Water meter replacement program
Progress update - 14 August
We have commenced the rollout of the replacement NB-IoT smart water meters.
Our replacement crew started work in earnest in mid-July and have installed just under 200 replacement meters in about 4 weeks. The majority of meters have been replaced in the Ridgeway and Weetalabah pressure zones and the crew is now working on 20mm meters in the Homestead pressure zone in the southern area of Jerrabomberra.
Where are we installing the meters?
The first area we plan to install the meters as part of this roll out is in The Ridgeway/Weetalabah area.
Residents will receive a notice about upcoming water meter replacements, as well as a notice once the new smart meter has been installed.
What are the benefits of the new smart meters?
Monitor your water consumption anytime, anywhere, for free
Sign up to MyWater, a free online tool that you can use to track your daily water usage and keep an eye on how much it’s costing. You can also choose your own water consumption targets and set up alerts to warn you if these targets have been or are likely to be exceeded. More information on how to sign up is available on the MyWater Factsheet(PDF, 956KB). This is provided to households when the new meter is installed.
Detect leaks on your side of the meter
MyWater will alert you to potential leaks on your side of the meter, which can go undetected for extended periods of time and cost many hundreds of dollars.
More reliable reading frequency and less entry to your property
These meters are read remotely over the mobile phone network and we can read the meter without having to enter your property. As we don’t have to worry about access, animals or the weather to read the meter, we can read the water meters at a set frequency. This will give you greater certainty on when water bills will be payable. To ensure there are no errors, we will still conduct a physical read of the meter approximately once per year.
Improved network understanding
As more smart meters are installed, we will improve our understanding of how our water network performs. This allows us to plan with greater accuracy and confidence.
Faster response to network issues
Some smart meters include pressure sensors, and these meters will be distributed strategically around our network. Once these sensors are rolled out, changes in pressure can be used to react quickly to water mains breaks, thus saving water and reducing outages for residents and ratepayers.
What should residents expect?
We will issue a letter notifying properties of the upcoming replacement and that we will be conducting an inspection of the existing meter.
If some action by the owner or resident is required, we will notify the resident via a card left at the property.
We will then prepare for replacement and notify you on the day we expect to replace your water meter.
On the listed date, Council's Water Industry Operators will enter the property to replace the water meter. This will include:
- Knocking on the door to announce arrival
- Showing the "Authority to Enter"
- Take a photo of the area for record-keeping purposes - before and after replacing the water meter
- If you are home, knock on the door to let you know that the work is complete
Once the meter has been replaced and confirmed, we will send you information about registering for MyWater.
FAQs
Will ‘time of day’ billing be introduced once I get the new meter like they have for some electricity meters?
There are no plans to introduce ‘time of day’ billing. Time of day billing is attractive to energy suppliers as it costs more to buy power when there is low supply (such as during the night), and prices can go close to zero when there is excess supply from renewable power. Water supply doesn’t work this way, and there is no period where excess water is available in the network.
How is the data managed?
Data collected through the meters is the same as a traditional meter and we comply with the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1988. You can view our Privacy Statement at https://www.qprc.nsw.gov.au/Privacy-Statement and our Privacy Policy and Management Plan at https://www.qprc.nsw.gov.au/files/assets/public/v/4/resources-amp-documents/policies/policies-qprc/privacy-policy-and-management-plan-25-april-2025.pdf
How is the data used?
We use the collected data to issue water bills and to monitor for leaks within properties. In addition to this, some meters include a pressure sensor which we use to monitor network performance. During times of water restrictions, we may review the collected data to inform residents of the need to reduce their water use, review the effectiveness of the restrictions and for general education programs.