Tamworth Regional Council announces roll out of smart water meters in March, Taggle contracted for installation

That's a question that will become easier to answer as residents get their hands on real-time water consumption data.

Tamworth Regional Council is preparing to replace more than 21,000 mechanical water meters across the region to preserve the "precious resource" and save residents a dollar, according to mayor Russell Webb.

"It can pick up leaks in a good timely manner and that can help residents save water," he said.

"Often people will have a water leak and they won't know about it until they get their bill, that could be six or 12 months later."

Residents in Manilla and Barraba will be the first to have the smart meters installed when the roll out begins in March.

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The new meters will connect households to an online portal where they can track their daily water usage.

Cr Webb said the meters would be a "valuable asset" in council's mission for water security.

"During the drought in 2019 and 2020 we identified the real need to try and save water in any way we could," he said.

"This was one of the mechanisms we could put in place to make sure we aren't wasting water anywhere."

Council staff will also have access to residents' water data.

Cr Webb said this would allow them to notify residents if anything out-of-the-ordinary is registered.

"Smart water meters will also help council make faster and more informed water distribution decisions, improving the entire water network," he said.

The new smart meters were not trialled in Tamworth, but have been used by other council areas, including Gunnedah and Dubbo.

Cr Webb said the "proof was in the pudding" for the effectiveness of the meters.

"It's not new technology and it's not new to local councils," he said.

"It's real time monitoring so it will be very helpful to everybody."

Smart water solutions supplier Taggle has been contracted by council to install the meters.

Chief executive officer David Peters said Tamworth residents were well placed to reap the rewards of the real time water monitoring.

"Identifying leaks quickly is the big one, saving not only valuable water but reducing your water bills and bill shock for larger leaks," he said.

Mr Peters said having access to a personal water portal will allow residents to better understand their water usage and help resolve issues faster.

A phased roll out for the rest of the region will be carried out until late 2023, and installation is expected to take between 10 and 20 minutes.

Visit council's website for the full roll out schedule.

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