Water consumption in public buildings or private apartments and houses is currently measured manually. Imagine the amount of time saved, if the recording of the consumer data could be done via machine-to-machine communication. Wouldn’t it be great if water meter could directly send the data on water consumption to the operating company?
A solution could be provided by a smart water meter system, recording the water consumption data and sending it to the operating company. As a result, nobody needs to stay at home just waiting for an operator to collect the data. Also, the read-out of water meters – especially in cellars and shafts – becomes easier, which cannot be accessed manually. The data from smart water meter at each inlet of the house would give insights of the water usage, thus reducing excess usage of water than needed. Connected water meters can raise an alarm immediately if a leakage is detected.
What is the benefit of doing this with NarrowBand-IoT (NB-IoT)? The main benefits are low device costs, ultra-low power consumption and extended coverage, enabling the installation of a cost-efficient, long-lasting sensor system with low maintenance effort – also in signal challenging areas such as basements.
Water metering via NB-IoT – a vision that soon might become reality. A pilot to test a NB-IoT based water meter system in Nuremberg has already been announced.