Smart Water Meters Trial
We are running a smart water meter pilot project in Glenorchy and Luggate, and aim to begin one in Hāwea in early 2024.
You can read lots more information and FAQs about the trial on the Smart Water Meters webpage.
Quick links
About this project
We’re running smart water meter trials in Luggate and Glenorchy to support more sustainable water use now and into the future.
For the most part, it isn’t currently possible to measure water usage across the Queenstown Lakes at a household level. When we do, it’s a manual task only completed occasionally. Smart water meters are a great way to measure water usage automatically and continuously.
Trialling a smart water meter solution allows us to measure in almost real time the amount of water used and allows us to find and fix leaks faster, optimising the ongoing management of the network. We also have plans to provide personal water usage dashboards to households with smart water meters installed, meaning those households can accurately see how much water they’re using and when they’re using it. We’ll then be able to measure whether demand for water changes when residents at a property can see how much water they’re using.
And as of November 2023, we're working to inspect water connections in Hāwea for the installation of smart water meters there in early 2024.
If the trial is successful, smart water meters could be rolled out more widely across the district.
What's the latest
January 2024:
We’ve launched phase two of our smart water meter trial, which invites households with smart water meters installed to accurately see how much water they’re using and when they’re using it.
We’ll also be able to measure whether household demand for water changes when residents at a property can see their usage data.
Phase two of the trial
This trial provides interested households with the ability to log in to an online dashboard, check how much water they’re using over a range of time periods, and compare their usage with anonymous properties in their neighbourhood. The dashboard also includes water saving tips for households that are keen to try using less water compared to a previous month.
This programme is entirely voluntary and there is no requirement for residents to participate. Phase two of the trial is an additional service for households who wish to understand and learn more about their household water usage.
As there are different types of household arrangements (e.g., tenanted, owner-occupied), we have implemented privacy safeguards to ensure that only a person associated with a household with a smart water meter can participate in the programme and access their water usage data.
If you have a smart water meter installed at your property by Council and you're keen to be involved, click here to reigster.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Smart water meters were installed at Glenorchy properties in 2021, expanding into Luggate in April 2022. We’re now inspecting water connections in Hāwea for the installation of smart water meters there in early 2024.
As of January 2024, we’ve launched the second phase of the trial in Luggate and Glenorchy.
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Our second phase of the trial involves providing information on water usage to interested households with smart water meters installed. Residents will then be able to accurately see how much water they’re using and when they’re using it.
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Yes. Properties interested in the second phase of the trial will be able to access information about water consumption using a website, similar to those which track household electricity usage.
This will enable households to understand how much water is being consumed, when it’s consumed and if there are any unusual consumption patterns, for example, excessive usage at night when demand should be close to zero.
More information about this part of the trial will be shared with households soon.
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Your water usage data is collected by the smart water meter installed on your water toby.
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Water usage data is sent securely from each meter over the cellular network to online servers, where it is then tagged to a property ID. The data is then processed and passed on to various systems that analyse it for potential problems like leaks or meter issues.
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QLDC uses water usage data as part of its smart water meter trial to help find and fix leaks faster. We can also share the water usage data of a property with people living in that household, provided they’re interested in seeing how much water they’re using. This data is provided in an online dashboard that someone living in a household can register for and log into.
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Households with a smart water meter installed are placed into a group with other users in a similar location. You’re then able to see how much water these anonymous households are using compared to you. There are no identifying factors linked to these statistics.
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The information collected from our trial does not include your personal information. It tells us about the amount of water consumed at a household and when that water is being consumed.
For households interested in taking part in the second phase of the trial, you’re invited to register by sharing your name, contact details and the address at which you live so we can provide you with your very own online dashboard to see your water usage. As there are different types of household arrangements (e.g., tenanted, owner-occupied), we have implemented privacy safeguards to ensure that only a person associated with a household with a smart water meter can participate in the programme and access their water usage data.
In the event any data collected from this trial constitutes personal information, QLDC will adhere to our Privacy Policy which sets out how and why QLDC collects and stores personal information, what we will use it for and with whom we can share it.
Find out more about our Privacy Policy here: https://www.qldc.govt.nz/your-council/council-documents/policies/privacy-policy/.
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If the pilot is successful, smart meters could be rolled out more widely across the district. However, any decision to roll out smart water meters across the district will require a wider conversation with the community. The lessons from the trial will provide a basis of these conversations.
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QLDC is not currently looking to review how water services are charged.
The purpose of this pilot is to collect information around typical water usage in our district, to educate those using the water around their usage, identify leaks, and better understand the technology on offer. QLDC can use this information to inform our future consultations on water charges.
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If you no longer want to be a part of the trial, you can cancel your involvement by contacting QLDC by email at watermeters@qldc.govt.nz
Or give us a call on 03 441 0499.
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Pressure and acoustic sensors are installed in the water infrastructure and connected to an alert system which has data analysis integrations for the smart water meters. For example, if a property has a stable water flow during some period of time that could indicate that there’s a potential water leak and the system will send an alarm. This helps our maintenance and operations team to track down a potential water leak in the system.
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Contact us
If you have any questions or concerns about the project, please contact QLDC by emailing watermeters@qldc.govt.nz
Or give us a call on 03 441 0499.