![WATCHING: Tamworth Regional Council water sustainability officer Ian Lobban had his measures approved by the councillors. Photo: Gareth Gardner 230419GGA02 WATCHING: Tamworth Regional Council water sustainability officer Ian Lobban had his measures approved by the councillors. Photo: Gareth Gardner 230419GGA02](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/pMXRnDj3SUU44AkPpn97sC/34712263-e30d-4516-9258-b050e660c003.jpg/r0_0_3564_2218_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
TAMWORTH Regional Council has approved a $52,000 spend to roll-out a small scale real-time water use monitoring scheme.
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While water security is front of mind at all levels of government, councillors aired some concern about how much it would cost to install automated meter readers (AMRs) across the entire council area.
As part of a suite of water saving measures recommended to the council, 100 AMRs will be installed in town as a kind of trial.
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The initial set of AMRs will be installed at properties suspected of ignoring water restrictions, according to the report..
While councillors approved the suite of water saving measures, questions were raised about the cost-benefit of a council-wide scheme, as well as the potential public exposure of non-complaint water users.
Glenn Inglis crunched the numbers in the council chambers.
At a cost of $52,000 for just 100 readers, Cr Inglis said it meant each automated system was worth $520.
He said there were about 23,000 tenements within the council boundaries which meant a roll-out across the local government area would come with a $12 million price tag.
He asked if a cost-benefit analysis had been done.
"We are putting out expressions of interest for AMRs which is separate to this," water director Bruce Logan said.
"We're only getting a small number and I imagine if we we're talking about 20,000, the price would be significantly reduced.
"But the installation of AMRs across the whole of Tamworth Regional Council would be a significant investment, no doubt."
Cr Inglis also suggested targeting non-compliant properties during the trial would be akin to raising a banner outside people's houses and the council should be cautious in its delivery.
"We won't be advertising properties have had them installed," Mr Logan said.
"And if we have them there a week or two weeks and there is no non-compliance with the restrictions we could go and put old meter back on."
Acting mayor Phil Betts said the AMRs could also be used to identify leaks and not just as tool to crack down on big water users.
The councillors also approved a $45,000 review of water use at 20 council facilities, a $35,000 spend on groundwater modelling within a five kilometre radius from the Calala water treatment plant and a $73,000 splash on "community education materials".