Residents in Innisfail Estate and Cullinane in Far North Queensland will soon benefit from having a smart water meter installed at their property as part of the Cassowary Coast Regional Council’s meter replacement program.
Cassowary Coast Regional Council Mayor, Mark Nolan, said that installation of smart meters commenced in February 2021.
“Smart meters provide an hourly water consumption update directly to Council so we can better understand how our residents use water, whilst monitoring the performance of the water network and consumption,” Mr Nolan said.
“Currently, water meters are read by Council officers every six months for billing purposes and this means there is a significant time period between when the water is used and when residents receive their bill and water consumption update.”
Mayor Nolan stated that if a property has a water leak, this means it can be up to six months before the water meter is read and the property owner becomes aware.
“Leaks can be hard to detect and can result in excess water charges for residents, plus increased demand on our water supply and Council infrastructure. Smart meters will help identify high or out of the ordinary water usage, which will lead to identifying leaks earlier, saving water, money and potential property damage.
“The smart water meter transmits hourly meter readings directly to Council via a small radio signal, which is 30 times weaker than the signal transmitted by a mobile phone.
“If residents are interested in knowing more about the smart meters, I’d encourage them to visit Council’s website and check out the factsheet.”
Impacted residents in Innisfail Estate and Cullinane will be provided advance written notices or a face-to-face visit from a Council officer about how the water meter works. Works are being undertaken between February and May 2021, weather permitting. The meter replacement program is focusing on areas with the greatest numbers of failing or faulty meters but it is envisaged all meters in Innisfail and surrounds will be replaced within a couple of years.
