget, funded internally as required. No major performance issues or faults have been reported."
For now, Council is encouraging residents to register for the MySDRCWater customer portal, which allows them to access real-time water data, detect leaks and manage their water usage more efficiently. Council's website states: All registration requests by owners are approved by Council or the utility. An agent needs approval from the owner to manage a property, and a tenant needs approval from either the owner or the agent. The owner or the agent needs to have signed up and registered the property in order to give the tenant access.
As the smart water meter program progresses, Council's transparency and communication with residents will be crucial in determining the easy-of-access for the MySDRCWater customer portal, leak detection and education to further bolster the regions water security.
