Toward the digital water age: Survey and case studies of Australian water utility smart-metering programs

The role of 'smart metering' in demand management, customer service, labor optimization, and operational efficiency is becoming increasingly recognized by Australasian water utilities. The objectives of this paper are to provide a summary of the 2013 and 2014 surveys and in-depth interviews that were aimed at gauging the penetration of smart metering (SM) and intelligent water network (IWN) projects in Australian and New Zealand water utilities and to identify outputs and challenges faced subsequent to their implementation. The key insights are summarized as follows: Smart meters and intelligent water networks are gaining momentum in Australasia, with at least 250,000 smart meters currently installed or planned for installation and 66% of the surveyed water businesses reporting projects underway or starting in the next 12 months. Key business drivers were easier to quantify and justify on water system economics rather than customer engagement and satisfaction. There appears to be a business case for deployment of smart metering technology, particularly for utilities seeking to avoid costs by lowering operating costs, reducing wholesale bulk water purchases, and/or deferring augmentation of infrastructure. Some utilities had well-advanced trials or operational rollouts, together with a similarly advanced understanding of the wider benefits of SM and AWN, while others were constrained by a lack of overall understanding and awareness of developing a business case, technology options, applications of data and the wider benefits of smart metering. Each water utility should know and understand its business drivers and goals. The value of smart metering and the specific business case drivers are highly contextual to location (e.g., opportunities for cost avoidance). The social benefits of customer satisfaction, community acceptance, and improved customer engagement and trust were major 'social' drivers. There is evidence that utilities are gaining an increased awareness of how digital metering and applying analytics of various data sets in near real-time, can benefit utility efficiency and customer service excellence. Aligned with data analytics was a clear focus towards the customer satisfaction (e.g. introducing web portals, leak alerts, two-way communications and customer consultation). In the last 12 months there has been a doubling in the number of utilities that are pursuing intelligent water networks the integration of intelligent devices including water meters, pressure sensors, meter data, into all relevant business processes and systems and using this information to guide strategy and investment. As many respondents commented, there is an important need for an agreed upon and standardized set of definitions relating to smart-metering technology. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.