YORKSHIRE Water are partnering Arqiva and Sensus in a second smart meter trial, which they hope could play a key role in their leakage reduction strategy, ensuring security of supply into the future and saving up to 250,000 litres of water per burst.
Around 1000 Meters will be deployed on commercial properties and will remotely send 15 minute water flow information back to Yorkshire Water every 4 hours.
Using this data Yorkshire Water can identify when increases in demand are due to leakage and respond quickly.
Yorkshire Water’s Clean Water Network Strategy Manager, Adam Smith, commented on the research: “Yorkshire Water are excited to enter this project with Arqiva and enable us to further understand the role Smart Metering can play in enhancing our water management capabilities and the service our customers receive.
“We selected Arqiva and Sensus because the solution meets our demands of guaranteed coverage, network security and frequency of data, so we can quickly identify and proactively address leakage, whilst also engaging with customers to help reduce overall demand for water.
“This project with Arqiva is a key piece of our Smart Water Network vision, which we are deploying in Sheffield, and the largest of its kind in the UK.”
Using existing technology it is difficult to determine if increases in demand are due to customers consuming more water, or if there is a burst.
The meters will be deployed across 30 network zones, called DMAs (District Metered Areas), which monitor water flow into and out of areas of the network.
Sheffield was chosen as a location for the two-year innovation pilot for geographical reasons.
The hills in the city will test the capability of the wireless solution for transferring flow data.
Also, its elevation and closeness to the Peak District means the area faces harsh winters and the associated challenges with leakage during freeze-thaw events.
The installations began on 12th May this year, with the scheme forming part of Yorkshire Water’s innovative smart water network pilot in West Sheffield.
The ambitious multi-stakeholder collaboration combining data from acoustic, flow, pressure and water quality monitors with the aim of revolutionising the way leaks and interruptions to supply are managed in the future.
Tony Anderson, Senior Business Development Manager – Telecoms & Smart M2M at Arqiva, added: “Communications infrastructure is Arqiva’s bread and butter, providing networks that connect millions of people and devices across the country.
“Our secure network, which uses a frequency spectrum dedicated to smart metering, already spans hundreds of thousands of meters in other areas.
“We look forward to demonstrating to Yorkshire Water and their customers the benefits such a network can provide.”
