MEDIA RELEASE 19 February 2007

Hervey Bay taps into high-tech water

HERVEY BAY residents should expect a visit from Wide Bay Water representatives soon as water meters across the city are upgraded with cutting-edge technology.

The new meters are fitted with a data logger called Firefly which not only records water usage but also the time of use.

Wide Bay Water CEO Tim Waldron said the project was an Australian first which offered residents a range of benefits.

"The new meters should give customers a much more accurate meter reading," he said. "The technology will also allow us to notify customers if there is a suspected leak on their properties. They could be paying for water they don’t realize is simply being wasted."

He said the smart metering system was expected to change the way water was sold in the future.

"By recording the time of use we will have the potential to charge water at 'off-peak' rates in much the same way as electricity is charged. This is part of our plan to ensure a viable and sustainable water supply for Hervey Bay."

Mr Waldron says residents should be aware that they won't be hit with bills for the meters.

The project attracted Federal Government National Water Initiative funding of $2.6million and state government funding of $930,000 leaving Wide Bay Water with minimal costs.

The government is also paying an additional $100,000 to Wide Bay Water for Mr Waldron to educate other councils and water authorities on the benefits of the scheme.

"We began this project knowing that many of Hervey Bay's water meters were nearing their use-by date," said Mr Waldron. "Some councils charge residents for new meters but we took an innovative approach that means most of the cost was government-funded and we can still deliver a superior metering system to residents."

 Skilltech crews working in and around Craignish, Burrum and Torbanlea have already installed around 3000 meters. Another 17,000 will be installed in coming months with the project due for completion at the end of June.

Residents will receive a leaflet in the week prior to the work notifying them of the upgrade which normally takes less than an hour.

The technology will also take the backache out of work for Wide Bay Water's meter readers.

They will drive the city's streets with an electronic meter reading device strapped to their car's roof.

This device "wakes up" the DATAMATIC Firefly as it passes, and the Firefly transmits the data via radio waves to the car from where it can be downloaded to a computer.

The time taken to read all of the city's meters is expected to drop from three months to about two days – also raising the potential for monthly rather than quarterly billing.

Mr Waldron said the project put Wide Bay Water at the forefront of metering technology in Australia and the company's expertise would probably be sought by other councils and water utilities wanting to upgrade their systems.

"It's part of our philosophy at Wide Bay Water," he said. "We invest in high-calibre people who can provide solutions for the future and we on-sell that expertise to other companies. It enables us to provide Hervey Bay with a water service that is ahead of its time."

For more contact Denis Heron, Wide Bay Water Corporation, 1300 808 888.