SUEZ’s ON'Connect™ Smart Water Meter solution to boost Goulburn Valley Water

After a public tender process, SUEZ was awarded the contract to lead the intelligent water metering project trial using ON’Connect™, an internationally recognised smart water meter solution built on the WIZE open wireless “Internet of Things” standard. WIZE is a field-proven platform originally developed by water utilities in 2005 as a fully open standard, with no requirement for exclusivity to any one manufacturer.

The project will help detect, optimise, and manage drinking water consumption and wastewater production from some of GVW’s 128,000-strong customer base, residing in 54 towns across northern Victoria. It will also help GVW protect private property from water damage due to undetected water leaks and save the community money by reducing the demand on infrastructure.

Scheduled for completion in 2021, the trial will see the deployment of more than 11,000 metering points in four towns across 20,000 km² over a period of 12 months.

SUEZ Senior Manager, Smart Water, Sean Cohen, said the project will be industry-leading among Australian water service providers, using a low-cost, sustainable digital metering solution and a fully open platform.

"We’re looking forward to working with Goulburn Valley Water on this innovative trial that will help pave the way for future water utilities seeking an open and low powered solution using meters that have exceptionally long device life,” he said.

SUEZ’s ON’Connect™ intelligent meter solution is the backbone for over four million water meters globally, including 2.3 million in France, 1.4 million in Spain and 250,000 in Malta. Over 600 local authorities have chosen the solution in France alone with other meters continuing to be deployed worldwide.

“One of the key benefits for Goulburn Valley Water from using the meters will be the access to quality data, enabling more insight into how the utility’s network is behaving,” Mr Cohen said.

“Using this data as part of an integrated customer portal experience, customers will be empowered to start changing and adapting their behaviour to reduce consumption, ultimately reducing their water bills and environmental footprint.

“It’s a win for Goulburn Valley Water, a win for residents, and a win for the environment,” he concluded.