Telstra has partnered with Australian water utilities to deploy a digital water metering solution to help them identify water leakages and prioritise water-saving measures.
The solution runs on the telco’s internet-of-things network, powered by a battery that lasts 12 to 15 years and includes power saving and deep sleep modes, according to Telstra.
The IoT network, which covers more than 3.5 million square kilometres, supports connected devices such as water quality sensors, environment monitors, trackers and alarms.
“As we continue to experience the effects of a drying climate against a growing population and a higher use of water, the Internet of Things (IoT) is helping to conserve, protect, monitor and intelligently manage one of our most precious resources,” Telstra head of IoT and M2M Gerhard Loots said.
“Whether it's leakage prevention with smart water meters or environmental monitoring to keep our oceans clean and estuaries safe from contaminants, water utilities across the country are using IoT technology to better track, monitor and conserve water.”
He added Telstra had been trialling the solution over the past year with water utilities, saying that it was a critical benefit that demonstrated the power of IoT for the industry while improving the utilities’ bottom line.
Telstra said it is not able to reveal the participating utilities at this time.
The network’s reach, which includes hard-to-reach locations like in-building and sub-surface areas, can also allow for regional water utilities to access water insights in areas that have previously been costly to access.
“The opportunities here are endless, and the dividends are massive for providers, consumers and the environment,” Loots said.
“With IoT powering innovation that brings smarter gains in efficiency and productivity, as well as larger reductions in wastage, we can now do more with water while also using less. And we can do it all better than we ever could before.”
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