56,000 modern water meters installed so far
The installation of new automated water meters has proceeded as planned with more than 56,000 already in place, a conference on water management heard this morning.
Stephen Galea St John from the Water Services Corporation said all meters will be changed by the end of next year and will result in more frequent and accurate billing and substantial decrease in unaccounted for water (water which is not billed).
The conference was organised as part of the corporation's 20th anniversary and brought together experts, both Maltese and foreign, to discuss non revenue water - water produced or fed into the system by the corporation but which is not paid for by the consumer.
He said this could be the result of a number of factors which include theft, although this is limited, meter reading and billing mistakes and meter under registration - water that actually passes through the meter but remains undetected.
This aspect is expected to be drastically improved with the new meters and with the installation on special software which detects poor performance by the meter and flags its need to be changed.
One of the problems the corporation is facing when dealing with under registration of meters are the water tanks on people's roofs because low flows are not detected by meters.
The new meters are transmitting data remotely every four hours, enabling the corporation to detect a problem when variations between consumption and supply vary.
The new meters are also helping the corporation detect leakage problems.
The conference was also addressed by an Italian water expert who gave an overview of how water leakage was dealt with in Italy.
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24 Comments
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B. Farrugia
Nov 17th 2012, 17:55
Maybe we the people should attach meters on how our ministers and parlamentary secretaries spend their money. We can make greater savings their than watching out for a few drops of water.
P Sciberras
Nov 16th 2012, 17:12
One point which I cannot understand is: the water tanks on people' roofs because low flows are not detected by meters. Does'nt the water passes through the meters first before flowing to the roofs ?
Joseph Borg
Nov 16th 2012, 16:17
Smart meters are spy meters and they are danger for our health. But as usual money is their most important aspect.
Joe Tabone
Nov 16th 2012, 17:05
Spy meters???
Danger to our health???...................do we live on the same planet?
Michael Borg
Nov 16th 2012, 17:50
@ tabone yes spies !!! they will know what time you are at home ,if you go on holiday !! unless you never have shower and smart wouldn't notice !!!
c. hansel
Nov 16th 2012, 18:07
@M.Borg: I am sure the water services are really interested that u went on a holiday. A little paranoid? And what is the health hazard please with those meters?
Joseph Borg
Nov 16th 2012, 19:20
@c. Hansel
Because of the emission of pulsed radio-frequency radiation by the devices that can cause illness and disease.
K. Vella II
Nov 17th 2012, 14:41
@Michael Borg
"they will know what time you are at home ,if you go on holiday !!"
One would think that the border control desk at the airport would already know you're on holiday.
Joe Grech
Nov 16th 2012, 15:48
What about the water that's illegally being pumped through boreholes from the aquifers? Malta has a serious potable water crisis but the P.M. and Cabinet just do not care and are doing exactly NOTHING about it. Many Maltese are subsidising through their Water Bills the water that being's literally stolen - and then sold to us by Mineral Water ''providers''.
Mr Alfred Camenzuli
Nov 16th 2012, 15:07
Why in an apartment of 4 flats they came and install only one meter?
Michael Borg
Nov 16th 2012, 14:53
every 4 hours ??? my... meter still comes to read it !!! haluna
F. Pisani
Nov 16th 2012, 15:15
As part of the Project I can assure you that they are working Mr Borg. Just give them time.
Lawrence Fenech
Nov 16th 2012, 15:36
@Pisani.
So are the meter readers working full time till time exists.
Michael Borg
Nov 16th 2012, 17:54
@pisani let's make a bet they can't read from enemalta power station my readings !!! from marsa or delimara !!! hallina
Victor Laiviera
Nov 16th 2012, 14:39
Many months ago, my water meter was changed for one of the modern one. A new piece of equipment was installed at the same time. When I asked what it was, the installer told me it was a radio transmitter which would transmit my consumption and eliminate the need of a meter-reader.
Many months later I am (yes, you guessed) still receiving regular visits from the meter-reader.
j brincat
Nov 16th 2012, 14:11
Modern metres contrast by a lot with a white elephant (or is it a dinosaur?) which goes by the fancy name of ARMS and which has left many gaspless!
(jb)
John Borg
Nov 16th 2012, 12:39
1. The meters are modern and smart but the ARMS staff and management is not.
2. Although I have a modern meter installed, I still have to submit the readings myself. Are they, or aren't they working yet?
K. Vella II
Nov 17th 2012, 14:45
Imagine being one of the first HD TV set owners in Malta before the Maltese cable TV providers started offering the HD service to their subscribers.
See what happened there?
You would have the equipment but the network in your area would not be ready for it yet.
Mr Tony Gatt
Nov 16th 2012, 12:12
All it needs is people who can read them.
Peter Sullivan
Nov 16th 2012, 12:02
Let us hope that they work better than the Enemalta Automated Meters, which so far, in my case, are a total disaster, with invoices being issued that eventually have to be corrected by visiting ARMS Ltd (a waste of precious time). And this project was installed at a huge cost to the country.
Mr Tony Gatt
Nov 16th 2012, 12:15
i'm quite convinced some of these meter readers are innumerate. It is the only explanation I can think of regarding a neighbour of mine who is forever getting overbilled in spite of her meter bean 'read'.
Philip Grech
Nov 16th 2012, 11:57
If these smart meters measure our consumption every four hours, shouldn't us users be able to access this data and if necessary alter our consumption patterns? Perhaps even detect domestic leakage? After all this is personal data generated by consumers which is only being read by our suppliers. It should be accessible as is online telephony usage data.
The same goes for the electricity meters.
G A Bonello
Nov 16th 2012, 16:26
In fact, if you want, you can access the data every minute... just stand by your meter and watch it go round!!
In seriousness now, just read your meter yourself whenever and however often you want, and log on to www. smartutilies.com.mt to gauge your usage.
Marco Cremona
Nov 16th 2012, 17:33
G.A. Bonello,
You said.. "just read your meter yourself whenever and however often you want". For the consumer, how is this any better than the non-smart system, please?
(actually, the new meter has a much smaller display than the old meter, which makes reading (by the consumer) difficult, especially when the meter is installed in not-easily-readable positions)
Please choose the reason of your report below: