BENGALURU : With the onset of summer, citizens have installed smart water meters to keep track of water consumption in their apartments. This not only helps them manage their usage but also keep a watch on excess consumption at any particular time. About 6,000 to 8,000 homes under the Bangalore Apartment Federation have installed meters since September 2018, which has reduced their water consumption by 30 per cent.

Raghavendra Kamath, representative of Janhavi Nivas, Akshayanagar at BAF, said the smart water meter has helped him keep check on his water consumption and alerts him in case of any leakage in the pipeline. “I installed this device last September. I make sure our family of four uses only 350 litres a day. Every two hours, I check the meter to find when the water usage is high.

For example, I track when we take a shower,” he said. Each meter costs around `7,499 (without valve) and `9,499 (with valve). The subscription model to rent it out starts at `45 per month per meter. Prior to installing a water meter, Vasanth Kumar K, a resident of Butterfly Apartments in Kadubeesanhalli, said they required 60 tankers for the 35 apartments every month. With the usage not being monitored, Kumar said there were frequent arguments among residents too.

“After installing it in May 2017, our monthly consumption reduced by 33 per cent. We now use around 40 tankers a month. We are also able to save up to `20,000 per month,” he said.Vivek Shukla, CEO, and co-Founder of Smarterhomes, which manufactures WaterOn smart metre, said, 24,000 meters have been installed in the city. “Demand is high in areas like Horamavu, Bellandur, Sarjapur, Electronic City and Haralur that face water scarcity,” he said.