Industrial IoT provider Itron, specialising in advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) solutions for utilities, is working with Cairns Regional Council in Queensland, Australia, to deploy an NB-IoT system to manage usage, identify leaks, and lower costs in the district water distribution system. Itron is in the second phase of a two-phase IoT deployment that will see ramp-up metering in the water network over the next three years.
There is no word on the extent of the network or meter deployment. But Itron said it has already completed an “initial deployment” of IoT network infrastructure and meter devices in Cairns, as part of its phase-one work. It said the system variously comprises NB-IoT water meters (branded Intelis wSource) and an NB-IoT management / analytics platform (Temetra), plus existing mesh network technology, and whatever else Itron has deployed in the way of network infrastructure.
Cairns Regional Council has a “water security” plan to take advantage of new tech to identify water leaks and improve customer experience. Itron said it is working with the council to “deploy additional… meters, [to be] be managed by Itron’s… NB-IoT digital platform, to improve collection, tracking and management of water data from all endpoints within its network. Itron’s… solution will allow the council to tackle a number of operational challenges related to water.”
Itron said its new NB-IoT-based AMI solution will afford Cairns Regional Council a means to get sight of “non-revenue water losses in the distribution system” upstream and downstream of the meter and help customers manage water usage with data insights. It suggested its AMI solution is durable enough to deliver longer battery life than equivalent IoT solutions, and lower maintenance costs because of fewer repairs and replacements.
Don Reeves, a senior vice president at Itron, said: “Water scarcity is on the… and… a proactive approach to deploying a fully integrated water AMI solution serves as an example for other utilities and municipalities to ensure that their water infrastructure is built to address challenges they will face in the future. At Itron, we are excited to continue our work with the council to help the utility prepare for increased demand for water and asset management challenges.”
