Using smart meter data to improve supply efficiency: is it for real?

ABSTRACT

Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) systems have been a target for water companies for well over a decade. The primary goal is to improve supply efficiency through various means, such as reducing leaks on customers' premises, enhancing leak management in WDNs (Water Distribution Network), and fostering customer engagement. With the increased availability of smart meters, communication systems, and data processing software, many companies have started rolling out this type of infrastructure in recent years. Canal de Isabel II, the public company that provides end-to-end water services to more than seven million people in the region of Madrid, Spain, started its deployment in 2023, with a view to complete its 1.6 million meters by 2026. Being the deployment sufficiently advanced, it becomes possible to begin quantitatively evaluating whether the expected benefits in terms of efficiency are being leveraged and to what extent. As a result, clear benefits are evident in terms of reducing leaks on customer premises. The outcomes related to the reduction of under-recording are inconclusive, while it is still too early to provide an extensive evaluation of the benefits related to improved leak detection.