Malkajgiri homes to get smart water meters by year-end

Households in Malkajgiri are soon going to have tamper-free smart or ultra-sound meters that measure water usage using infra-red waves. The older meters of the mechanical kind use water pressure to calculate usage.

The smart meters will be installed in 40,000 households in the area. The meters are capable of measuring not just the water usage in each household but also the timing of water usage and its frequency. While Malkajgiri will be the first area where infra-red sensor meters are installed, in the coming three years all households within the jurisdiction of Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board will get the same smart meters.

Water Board has already floated tenders for the Malkajgiri project. “These meters cannot be tampered with. Earlier people used to tamper the pressure sensor meters using magnets. The new meters are expected to improve revenue by over 25 to 30 %,” Managing Director-HMWS&SB M. Dana Kishore said.

Successful pilot

The smart meters were installed on a pilot basis in three localities — Adarsh Nagar, Prashasan Nagar and Kavuri Hills — in Hyderabad to read the water usage of 1,000 households. Water board officials said revenue improved after the installation of the meters. “Revenue in these four areas went up by 20 to 22 %. We expect better dividends when it is implemented in residential areas,” Mr. Kishore said.

As the new meters sense the water flow using radiation expensive equipment will have to be used to block its functioning. “If someone wants to tamper with these meters they will have to spend more money than installation and manufacturing costs of the meter,” Mr. Kishore pointed out.

The Malkajgiri smart meter process will be complete by the end of this year, he assured.

Meanwhile, the board has also started encouraging water usage monitoring within the household. HMWS&SB is running a pilot project in association with a private agency which manufactures water sensors that can be fixed to the water source.

Water usage

The water sensors tabulate water usage in kitchen sinks and bathrooms where more water is consumed. “With this technology each consumer will be able to measure the amount of water used for each water related activity. It helps reduce water wastage and helps people regulate their own water usage patterns like water used on appliances like washing machine,” Mr. Kishore said.

The board will, however, not oversee the installation of these water sensors though it will popularise the use of this technology. In some houses in Kavuri Hills these sensors are already put to use, the board officials informed.