07 July 2016

Anglian Water said long-term access to secure water supplies is an urgent global challenge. It added that the east of England is the UK’s driest region.

Arqiva is building the fixed network infrastructure needed to support a smart meter trial for Anglian Water.

Working in partnership with US-based utility technology provider Sensus, the four-year contract will see Arqiva create the fixed network infrastructure needed for the deployment and operation of 7,500 new smart water meters in and around Newmarket.

The Suffolk town has been chosen as the site for Anglian Water’s ‘Innovation Shop Window’ where the firm tests and showcases its latest innovation projects as it seeks to create the water company of the future. 

The Shop Window’s three key objectives are to achieve 100 per cent customer satisfaction; ensure zero bursts or leakages; and reduce water consumption to 80 litres per head per day. Anglian Water has set-up the trial to demonstrate the contribution that fixed network smart water metering can make towards these goals. 

Arqiva’s network build out is expected to take place over the next six months. Once the pilot begins, Sensus smart water meters covering both residential and non-residential properties will transmit hourly usage readings via the network back to Anglian Water. 

It’s claimed the data will enable the utility company to better understand customer water consumption, and to quickly identify unusual patterns of use that might indicate a burst or a leak. 

Arqiva said this proactive method of identifying leaks means Anglian Water’s teams can get out and fix them sooner, or alert customers about a repair if the leak is found to be on a private pipe network.

The company adds that its fixed network’s two-way communications capability will enable Anglian Water to remotely reconfigure meters to deliver more frequent meter readings. These will be carried out every 15 minutes, thereby boosting the accurate identification of system leakage. 

Customers taking part in the trial will have online access to their usage data, and will be given guidance and advice on how to minimise their water consumption.

According to Anglian Water, long-term access to secure water supplies is one of the most pressing environmental and economic challenges the world faces today. The company added that the challenge is particularly acute in the east of England which is the UK’s driest region. 

Paul Glass, Anglian Water’s programme manager for the smart metering initiative, warns that “getting to grips” with the challenges is not something that can wait. 

“We want to lead the way in raising awareness about how essential water is to life, people and the environment, but also draw attention to the role technologies like this can have in helping address the challenges of a growing population and changing climate.”

Glass said smart metering has a key role to play in helping customers understand how much water they are using, and how to therefore reduce their consumption and bills. “In combination with our efforts on the wider network, this will help secure water supplies for the future,” he said.

How the IoT is changing the role of the network manager – Networking+ feature, June 2016, pp11-13